Planet Hibbel - a world of its own! But above all, it's the blog of Nadine Lessenich, aka "Mrs. Hibbel," a lively, adventurous travel blogger. With her husband and two sons, she does all kinds of things to get to know the world: day trips, weekend trips, long-distance travel. You can guess what was on the agenda the other day: our Saarland. Welcome!
Mrs. Hibbel arrived with her family. And with three and a half days to spare. A week would have been much better, Mrs. Hibbel found afterwards regretfully. Even though the Saarland is the smallest federal state in Germany, it has a lot to offer families. And that's what Ms. Hibbel experienced with us:
So charming and cozy here! Saarbrücken is the state capital, but has just under 180,000 inhabitants. That makes for a relaxed atmosphere, which the many students (there's a university here, too) fill with cheerful life. Hibbels visited the historic old town with its cobbled streets and castle grounds, but also felt right at home on the other bank of the Saar: in the Nauwieser Viertel, where the alternative scene is at home, where organic bakers sit, where house walls are painted with the most beautiful street art and people casually drink their beer in front of hipster pubs. By the way, Hibbels are vegetarians, so they couldn't do much with our specialty "Gefillde" (potato dumplings filled with minced meat and bacon sauce). But thanks to Buddha Bowls, Thai curries, fresh smoothies and sumptuous ice cream sundaes, all four happily feasted their way through our capital.
Industrial culture is also part of culture. And that is why UNESCO has Völklingen Ironworks declared a World Heritage Site. The huge, disused plant on the border with France is the only ironworks from the heyday of industrialization that has been completely preserved. And with its huge pipes, towering halls, endless tracks, it is almost impossible to grasp. The complete tour of the ironworks is 7,000 meters long; you pass gigantic machines, blast furnaces, blower halls and even climb to the roof of the ore hall at a height of 27 meters. Especially great for kids: the interactive Science Center... with the nine-meter slide! The Hibbels spent four hours in the Völklingen Ironworks on the road, were not bored for a second and would have liked to stay much longer. Well!
As Rhinelanders, Hibbels are of course very familiar with stockpiles. But the Ensdorf slag heapThe Duhamel slag heap, also known as Monte Schlacko, was something special for the family: with 50 hectares and a height of 150 meters, it is one of the largest of its kind. Hibbels made sporty to the ascent - there are several hiking trails - also cope with the last, steeper part and then admired on the summit the Saarpolygon. The 30 meter high steel monument reminds of the change of the region, you can climb up inside, enjoy the view - and take great family photos in front of it!
The Saarschleife, where the river makes a perfect U-turn in a wonderfully green forest landscape, is not only a natural wonder, but the landmark of the Saarland. And of course Hibbels did not want to miss it. They opted for the most impressive kind of sightseeing - the Treetop path Saarschleife. The wooden path winds through airy treetop height of 23 meters through about 800 meters of forest area. At the end, it spirals up another 42 meters into the air. The view from the viewing platform at the very top? "Simply awesome!" cheered Mrs. Hibbel.
The Saarland wildlife is diverse. Even South American beasts of burden and wool such as llamas and alpacas occur! However, mainly in the large alpaca farm on the outskirts of Saarbrücken. The Hibbels also made a stop here, because the farm offers taster walks with the animals. First, the animals were captured, then the Hibbels were assigned Schorsch (a llama) and Cisco (an alpaca). And off they went! One hour always along the green, German-French border. With occasional stops at special tempting nettle fields and a big excitement: Schorsch fell for a llama lady from the group and was hardly to be restrained: "It takes strength to hold a love-struck llama boy", laughed Mrs. Hibbel.
Then, unfortunately, the three and a half days were already over. And Ms. Hibbel drew her conclusion: "Saarland is great and has extremely much to offer. We especially liked the nature, the industrial heritage, the urban flair of Saarbrücken and the mega delicious food.
Cover photo: Mrs. Hibbel on the road with Lama Schorsch on the outskirts of Saarbrücken © www.planethibbel.com
