Saarbrücken is the capital city of Saarland, one of the federal states of Germany. At 200 000 inhabitants, it is at the lower end of Germany's long Großstädte (large city) list, and is perhaps the least prominent state capital, at least from the tourist's point of view. That said, Saarbrücken has an impressive history of over a 1000 years, with its predecessors dating back to ancient Roman Empire. It does not only possess architectural heritage to prove that, but it is also picturesquely located over the bends of the river Saar, serving as the gateway to this underrated region of Germany.

Understand

Alte Brücke over the river Saar

Saarbrücken has been a primarily industrial city since coal extraction started in the first half of the 18th century. The steel industry developed on that base and up to today Saarbrücken has many plants manufacturing various metal products and components. Automotive components in general are another mainstay of the local economy, supplying many of the leading automakers all over Europe. In more recent decades, Saarbrücken has also developed into a robust hub for software production, employing thousands of local workers. For those reasons, Saarbrücken, while not popular as a tourist destination, sees a sizeable business-related visitor traffic, and due to its small size and location in a densely-populated area, it also has one of the proportionally largest commuter workforces, measured tens of thousands of workers.

Get in

Saarbrücken Airport - compact but full-fledged

By plane

Saarbrücken Airport

1 Saarbrücken Airport (SCN  ^IATA). This small international airport is located 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city center. Regional bus R10 travels once an hour from the airport to the main railway station and takes 28 minutes. A single ticket costs €2.30.  

Apart from flights to holiday destinations, the airport has only four, albeit frequently-operated, connections. The shortest - and most often the cheapest - is the Luxair flight to Luxembourg Findel Airport, code-shared with Lufthansa. It is one of Europe's shortest flights, lasting just 30 minutes over just 100 km. The price is accordingly reasonably low. Some of the Luxair planes continue from Saarbrücken to Hamburg and Berlin-Tegel and back. You can connect to selected European destinations of Luxair from Luxembourg, but there are no options to continue your Luxair flight from Saarbrücken via Berlin or Hamburg on another airline. Luxair, although an affiliate of Lufthansa, is not a Star Alliance member and the Luxembourg airport has no intercontinental connections.

That said, flying to Luxembourg on Luxair or any other airline and travelling the remaning 79 km by bus is perhaps the cheapest way.

Frankfurt Airport

Lufthansa provides a shuttle between Saarbrücken Dudweiler Bus Station and Frankfurt Airport, which is their largest hub for European and intercontinental flights. The shuttle is actually bookable as a Lufthansa flight (destination code for Dudweiler Bus Station is SDA), earns Miles&More participants miles and counts as a flight stretch, and can be combined with most Lufthansa flights to/out of Frankfurt. SDA appears as an available destination only when booking directly with Lufthansa. The flight numbers for the bus shuttles are LH348x-LH349x and there are multiple shuttles at different times of the day. The bus journey lasts around 2 hours and costs EUR 27 one way when booked on its own, and as a part of a connecting flight it usually incurs minimal price hike vs. flights to Frankfurt only.

There are direct regional trains to Frankfurt that stop at Frankfurt Airport.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport

The so-called 2 Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN ^IATA) in Hahn, likewise in Rhineland-Palatinate, is yet another close airport. There are no direct connections from this airport to Saarbrücken. One of the possibilities you have is to take the Airport Shuttle Mosel (RegioLinie 750) from the general bus station 500 meters from the airport to Bullay and switch to the regional train to Saarbrücken.

By car

From points east in Germany, it is reachable on the Autobahn A6 and A620, taking about two hours from Mannheim, while from Koblenz and Trier it is accessible on the Autobahn A48 and A1.

From Metz in France, follow the A4 up to exit 40, where you can then take the A320 up to the first exit of the A6 and follow the B41, while coming from Strasbourg, it is reachable on the N61/B406 from A4 exit 42.

Saarbrücken's Hauptbahnhof (main train station) was renamed "Eurobahnhof" due to its key location on the important railway line between Germany and France

By train

3 Saarbrücken Central Station. is on the Paris-Frankfurt high-speed route, served by the superfast ICE and TGV trains of Deutsche Bahn and SNCF (French Railways), respectively. There are 5 such trains a day in each direction calling at Saarbrucken, and you can purchase tickets on all of them both from DB and SNCF, as they operate under a mutual ticketing agreement. The journey to Paris is actually shorter (1h50mins) than to Frankfurt (2h30mins).  

Frankfurt can also be reached by regular, regional trains, which take not much longer than the ICE (2h50mins), but often aren't any cheaper either. The benefit of those is that there is at least one train per hour, even at nighttime, between Saarbrucken and Frankfurt. Other important difference is that ICEs don't stop at Frankfurt Airport, while the regional trains do.

