The Saar

1 - The Saar is a remarkable river. It is only 235 kilometres long, but, for example, it has two sources and two names. It flows through two European countries and partly forms the border between them. It has two bends and flows through two German states, one of which is named after it.

2 - The Saar rises at Donon, a 1,009-metre-high mountain in the Vosges. It is in France. Its two headstreams are called Sarre Rouge and Sarre Blanc in French. This means Red Saar and White Saar in English. For about 121 kilometres, it is the French river La Sarre; it then forms the border between France and Germany for 11 kilometres. 3 - The Saar flows for 68 kilometres through the German state of Saarland, which is named after the river. Just under one million people live in Saarland. The river’s name also appears in the names of some towns and districts in the state, including Saarbrücken and Saarlouis.

4 - In Saarland, the river forms two loops: the Great Saar Loop near Mettlach and the Small Saar Loop in the municipality of Taben-Roth.

5 - These bends formed during a period known as the Pliocene, about 2.6 to 5.3 million years ago. At that time, the river flowed at a higher level than it does today. The water wore away the soft surrounding rock and carved out a valley. At some point, it reached layers that were much harder. But the river also carved its way through this rock, known as Taunus quartzite. 6 - The Great Saar Loop is also famous because it can be seen beautifully from the Cloef viewpoint. This viewpoint is on a rocky outcrop about 200 meters above the river. A wooden observation tower was built here in 2016. 7 - The river flows for another 31 kilometers through the state of Rhineland-Palatinate before it joins the Moselle at Konz. The Moselle is a tributary of the Rhine. This means all the water in the Saar eventually flows into the North Sea.