Representing the small portion of ancient Lotharingia to remain in the German sphere of influence is the Saarland. The rugged Palatine Highlands isolate the region from Germany, resulting in a small territory with a significant French influence. Traveling through Saarland is a unique experience through one of the few borderlands to retain its local identity.
The Saarland today is an overlooked region in Europe. With a declining population and large post-industrial landscapes, it sometimes does not garner much respect as a travel destination. However, it possesses spectacular natural landscapes and one of the richest cultural traditions in Germany. The sweeping gorge of the Saar river, cutting its way from Lorraine to the Rhineland, bound the traditions of the French with those of the German, and there is nothing else quite like it.
The region is the only portion of Lotharingia that remains in the German sphere of influence. The Duchy of Upper-Lorraine originally included Luxembourg and the western Mosel Valley, but these territories were lost as the duchy disintegrated. The Saar Valley was no exception, and the tiny counties of Saarbrücken and Zweibrücken asserted their independence through marriage politics. The great pan-European noble houses of the Nassau and Wittelsbach families absorbed these states into their realms.
Though the Saar Valley connects the region to the Rhineland centers of power, it also binds the region tightly with Lorraine, towards which the territory oriented itself. Indeed, the German-Protestant population that we associate today with the Saarland once extended to the Northern portion of Lorraine as well. This German minority was why northern Lorraine was annexed to the German Empire in 1871 as Lothringen. After WWI, though, most of the German-speaking population left, and the Saarland represents the last vestiges of this ethnic community.
As travelers through the Saarland, we see today a unique mixture of Protestant identity asserting itself in a Catholic visual context. The combination of whitewashed houses with ornate, elaborate stucco work is not something found elsewhere. The emphasis on combining the strict urban planning of the absolutist state and protestant piety reaches its only apogee here. However, the French Revolution and WWII torched much of this heritage.
The people, though, are defined more by the legacy of the industrial revolution, which brought great mines and factories to the Saar valley. A remarkable monument to this past glory is the UNESCO-protected Iron Works in Völklingen, which shut off its last blast furnace in 1988. Germany almost immediately converted the Iron Works into a museum, and it is now one of the unique industrial monuments in the world.
The food eaten in the Saarland reflects this industrial past. Full of rich, hearty, and calorie-rich foods, it contrasts with the more agricultural and elegant cuisine of the nearby Lorraine.
A tour of the Saarland starts inevitably with the modern city of Saarbrücken, and from there, your adventure awaits.
