Blieskastel: Baroque Residence Town on the Blies in the Saarland Biosphere Reserve
Blieskastel was the seat of the Counts of the Leyen, whose Baroque palace once dominated the town. The palace was destroyed during the French Revolution, but the planned Baroque town layout survives, with the Von-der-Leyen-Platz and surrounding streets preserving the 18th-century geometry. About 23,200 people live here in the Saarpfalz-Kreis of Saarland. The Blies river, a Saar tributary, flows through town and gives the wider Bliesgau region its name.
The Biosphaerenreservat Bliesgau, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, encompasses Blieskastel and the surrounding area. Orchid meadows on the calcareous grasslands are a particular feature, with some of the richest orchid sites in Germany. Homburg lies about 10 kilometres to the north. Saarbruecken is roughly 25 kilometres to the west. The French border is close, and the Lorraine influence is visible in local architecture and cuisine.
The Gollenstein, a roughly 6,000-year-old menhir standing about 6.5 metres tall, is the tallest standing stone in central Europe and sits on farmland north of town.
Show more
Blieskastel was the seat of the Counts of the Leyen, whose Baroque palace once dominated the town. The palace was destroyed during the French Revolution, but the planned Baroque town layout survives, with the Von-der-Leyen-Platz and surrounding streets preserving the 18th-century geometry. About 23,200 people live here in the Saarpfalz-Kreis of Saarland. The Blies river, a Saar tributary, flows through town and gives the wider Bliesgau region its name.
The Biosphaerenreservat Bliesgau, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, encompasses Blieskastel and the surrounding area. Orchid meadows on the calcareous grasslands are a particular feature, with some of the richest orchid sites in Germany. Homburg lies about 10 kilometres to the north. Saarbruecken is roughly 25 kilometres to the west. The French border is close, and the Lorraine influence is visible in local architecture and cuisine.
The Gollenstein, a roughly 6,000-year-old menhir standing about 6.5 metres tall, is the tallest standing stone in central Europe and sits on farmland north of town.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
