Cycle Tour Sulzbach-Mittersheim-Nancy-Metz

Saarbrücken is the capital city of Saarland, one of the federal states of Germany. At 200 000 inhabitants, it is at the lower end of Germany's long Großstädte (large city) list, and is perhaps the least prominent state capital, at least from the tourist's point of view. That said, Saarbrücken has an impressive history of over a 1000 years, with its predecessors dating back to ancient Roman Empire. It does not only possess architectural heritage to prove that, but it is also picturesquely located over the bends of the river Saar, serving as the gateway to this underrated region of Germany.

Saarbrücken has been a primarily industrial city since coal extraction started in the first half of the 18th century. The steel industry developed on that base and up to today Saarbrücken has many plants manufacturing various metal products and components. Automotive components in general are another mainstay of the local economy, supplying many of the leading automakers all over Europe. In more recent decades, Saarbrücken has also developed into a robust hub for software production, employing thousands of local workers. For those reasons, Saarbrücken, while not popular as a tourist destination, sees a sizeable business-related visitor traffic, and due to its small size and location in a densely-populated area, it also has one of the proportionally largest commuter workforces, measured tens of thousands of workers.

See

• ⊙St. Johanner Markt (St. Johanner Market Square). A pedestrianized square with bars, restaurants and frequent markets (see below). (updated Oct 2017)
• ⊙Rathaus St. Johann (Town Hall), Rathausplatz 1, ☎ +49 681 9380916. Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:30. The Neo-Gothic town hall from 1900 was designed by Georg J. von Hauberrisser, the architect who was also responsible for the town halls in Munich and Wiesbaden. There is a tourist information office in this building. Free. 
• ⊙Johanneskirche (St. John’s Church), Cecilienstraße 2. Tue-Sun 15:00-18:00; Service: Sun 11:00. Neo-Gothic church. Free. (updated Oct 2017)
• ⊙Basilica St. Johann, Gerberstraße 31, ☎ +49 681 906880. Mon Fri Sat 09:30-19:15, Tue Thu Sun 08:30-19:15, Wed 08:30-17:00. A church erected around 1754. Free. 
• ⊙Ludwigskirche (Ludwig’s Church), Am Ludwigsplatz, ☎ +49 681 52524. Jan-Mar: Tue 12:00-17:00 (if no wedding), Wed-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun-Mon closed; Apr-Dec: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Mon closed; Service: Sun 10:00. Free. (updated May 2015)
• ⊙Schlossplatz (Castle Square). The Baroque Ensemble 
• ⊙Saarbrücken Castle, Schlossplatz 1, ☎ +49 681 5061313. Free.  
• ⊙Schlosskirche (Castle Church), Am Schlossberg 6, ☎ +49 681 9964234. Tue, Thu-Sun 10:00-19:00; Wed 10:00-20:00. The church holds a museum. Free. (updated May 2015)

Buy

• ⊙Saarbrücker Bauernmarkt, St. Johanner Markt. Every Saturday from 09:00-16:00. Farmers market where regional products are sold.