The Saar Loop (Germany)

A hike that will take you to one of the most beautiful places in the Saarland: the Saar Loop.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 434 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 432 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 377 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 159 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the beginning of Parkstraße in Mettlach.

(S/E) Cross the main road and climb up Am Bohnenberg street. At the end of the street, follow the Tafeltour sign, which is marked with a chef's hat. Continue until you reach the Wellesbach stream.

(1) Cross it and take the path that goes straight ahead. You will reach another stream at the crossroads.

(2) Cross the Weselbach stream and turn left, continuing to the Kleine Cloef picnic area.

(3) Turn right and stay on the Mettlacher Tafeltour trail. Turn left to reach the Cloef viewpoint.

(4) Continue straight ahead and take the first path on the right. Continue to the left and after 100 metres, turn left again. Continue on the path, which becomes Cloefpfad. Cross a path, continue straight ahead and you will reach a fork.

(5) Turn left, then left again at the next fork and continue to the Teufelstein shelter.

(6) Turn almost 180° to the right and continue until you reach the Steinbach stream.

(7) Cross it and continue on the path, sometimes on the right bank, sometimes on the left bank of the stream. Reach the road at the confluence of the stream and the Saar.

(8) Turn right onto Steinbachstraße until you reach the ferry landing stage.

(9) Cross the Saar on the ferry.

(10) Turn left onto the Mettlacher Tafeltour until you reach the crossroads at the edge of the woods.

(11) Take this path on the right, which shortens the route. Join the Mettlacher Tafeltour and follow it on the right to Montclair Castle.

(12) Return to the Mettlacher Tafeltour and follow it to the Mettlach cemetery. Continue and turn left to reach Prälat Koll Weg.

(13) Continue straight ahead and, at the end, turn left, cross the bridge over the Saar to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 164 m - Parking on Parkstraße
  2. 1 : km 3.5 - alt. 338 m - Wellesbach Stream
  3. 2 : km 4.84 - alt. 369 m - Weselbach Stream
  4. 3 : km 5.02 - alt. 354 m - Kleine Cloef picnic area
  5. 4 : km 5.49 - alt. 360 m - View from the Cloef
  6. 5 : km 6.2 - alt. 369 m - Junction, left
  7. 6 : km 6.84 - alt. 324 m - Teufelstein shelters
  8. 7 : km 7.87 - alt. 248 m - Steinbach Stream
  9. 8 : km 8.86 - alt. 178 m - Sarre (rivière)
  10. 9 : km 9.03 - alt. 180 m - Pier
  11. 10 : km 9.29 - alt. 176 m - Pier
  12. 11 : km 9.97 - alt. 178 m - Wooden crossroads (shortcut)
  13. 12 : km 11.58 - alt. 312 m - Montclair Castle
  14. 13 : km 14.6 - alt. 228 m - Mettlach Cemetery
  15. S/E : km 15.25 - alt. 163 m - Parking on Parkstraße

Notes

Ferry schedule for crossing the Saar
From 1 April to 31 October
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:40

In March and November
Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:40

The ferry does not run from 1 December to 28 February, nor on Mondays, unless it is a public holiday. In this case, the ferry will run on Tuesdays instead.

Please note that in Germany there are nine public holidays common to the whole country, and each federal state has added a few more.
Public holidays in the Saarland those in bold are common to all of Germany

  1. New Year's Day: 1 January
  2. Good Friday
  3. Easter Monday
  4. Labour Day: 1 May
  5. Ascension Day
  6. Whit Monday
  7. Assumption Day 15 August
  8. German Unity Day: 3 October
  9. All Saints' Day: 1 November
  10. Christmas: 25 December
  11. Boxing Day: 26 December

Worth a visit

Mettlach: this town is home to the headquarters of Villeroy & Boch, so you will find a ceramics museum and factory shops where you can buy tableware from this famous brand at attractive prices.

The Cloef is the place where you can see the famous Saar Loop in its entirety. Since July 2016, there has been a tower offering a 360° panoramic view. It is accessed via a 1.2 km long footbridge overlooking the treetops, but there is an entrance fee.

Montclair Castle: built on a rocky outcrop and protected by the cliffs of the Saar loop, this fortress was virtually impregnable.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 49 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 24367058

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route. Superb views.

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zylvette
zylvette

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Detailed route, easy to follow.
We took a wrong turn just at the end to get back to the car park.
Beautiful route.

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User 20962216

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning views and a long stretch through the woods. You can climb up to the footbridge (Cloef) for a magnificent view of the loop, but there is a €13 charge. With this detour, the circuit is 19 km long according to my watch, with an elevation gain of 570 m

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User 21657313

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike ❤️ We had a little trouble finding the start of the hike lol Actually, when you come from the car park, you have to go to the pedestrian crossing and cross over, then go slightly to the right and immediately left and take the path that goes uphill.

