A beautiful trip takes us to the Saar and from there on to the Moselle. The occasion is the visit of a good friend from Munich and her friend from Esslingen.
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More InformationMettlach
We start our sightseeing in Mettlach on the Saar. The headquarters of Villeroy & Boch, a world-renowned ceramics manufacturer, is located in Mettlach. The Boch company was founded in Audun-le-Tiche in 1748 and expanded rapidly. In 1789, Nicolas Villeroy took a stake in a company owned by Jean Thibault, of which he took over all the shares in 1800. Boch and Villeroy were now adversaries.
In 1809, during the French Revolution, Boch acquired the vacant Benedictine abbey in Mettlach and expanded series production. Villeroy succeeded in printing copper engravings on unfired earthenware, an essential building block for series production.
In 1836, Villeroy & Boch joined forces to form a joint company to compete in the global market. To this day, the Benedictine Abbey in Mettlach is the corporate headquarters of this successful company.
On the opposite side of the river, you see the castle-like guest house.
We would have liked to visit the adventure center, housed in the abbey. However, due to the pandemic, prior registration is required. So we drive on to the
Treetop Walk Saarschleife
The treetop walk leads up to 23 m above the forest floor. It is 1250 m to the observation tower. On the way, you have the opportunity to observe both botany and birds’ feeding habits.
You reach the observation tower over a 6% steep path. It is barrier-free. Arrived at the 42 m high tower, opens a beautiful view over the valley of the Saar with its loop.
Archaeological Park Roman Villa Borg
The next highlight of our tour is the archaeological open-air museum Roman Villa Borg. It is in the municipality of Perl in the district of Merzig-Wadern. About 100 years ago, remnants of Roman culture were found here for the first time.
Systematic excavation began in 1987. One quickly recognized that one had come across a late Celtic farmstead from early Roman times, where one had built a stone house later. In 1994, the facility began to be reconstructed as faithfully as possible to the original.
We enter the site through a gatehouse. The first wing on the right side houses the tavern and the villa bath. In the taverna, you can enjoy tasty meals prepared following traditional Roman recipes.
The villa bath conveys a good impression of the Roman way of life.
In the second wing, there are the residential and commercial areas of the villa.
The center of the main building forms the mansion, which now houses the museum. Many finds are exhibited here, but also replica items.
Experimental archaeology plays an important role here. Events and research projects with different focuses take place here again and again. The corresponding replicas were built here, such as pottery, smithy, ceramic workshop, or glassworks.
Occasionally, Gladiator competitions take place in the reconstructed garden and park. Drills and horsemanship are also on the program.
The area is about 7.5 hectares.
Schengen
After a short drive in a westerly direction, we cross the Moselle and thus the border to Luxembourg. Directly on the banks of the Moselle, next to the landing stage of the Moselle ship MS Marie-Astrid, where one signed the Schengen Agreement in 1985, you find the Museum of Europe and a monument.
The Schengen Agreement defines the conditions for the European Schengen Area, which provides for a common external border and free movement of people and goods within the region. The agreement entered into force in 1995.
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