Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [451]
Although now solidly within German boundaries, the influence of the land of the baguette is still felt in all sorts of subtle ways. Many locals are bilingual and the standard greeting is not ‘hallo’ but ‘salü’, from the French ‘salut’. Their French heritage, although somewhat imposed, has softened the Saarlanders, who tend to be pretty relaxed folk with an appreciation of good food, wine and company – ‘Saarvoir vivre’, it’s been called.
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SAARBRÜCKEN
0681 / pop 179,000
The Saarland capital, though a thoroughly modern city, has considerable historical charm. Vestiges of its 18th-century heyday as a royal residence under Prince Wilhelm Heinrich (1718–68) survive in the baroque town houses and churches designed by his prolific court architect, Friedrich Joachim Stengel, and the historic centre around St Johanner Markt brims with excellent restaurants and cafes. All of the city’s excellent museums have recently been comprehensively reinvigorated so, if you haven’t seen them lately, you haven’t really seen them.
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Orientation
Central Saarbrücken is bisected by the Saar River and the A620, an ugly autobahn that disfigures the river’s left bank. From the Hauptbahnhof, at the northwestern end of the commercial centre, pedestrians-only Reichsstrasse (in the process of desleazification) and Bahnhofstrasse (the main shopping street) lead 1km to St Johanner Markt, the city’s street-life hub.
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Information
ATMs are sprinkled along Kaiserstrasse.
Discount Waschsalon (Blumenstrasse 42; 7am-11pm) Self-service laundry.
Evangelisches Krankenhaus (EvK; 388 60; Grossherzog-Friedrich-Strasse 44) A hospital whose main entrance is on Neikestrasse.
Post office (Hauptbahnhof) Has an ATM.
ReiseBank (Hauptbahnhof; 7am-7.45pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4pm Sat) Exchanges currency.
Telecenter (Dudweilerstrasse 26; per hr €1; 9am-midnight) Internet access.
Telehouse (Obertorstrasse 1; per hr €1; 9.30am-midnight Mon-Sat, 10.30am-midnight Sun) Internet access.
Thalia Bücher ( 388 30; Bahnhofstrasse 54) Large bookshop with English titles, including Lonely Planet guides.
Tourist office ( 938 090; www.die-region-saarbruecken.de; Rathausplatz 1; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat) Temporarily inside Rathaus St-Johann, but likely to move back to the rejuvenated Hauptbahnhof area. Sells tickets for cultural events.
Waschhaus (Nauwieserstrasse 22; 8am-10pm) Self-service laundry.
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Sights
RIGHT BANK
The heart of Saarbrücken (and its nightlife hub) is the historic St Johanner Markt, a long, narrow public square anchored by an ornate fountain designed by Stengel and flanked by some of the town’s oldest buildings. Catholic Basilika St Johann, also by Stengel, is two blocks northeast.
The city’s main commercial street, pedestrianised Bahnhofstrasse, heads northwest from St Johanner Markt. From the corner with Betzenstrasse, you can see Rathaus St-Johann, a red-brick neo-Gothic structure built from 1897 to 1900.
The two museums on the right bank specialise in modern and contemporary art. At the southeastern end of St Johanner Markt is the Stadtgalerie ( 936 8327; www.stadtgalerie.de, in German & French; St Johanner Markt 24, 2nd fl; admission free; 11am-7pm Tue & Thu-Sun, noon-8pm Wed), which puts on temporary exhibitions of contemporary photography, video and performance art.
One of Saarland’s cultural highlights, the Saarland Museum’s Moderne Galerie ( 996 40; www.saarlandmuseum.de; Bismarckstrasse 11-19; adult/student €1.50/1, Sat free, special exhibitions €5/3.50; 10am-6pm Tue & Thu-Sun, 10am-10pm Wed) covers European art from the late 1800s to the present and is especially noteworthy for its German Impressionist