Select Vacation Rentals and detailed Travel Guides
Explore Germany: Saarland

Saarland Overview

Saarland (French: Sarre) is one of the 16 federal states (German: Bundesländer) of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest of the German Flächenländer (area states), i.e., those that are not city-states (Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg). Its location between French and German powers has given Saarland a unique history. It was the only state to join the Bundesrepublik between its formation in 1949 and the German reunification in 1990. Saarland has the highest concentration of Roman Catholics of any German state (65.1 percent of the population), and is one of two states (the other being Bavaria) in which Catholics form a majority.

Geography

The state borders France (département of Moselle, which forms part of the région of Lorraine) to the south and west, Luxembourg to the west and Rheinland-Pfalz to the north and the east.

It is named after the Saar River, a tributary of the Moselle River (itself a tributary of the Rhine), which runs through the state from the south to the north-west. One third of the land area of the Saarland is covered by forest, one of highest percentages in Germany. The state is generally hilly; the highest mountain is the Dollberg with a height of 695.4 m (about 2,280 feet).

Most inhabitants live in a city agglomeration on the French border, surrounding the capital of Saarbrücken.

Popular Destinations - Saarland

Saarbrücken

Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city sits at the heart of a metropolitan area that bounds westwards to Dillingen and northeastwards to Neunkirchen, in which most of the people of the Saarland live.

Related: Saarbrücken travel guide

Homburg

Homburg is the county town of Saarpfalz circle in the Saarland with 44,000 inhabitants. It is the third largest city in the Saarland, situated in the foothills of the Palatinate Forest.

Related: Homburg travel guide

Saarburg

Saarburg (pop. ~6,700) is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany, on the banks of the Saar River in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle.

Related: Saarburg travel guide

Bad Kohlgrub

Bad Kohlgrub is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria.

Related: Bad Kohlgrub travel guide

Perl

Perl is a municipality in the district Merzig-Wadern, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the river Moselle, on the border with Luxembourg and France, approx. 25 km southeast of Luxembourg (city). It is joined by a bridge across…

Related: Perl travel guide

Sankt Ingbert

Sankt Ingbert (also St. Ingbert) is a town in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km north-east of Saarbrücken, and 10 km south-west of Neunkirchen and has a population of 38,659. Sankt Ingbert is an old industrial…

Related: Sankt Ingbert travel guide

Beckingen

Beckingen is a municipality in the district Merzig-Wadern, in Saarland, Germany.

Related: Beckingen travel guide

Waldrach

Waldrach is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near Trier.

Related: Waldrach travel guide

Ottweiler

Ottweiler is a municipality, former seat of the district of Neunkirchen, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Blies, approx. 7 km north of Neunkirchen, and 25 km northeast of Saarbrücken. Home of the legendary Ottweiler Pils (4.5% vol.).

Related: Ottweiler travel guide

Sankt Wendel

St. Wendel is a municipality in northeastern Saarland. It is situated on the river Blies 36 km northeast of Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, and is named after Saint Wendelin of Trier.

Related: Sankt Wendel travel guide

«first ‹previous 1 2 3 4 next› last»
Sort by: popularity alphabetical recently added

Browse our comprehensive collection of Germany vacation rentals and travel guides organized by destination, with detailed, personal destination guides for many different locations. Each of vacation rentals and holiday apartments are hand picked to meet our stringent quality requirements. You can book those all conveniently online. In addition, we work very closely with each of our property owners so that we can offer you special discounts, as well as last minute availability offers with substantial savings! The combination of our vacation rentals and travel guides will let you truly 'Live like a German' during your Germany vacation.

Most Popular Destinations in Germany

Germany has numerous cities of interest to tourists; these are the top nine travel destinations:

Berlin - the reunified and reinvigorated capital of Germany; known for its division during the Cold War - and the Berlin Wall. Today its a metropolis of diversity with elegant clubs, galleries and traditional restaurants. It is also a haven for shoppers.
Bremen - one of the most important cities in northern Germany, its old town will be of interest to travelers who want a slice of history.
Cologne - Germany's fourth-largest city. Cologne was founded by the Romans and is 2000 years old with its huge cathedral, Romanesque churches, and archaeological sites. Cologne also well known for its carnival and its Christopher-Street-Day parade. Don't forget to try the local cuisine and of course the local beer, called "Kölsch".
Dresden - once called Florence on the Elbe, and world-famous for its Frauenkirche and historic center which was destroyed during the war, the city offers more than what the average traveller can expect: Great festivals, all kinds of cultural entertainment, vibrant night life, and surrounded by beautiful natural vistas. Dresden hosts the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) which is one of the world's most impressive museums and collections. The art collections consist of eleven museums, of which the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the Grünes Gewölbe are the most well-known.
Dusseldorf - Germany's capital of fashion, the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia offers a wide scale of fascinating new architecture. Right along the shores of river Rhine, the "Altstadt" and the "Medienhafen" are among the best places in Germany to enjoy a vibrant nightlife. Being one of the country's wealthiest cities, the atmosphere is very pleasant. Germans call it "the only metropolis ending with -dorf (German for village)".
Frankfurt - Germany's leading financial center, transportation hub, seat of the European Central Bank (ECB), international trade fair center (Book Fair, Motor Show), hub of multicultural activity (30% Immigrants), and site of numerous world-class museums and theaters. It is also Germany's only city with enough skyscrapers to have a skyline.
Hamburg - Germany's second-largest city, famous for its harbour as well as its liberal and tolerant culture. Don't miss the Reeperbahn with its night clubs and casinos. Hamburg is also popular for its many musicals.
Hannover - One of Germany's newer tourist cities, having hosted various international events in recent times.
Munich - Bavaria's beautiful capital city and Southern Germany's primate city. Third largest city in Germany, Munich is the site of the famous Oktoberfest and the gateway to the Alps.
Nuremberg - Second largest city in Bavaria, after WW2 over 90% of the old-town was destroyed. Today it has already been reconstructed, including the Gothic Kaiserburg Castle (Emperor's Castle of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation). You can also visit the Nazi party rally grounds, the Documentation Centre and Courtroom 600 - venue of the Nuremberg Trails.