We spent almost 90% of the time in the cool forest with lots of bridges, streams, beautiful views, etc. However, it is quite a climb with some steep sections that will give you a good workout lol The route is very well signposted with a cartoon chef's hat.

We also did the Treetop Trail on the large bridge nestled in the trees and then climbed the tower for a breathtaking view of the Saar loop.

Then there are some big descents, and you cross the river by ferry. It's not the first one on the right with the pedalos, but the next one. It costs £2.50 per person.

After that, you have to climb up to the castle, which is quite a steep climb. However, to get inside the castle, you need €2 per person, which gives you a superb view. We didn't do it because we didn't have any change lol.

All along the paths, this is where there are the most bridges, as well as beautiful views with super comfortable S-shaped benches.

When you reach the cemetery, take the path on the left before you reach the end.

Once you reach the town, cross the bridge and you'll come straight to the car park.

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demonet
demonet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice circuit, very beautiful view during all this course. Only one little worry!!! on returning from our hike we were surprised to receive a parking ticket for our two vehicles. The parking sign was written in German and we couldn't find any other parking sign. Perhaps in the future, as indicated in the commentary, there will be a free car park in or outside the town of departure. Metelach .
Return a little tricky .... search for signposting !!!!

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crapahut54150
crapahut54150
• Edited:

Walk done in June 2023 for a walking club.
Please note that after La Tour the route has been changed for the return to Mettlach. It is not easily visible and I hope that the signposting will be reviewed at the start of the viewpoint. It takes you back to the upper car park and its shops.
After that, no problems.
The start for me was with parking at the funeral parlour and below the cemetery (free parking but limited number of spaces (6 max). Turn left as you enter Mettlach.
The aim is to take you back to the upper car park (towards the lunch points and the tourist office for business) but the walk is more difficult in terms of gradient because the final stretch is uphill, which is the opposite of my route. But it's still a superb walk despite the fog at the start. Especially in the direction I took, where the most difficult part after crossing the ferry is in the middle of the hike, after which it's downhill with an acrobatic path through the rocks (good shoes required if the ground is wet).

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Caroboiteamail
Caroboiteamail

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very easy to follow thanks to the signs with the little toques
It's possible to do it with a dog, as it's very easy to access, even on a lead.
The boat crossing costs €2.50.
Remember to take water as there are no sales points on the way.
And don't do it the other way round as there are lots of stairs.

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crapahut54150
crapahut54150

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As an FFRP leader, I did this walk with 11 walkers, all of whom were satisfied with the route, which I modified by leaving from the cemetery (free parking next to the funeral parlour) and climbing 500m through the forest before returning to the well-marked tafeltour. The ferry costs 2.50 euros. The route is the reverse of the Visorando circuit as there is less positive difference in altitude. Note that the route and signposting have changed at the Cloef and the observatory, giving the impression that you are going backwards. This is not the case, it's just a loop that shows a walk of 17 km instead of 15. In reality, you can skip it and take the old, unmarked route, as the new one takes you back to the Cloef car park, with the hope of eating there. If you do this route in reverse, you can take your lunch out of your rucksack at the foot of the observatory 2/3 of the way along, where there are some nice places to sit. If not, you can take your lunch out of your rucksack at the Château de Monclar, but you will have to buy drinks on the spot, which is limited.

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baladesetrandos
baladesetrandos

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The signposting is well marked by the chef's hat, but a little confusing around the panoramic tower for those doing the route in the opposite direction.
The ferry crossing works very well, and the fare has been reduced to €2.5.
It was a very pleasant walk on an unusually hot day, and we enjoyed the cover of the trees and the views over the Saar.

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nine412
nine412

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It was very hot, but bearable thanks to our friends the trees....
Superb hike....The people from Nancy who didn't know the region left delighted and will be back for several days to see the Merzig wolves, etc....
THANK YOU CHRISTOPHE....for this discovery....

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Lukowiak Michel
Lukowiak Michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A small part of the route is temporarily diverted, but it is very well signposted, so there's nothing to worry about.

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MARCELLOU57
MARCELLOU57

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Catering available at Château Monclair

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Chrismau
Chrismau
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk, probably much more popular during the summer holidays.
The car park at 42 Freiherr Vom Stein Strasse costs €2 a day and is on the route.
Crossing the Saar now costs €2.50.
There's no need for Visorando's usual convoluted explanations here: just follow the pattern on the "Tafeltour" hat... that's all.
The direction of the route is very good for average hikers, like my partner and me, as the climbs are less steep and in several stages, whereas in the opposite direction the positive difference in altitude is very significant in relation to the distance.
Enjoy the walk.
Maurice.

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velasco
velasco

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice tour, with the highlight being the magnificent view of the Saar loop. I'll be back

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harkos
harkos

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice walk starting from METTLACH.
The views over the loops of the Sarre are sublime.
Very well signposted.
The 2€ ferry crossing is very pleasant.
I recommend it.
The only problem is parking at the start.
Thank you

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