Vacation in Saarland – Easter 2018

Known as the most beautiful federal state in the world, we spent our vacation in Saarland this time. Just in time for Easter, we we continued on and drove through Basel and Alsace into Saarland. Just the drive alone already felt like a vacation. We encountered some Easter traffic and needed about an hour longer than usual, but we arrived relaxed in beautiful Kastel towards the evening. Kastel belongs to the district of St. Wendel and the municipality of Nonnweiler. It is located in the north of Saarland, right on the edge of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park. This makes Kastel an ideal starting point for hikes and leisurely strolls.

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1 Vacation in Saarland
2 Hunnenring – Ring wall of Otzenhausen
3 Privacy is also necessary
4 Conclusion

Vacation in Saarland

The Saarland is the smallest federal state in Germany. But it has a lot to offer. In addition to the famous landmark „Saarschleife“ (Saar Loop), you can visit Völklingen and Neunkirchen in the south of the state, two important sites of Saarland's industrial history. Above all, the Völklingen Ironworks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, now hosts many exhibitions and cultural events. The state capital Saarbrücken invites you to go shopping and enjoy the nightlife. But Saarlouis is also known for the latter. In the old town of Saarlouis, you'll find one pub after another, with many small, charming clubs or lounges in between.

Besides shopping and celebrating, the Saarland offers an impressive number of hiking trails. Not only on the 410 km long Saar-Hunsrück Trail You can relax and unwind. You can also exert yourself and/or enjoy nature on numerous smaller premium hiking trails, such as the Hochwaldpfad in Weiskirchen or the Lückner-Weg, which starts in Oppen. A list of all 65 hiking trails can be found at Wikipedia.

There are also some great Lakes and swimming lakes in Saarland. I wrote a short piece about that a while ago. Contribution written.

Hunnenring – Ring wall of Otzenhausen

The Otzenhausen Ringwall, also popularly known as the „Hunnenring,“ is located in the extreme north of Saarland. A few steps further and you are in Rhineland-Palatinate. Here begins the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park. We started from the forest parking lot in Otzenhausen and walked towards the Ringwall. After about 1.8 km, you reach this impressive structure. A stone staircase allows you to cross over. Afterwards, you walk back down behind the rampart to a forest path that leads you back to the parking lot. The shortest loop is about 4 km long. We chose this one because the weather wasn't cooperating 100%% that day.

The rampart itself dates back to the 5th to 1st centuries BC. Naturally, it served as protection for the Celts who lived there at the time. At some point after the Gallic Wars, it was abandoned and has since served as a tourist attraction 🙂 It was probably something like that. Details about the rampart can be found in many places online.

Now there is a Celtic village right by the forest parking lot. For 2.50 EUR as an adult and a few cents cheaper as a child, you can visit the grounds and get an insight into life back then.

We didn't do this and returned to the car after an exciting but relaxing hike. The ring fort itself is definitely worth a visit.

Privacy is also necessary

We spent the rest of our holiday week visiting friends and family. Since it was Easter, there were of course many eggs to find and gifts to distribute. Therefore, we didn't undertake any other activities this time.

Conclusion

Holidays in Saarland are usually very cozy. The nature there is unique and partly untouched. The small, sometimes picturesque villages reflect that cozy life that many city dwellers might dream of. Far from densely populated areas and rush hour, you can relax, unwind, and enjoy life in Saarland.

Do you have any questions or need more tips and suggestions for your vacation in Saarland? Then feel free to contact me. I know almost every corner and area 😉

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