Saar Loop

The Saar meets a hard quartzite ridge here and, unable to cut through it directly, loops almost back on itself around a wooded spur, a bend cut deeper as the land rose so that the river is now entrenched some two hundred metres below the surrounding plateau. The classic view is from the Cloef viewpoint above Orscholz. In 2016 a treetop walk was built nearby, a ramped walkway rising through the forest to a tower with a viewing platform, designed to be accessible by wheelchair and pushchair the whole way. A boat trip from Mettlach passes through the loop at water level.

History

The spur inside the loop drew Celtic settlers, who built a protective wall two kilometres east of the later castle and probably used it as a refuge, and traces of Romans have been found on the escarpment; around 1000 AD a noble family from the Ardennes built Skiva Castle here, constantly at odds with their overlords, the archbishops of Trier. In 1180 Archbishop Arnold I of Trier allowed a new castle, Montclair, "bright mountain", finished in 1190; it later passed to the Duchy of Lorraine and was wrecked in a conflict with Trier in 1351, after which the von Sierck family built a smaller castle on the site (Wikipedia, Saarschleife).

What you'll find

• The entrenched meander - a river doubling back around a wooded spur.
• The Cloef viewpoint - the standard vantage above Orscholz.
• The treetop walk - a ramped walkway and tower accessible throughout.
• The boat trip - the loop seen from water level from Mettlach.

When to go

April to October; autumn colour on the spur is the best time for the view. The treetop walk operates year-round and closes in storms. Boats are seasonal.

What to expect

The viewpoint is a short visit. The treetop walk is ticketed separately and busy on weekends. Boat trips depend on water levels.

Nearby

Trier lies northwest; the Völklingen ironworks are east.

Key facts