Saarschleife

About this place

The Saarschleife, the Great Bend of the Saar at Mettlach, is a valley cut by the Saar River through a layer of quartzite and one of the best-known sights of Germany's Saarland, about 29 km south of Trier in a straight line. The bend begins near the Besseringen district of Merzig and ends at Mettlach; although the two are only about 2 km apart, the river winds nearly 10 km between them, probably following fractures in the hard quartzite. The most famous view is from the Cloef viewpoint in Orscholz, 180 metres above the river. The river loops in a wide ring around a densely forested hill broken by rock faces and small ravines, and mist rises from the water on early mornings. The ruins of Montclair castle stand on the hill inside the bend, and the only village on the bend, Dreisbach, is reached by ferry. Visitors stand at the Cloef viewpoint to take in the bend, many climb the observation tower of the nearby treetop walk, and others walk or cycle the paths along both sides of the loop. Misty mornings are among the best times for photos.