I visit Saarland regularly. Usually once or twice per year, I have repeated this every single year for over thirty years now. My grandmother lives in Saarbrücken so I try to visit her as often as possible. I used to travel around the province with my grandparents every year, but the Saar Polygon was a completely new site to me.

Saar Polygon

I knew coal mining was a popular in Saarland. Unfortunately, there’s still rut on my face every time I visit. All coal mines are closed nowadays, and most of these former industrial places have been turned into tourist sights to show visitors the province’s history. An example of this, is one of the last sights I visited with my grandfather, which was Völklinger Hütte.

The Saar Polygon has something to do with coal mining, but it isn’t an old structure. It’s a monument that commemorates the coal mining industry which ended in 2012. Therefore, it’s not really surprising I hadn’t heard of this structure before. It’s quite new, and the media surrounding sights in Saarland doesn’t reach as far as the Netherlands. It’s been open to public since 2016.

It stands prominently on top of a spoil tip of the Bergwerk Saar coal mine. The pile itself rises 150 metres above the Saar Valley. If you have a clear view, you can actually see France and Luxembourg (or so I’ve heard) from the top.

The monument is 30 metres high, and you can climb around in it for free. I didn’t dare, because it’s all see-through.

The structure is quite an architectural or mathematical feat, because depending from which direction you look it’ll either look like a rectangular arch, an hourglass, or a triangle. It’s fun to just walk around it to see the different shapes.

How to get there?

The Saar Polygon is located in Ensdorf. There’s a free outdoor car park at the bottom of the hill, near a sports hall. From there, there are multiple routes to the top of the hill.

I visited the site with my mum; she was wearing ballerinas and I was wearing flip flops, neither of these I recommend. Even though there are easy routes, near the top there will always be a lot of loose stones and a steep incline.

Where to stay?

I would advise you to base yourself in Saarbrücken. There’s plenty to do in the city and there are great establishments to eat at. I once stayed in a lovely hotel within walking distance from the city centre, but with free parking. Hotel Am Triller is colourful, quiet and a pleasant place to stay.

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