Between France and Germany: Saarland

In this video you can find seven little known facts about Saarland. Keep watching and subscribe, as more episodes will follow! You can now support this channel via Patreon, by accessing the link bellow. Thank you! Learn, Share, Subscribe US States & Territories 206 Countries in One Series Social Media: ------------------------------------------------ More information about the video content bellow: 1. Germany’s smallest state often goes unnoticed when people map out their itinerary through the country. With the cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Berlin set aside; the Saarland is Germany’s smallest state. At only 2,570 square kilometres, it’s 1.5 times the size of Greater London but could fit 27 times into the area which Bavaria, Germany’s largest state, occupies. 2. The Saarland as we know it today is not that old. The region became part of the German Reich on March 1, 1935, and after the end of the Second World War fell into the French occupation zone. While it gained autonomy in 1947, the state remained under the influence of the French with the French franc still being the official currency. The Saarland even had their own national football team and competed in the 1947 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. 3. Saarbrücken shifted six times between France and Germany since the late 17th century. Powerhouse of the industrial revolution, it is now a quieter place with a few good museums, art galleries and Baroque monuments. 4. A trip to the Saarland means you can tick off another UNESCO World Heritage Site off the list. The Völklingen Ironworks is situated only 15 kilometres outside of the state’s capital Saarbrücken. Equipped with a helmet, visitors can explore dystopian complex of bland concrete and rusty metal, walk into the dark corridors of the production site and climb one of the furnaces for views of the vast labyrinth of pipes, beams and smelters. 5. The Saarschleife is a breakthrough valley of the Saar through the Taunusquarzit and is one of the most famous attractions in the Saarland. Just around the corner from the then inconspicuous village of Mettlach, the Saar river winds its way through the dense forest. The Baumwipfelpfad Saarschleife treetop walk soars 42 metres into the sky and ends in a large observation deck which grants views of the dramatic river loop below. On the way up information panels tell you all about the landscape before you set your eyes on the idyllic landscape from up top, which is the most photographed scene in the entire Saarland. 6. Life in the tiny village Leidingen, 13 kilometres west of Saarlouis, is somewhat peculiar – the German-French border cuts right through it. The vast majority of the 220 inhabitants live in Germany and a couple of dozen in France. Even though the border is not visible and you can hop back and forth between the two countries as often as you like, different laws, rules and regulation apply to the people on each side. 7. If you think the Medieval ruins of Burg Montclair feel like travelling back in time, wait until you see the Borg Roman Villa. Archaeological excavations unearthed the ancient remains of this Roman mansion outside Perl and, after years of meticulous reconstruction, you can now wander around the complex of residential buildings, bathhouses, workshops, taverns and courtyards, and see what they would have looked like 2000 years ago. More Info: By Xp1632 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, By user:Flicka - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Music: Teknoaxe - Aerobatics in Slow Motion Download Music: Images: Von Mstp77 - Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0, By Dirk Weishaar - Von Dirk Weishaar in die deutschsprachige Wikipedia geladen., CC BY-SA 3.0, By Rainer Lippert - Own work, Public Domain, Intro Creator: Pushed to Insanity