Saarburg A Quaint Little Venice

Saarburg and the castle

Little Venice

restaurants and shops in the heart of old town

the gorge and mill wheels

gotta have some weizenbier, wheat beer

rahm schnitzel

marsala wine - perfect ending

Old Bell Foundry

inside the foundry

view from the castle

What can you say about Saarburg without mentioning quaint, beautiful, interesting, old, ancient, castle, church, food, waterfall, gorge, and historic?  Turns out there’s a lot.

For one thing, Saarburg is sometimes called the little Venice.  Nope, no gondolas staffed by Italian gentlemen carrying poles and wearing funny hats.  But, the old town center is remarkable.  Beautifully arched bridges span the man-made tributary of the Saar River, diverted to power an old mill.  The mill ground many things, most notably grain until recently, when it was turned into a museum.  The water still flows, however, and the mill wheels still turn lazily.  Amble through town.  Take your time. Restaurants spread delightfully into the main plaza. Sip a beer or wine at an outdoor café, right next to a deep gorge and cascading stream.

You have to leave the heart of the town and stroll down a narrow cobblestone lane to find it, but don’t miss the old bell foundry that produced church bells for centuries, in fact until 2002.  As you walk, note the centuries-old, colorful fishermen’s homes on either side.  Coming out of the city proper, and after passing through another small plaza, you’ll see the foundry museum.  Some of the bells on display weight upwards of two and a half tons! Every wonder how bells were cast, or how church bells are consecrationed?  You’ve got your chance. The bell company still produces resonant tones from iron and brass, but in a more modern environment.

Saarburg is one of those jewel towns you can’t wait to take your friends to, so pick your friends carefully. The view from the castle is remarkable. Count Siegfried of Luxemburg, built the castle site in 964 and parts of the original works remain.  Take the winding stairs to the top for a splendid view of the Saar.

            Saarburg is what I call ‘low pressure’ touring.  Leisurely train ride.  Slow paced, quaint village.  Interesting museums you’ve never thought of.  Learning things you never knew you wanted to know.  In short, a delightful day with friends.