Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [450]
The Jakob Bengel jewellery factory, built more than a century ago, is now the charmingly decrepit Industriedenkmal Bengel ( 270 30; www.jakob-bengel.de; Wilhelmstrasse 42a, Oberstein; adult/child €4.50/3; 10am-noon & 2-4pm Tue-Fri), a jerry-built but engaging ‘historic industrial plant’ where you can imagine fin de siècle working-class life while watching ancient, clacking machines transform spools of wire into chains. To get there from the tourist office, cross the pedestrian bridge at Hauptstrasse 466.
More minerals and crystals – including a model of Manhattan made of rock crystal – are on display at the Museum Idar-Oberstein ( 246 19; www.museum-idar-oberstein.de; Hauptstrasse 436, Oberstein; adult/6-14yr €3.90/2.40; 9am-5.30pm Apr–mid-Jul, Sep & Oct, to 4.30pm Nov-Mar, to 7pm mid-Jul–Aug), 50m off the Marktplatz.
Tucked in a niche in the rock face is the 15th-century, Protestant Felsenkirche (Chapel in the Rocks; 228 40; www.felsenkirche-oberstein.de, in German; adult/6-16yr €2/0.50; 10am-6pm Apr-Oct, 11am-4pm 1st half Nov), said to have been built by a local knight in atonement for the murder of his brother. It’s a 216-step climb up from the Marktplatz.
Cutters lying belly down on tilting benches demonstrate how stones used to be cut at Historische Weiherschleife ( 901 918; www.edelsteinminen-idar-oberstein.de; Tiefensteiner Strasse 87, Tiefenstein; 45min tour adult/student €3.50/2.50; 10am-6pm mid-Mar–mid-Nov, last tour 5pm), built in the mid-1700s. There’s also a mineral and gemstone exhibit and a park that’s perfect for a picnic. Situated northwest of Idar in Tiefenstein and served by bus 301.
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Sleeping & Eating
The local meat speciality, Spiessbraten, consists of a hunk of beef or pork marinated in raw onion, salt and pepper and then grilled over a beech-wood fire, giving it a spicy, smoky taste. It’s available at restaurants around Oberstein’s Marktplatz.
DJH hostel ( 243 66; www.jugendherberge.de; Alte Treibe 23, Oberstein; dm €18.90; ) All the rooms in this modern, 128-bed hostel have a private bathroom. Situated on the hillside southeast of the Bahnhof, it’s served by bus 301.
Edelstein-Hotel ( 502 50; www.edelstein-hotel.de; Hauptstrasse 302, Oberstein; d €65-80, q €110; ) It’s not terribly stylish, but the owners of this 18-room place are enthusiastic and helpful, and the 26°C pool and sauna area offer a perfect retreat on a rainy day. Situated about 400m towards Idar from Oberstein’s pedestrian zone. Served by buses 301, 302, 303 and 304.
Gästehaus Amethyst ( 508 562; www.gaestehaus-amethyst.de, in German; Hauptstrasse 324, Oberstein; d €69-74; ) This pocket-sized, bike-friendly Pension, 200m northwest of Oberstein’s pedestrian zone, has welcoming owners, six nicely furnished rooms, a sauna and a free fitness room.
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Getting There & Away
Idar-Oberstein, about 80km east of Trier and about 90km northeast of Saarbrücken, has rail links to Saarbrücken (€13.30, one hour) and Mainz (€10.50, one hour, hourly). The B41 and the B422 cross in Idar-Oberstein.
Along the Nahe-Hunsrück-Mosel-Radweg, it’s a 75km bike ride to Bingen, on the Rhine.
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SAARLAND
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The tiny federal state of Saarland, long a land of coal and heavy industry, has in recent decades cleaned up its air and streams and reoriented its struggling economy towards high-tech industry and ecotourism. The capital, Saarbrücken, is a vibrant city with excellent museums and a fine, French-influenced culinary scene. Rolling hills and forest cover much of the countryside, which can be explored not only by car or public transport but also on foot or by bicycle; cycling paths include the 362km, circular Saarland-Radweg and the Saar-Radweg (VeloRoute SaarLorLux), along the mostly beautiful Saar River. The region’s industrial heritage is celebrated in places such as the historic Völklinger Hütte ironworks Click here.
Over the