Other destinations with direct express trains to Saarbrücken include Stuttgart (2.5h), Ulm (3.5h), Munich (4.5h) and Salzburg in Austria (6.5h) and some minor stations on that line. Regional trains calling in Saarbrücken can carry obviously carry you around Saarland, but they also reach out to many cities of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as Lorraine in France (including Metz). Travelling to other destinations generally requires changing trains in Mannheim, Frankfurt or Paris for long-distance express trains or night trains, or procuring a more intricate combination of small stretches from one of the more minor stations closer to Saarbrücken.

By bus

CFL, Luxembourg's railway company, offers a bus connection between Luxembourg Gare (railway station) and Saarbrücken Busbahnhof (bus terminal). Multiple buses a day are coordinated with trains from Luxembourg to Brussels and from Saarbrücken to Mannheim and Frankfurt, as the other city does not have a direct connection with those destinations - thus the bus bridges the gap in the railway network. One-way ticket costs €9 as of 2014.

By tram

The Saarbahn is Saarbrücken's tramway

Between Saarbrücken in Germany and Sarreguemines in France, both of which are served by good domestic train connections, you can take a ride on the Saarbahn, a border-crossing tramway which is a part of Saarland's public transportation system. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes and in 2010 the ticket (to be bought at a machine, present also at the station of Sarreguemines) costs €4.60.

Get around

Saarbrücken has a decent public transport system. It has city buses and a tram line.

Saarbrücken Town Hall

See

Saarbrücken Castle

• 1 St. Johanner Markt (St. Johanner Market Square). A pedestrianized square with bars, restaurants and frequent markets (see below). (updated Oct 2017)
• 2 Rathaus St. Johann (Town Hall), Rathausplatz 1, ☏ +49 681 9380916, tourist.info@kontour.de. Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:30. The Neo-Gothic town hall from 1900 was designed by Georg J. von Hauberrisser, the architect who was also responsible for the town halls in Munich and Wiesbaden. There is a tourist information office in this building. Free. 
• 3 Johanneskirche (St. John’s Church), Cecilienstraße 2. Tue-Sun 15:00-18:00; Service: Sun 11:00. Neo-Gothic church. Free. (updated Oct 2017)
• 4 Basilica St. Johann, Gerberstraße 31, ☏ +49 681 906880. Mon Fri Sat 09:30-19:15, Tue Thu Sun 08:30-19:15, Wed 08:30-17:00. A church erected around 1754. Free. 

Ludwigskirche

• 5 Ludwigskirche (Ludwig’s Church), Am Ludwigsplatz, ☏ +49 681 52524. Jan-Mar: Tue 12:00-17:00 (if no wedding), Wed-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun-Mon closed; Apr-Dec: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Mon closed; Service: Sun 10:00. Free. (updated May 2015)
• 6 Schlossplatz (Castle Square). The Baroque Ensemble 
• 7 Saarbrücken Castle, Schlossplatz 1, ☏ +49 681 5061313. Free.  
• 8 Schlosskirche (Castle Church), Am Schlossberg 6, ☏ +49 681 9964234. Tue, Thu-Sun 10:00-19:00; Wed 10:00-20:00. The church holds a museum. Free. (updated May 2015)

Völklingen ironworks

• 9 Völklingen Ironworks, Rathausstraße 75-79, Völklingen (Situated just outside Saarbrücken. There is a train station in Völklingen about a three minute walk from the site. It is 10 minutes by train from Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof.), ☏ +49 6898 9100100. Apr-Oct: daily 10:00-19:00; Nov-Mar: daily 10:00-18:00. It was one of the most important Ironworks in the world. It was closed in 1986. Now they are the only intact example, in the whole of western Europe and North America, as such they have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are museum and Multimedia displays bringing the site to life. It also includes a display celebrating a convicted war criminal who used forced labour in the Ironworks during World War II. Adults €15, concessions €12. Tuesdays from 15:00 free entrance. 

Do

Music and Performing Arts

• 1 Saarländisches Staatstheater, Schillerpl. 1, ☏ +49 681 30920. Opera, theatre and dance performances, symphony and chamber concerts and more. (updated Feb 2017)
• Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern. A radio orchestra dating back to 1937. The current form was established in 2007 due to a merger of the public broadcasting corporations with nearby Kaiserslautern. (updated Feb 2017)
• Saarbrücker Kammerkonzerte. (updated Feb 2017)
• HFM University of Music. The music conservatory (established in 1947) has public concerts. (updated Feb 2017)

Festivals

• Max Ophüls Preis. This film festival takes place end of January and shows a wide range of short, medium and long movies. 
• Perspectives. German-French festival. 
• Jazz-Festival. A jazz festival organized by Jazz-Syndikat. Usually around November. 

Hiking

• 2 Urwald vor den Toren der Stadt. A nature reserve ideal for hiking. Maps are available online. They can also be picked up for free at the tourist information at city hall. One way to get there is to take the tram to stop "Heinrichshaus", which is also marked in the bottom left corner of the map with an "S". 

Buy

Europa-Galerie

• 1 Saarbrücker Bauernmarkt, St. Johanner Markt. Every Saturday from 09:00-16:00. Farmers market where regional products are sold. 
• 2 Europa-Galerie, Trierer Straße 1 (opposite the Hauptbahnhof). A large shopping centre serving the region. Partially housed in a elegant late 19th-century historic building of Bergwerksdirektion Saarbrücken, the erstwhile mining enterprise. Otherwise less exciting, holding the usual chain stores. (updated Apr 2015)

Eat

A Saarlandish specialty is Schwenker, a steak prepared on a special grill where the grilling rack is swung by the cook over a fire. It is often served at festivals and Biergärten.

Budget

• 1 Sander Bakery, Försterstraße 29 (Nauwieser Quarter. The logo over the door says 'Stein'). Local bakery with one of the best croissants in town. Come early as they might be sold out quickly. 
• 2 Café de Paris, Blumenstraße 10 (Nauwieser Quarter), ☏ +49 681 95818348. Restaurant that specialises in Flammkuchen and French wines at reasonable prices. Sun closed. (updated May 2015)
• 3 Das Flammkuchenhaus, Im Almet 63, ☏ +49 681 8579266. Restaurant with savoury and sweet Flammkuchen. They also brew their own beers. An all-you-can-eat Flammkuchen option is available for around €15-16. Mon closed. (updated May 2015)
• 4 Trattoria Toscana, Fröschengasse 18-22, ☏ +49 681 94004770. Italian restaurant spread over several floors of an old building. They also have an open-air roof terrace. Reserving a table in advance is recommended (especially for the terrace). (updated May 2015)
• Alex, Saarstr. 15. 
• Alex Brasserie, Bahnhofstr. 38. 
• Grand, the Asia Restaurant, Triererstr. 14. 

Mid-range

• 5 Cafe Kostbar, Nauwieser Str. 19, ☏ +49 681 374360. Comfortable, casual restaurant with nice outside seating and daily specials 
• 6 Brasserie Schlachthof, Straße des 13. Januar 35. 
• 7 Oishii, Berliner Promenade 17-19, ☏ +49 681 9066876. Japanese all-you-can-eat restaurant. Maxium stay is 2 hours. You place your orders via tablets. (updated May 2015)

Splurge

• Gästehaus Erfort, Mainzerstr. 95. 
• Hashimoto, Cecilienstr. 7. 
• Le Noir, Mainzerstr 26. 
• Rizzo, Fröschengasse 1. 

Modern architecture in the Hafenstraße

Drink

The main town square (St. Johanner Market) and the Nauwieser Quarter feature many bars and restaurants.

• 1 Stiefel Bräu, Am Stiefel 2, ☏ +49 681 936450. Brewpub and restaurant serving local dishes. 
• Bar Central, Nauwieser Str.. The only smoker's café/bar in the inner city. 

A ship on the river Saar

• 2 Wally's Irish Pub, Katholisch-Kirch-Str. 1. Small Irish pub with a great selection of (mostly Scottish) whiskies. (updated May 2015)
• 3 Baker Street, Mainzer Straße 8, ☏ +49 681 95812454. Criminal tearoom (afternoon) & pub (evening). British/Irish beers, on Sundays all-you-can-eat English breakfast. (updated May 2015)
• 4 Tempelier, Kappenstraße 9, ☏ +49 681 68894101. Pub/restaurant with a big selection of Belgian beers. (updated May 2015)

Sleep

• 1 Saarbrücken Europa-Jugendherberge, Meerwiesertalweg 31 (bus 101 from Rathaus to Prinzenweiher takes 8 minutes or bus 124 from Saarbrücken main railway station likewise to Prinzenweiher), ☏ +49 681 33040. A youth hostel located between the city and the university. €18.40 per night with breakfast. 
• 2 Domicil Leidinger, Mainzerstraße 10, ☏ +49 681 93270. 
• 3 Mercure Hotel Saarbruecken City, Hafenstr. 8. 

Go next

• Saarschleife (Saar loop) — Take the regional train to Mettlach and then walk for about 5 km along the river upstream. There is also a lookout ("Cloef") which can be reached within about 1 hour from the bottom of the hill. Make sure you are on the left side of the river if you want to reach the lookout (you have to cross the river once when coming from the train station). You can also easily go to the Saar loop by bike from Saarbrücken (60 km one way).
• Luxembourg — Easily reachable by bus (direct connection: 1 hour and 30 minutes).
• Strasbourg — Easily reachable by regional train (direct connection: 1 hour and 45 minutes).
• Trier — Porta Nigra, nice old town center, etc. Easily reachable by regional train (direct connections between 1 and 1.5 hours).
• Metz — French city with the modern art gallery Centre Pompidou-Metz, Cathedral, food market, etc. Easily reachable by regional train within about 1 hour (some direct trains are available). Consider the special DB regional train ticket "Saar-Lor-Lux" for the entire trip, especially if you are travelling in a group.
• Nancy — A cheap option to go there is to buy a Saar-Lorraine-Tarif ticket (only available at the train station; return tickets can only be bought at the counter).