[mgc_hotel_iframe]

Püttlingen boasts a tower where the local witches were held prisoner, ruins of an imposing castle and one the oldest church of the Saarland.

You can find one of the most fascinating relics of the darker ages in the center of town. There stands the Hexenturm or Witches Tower.

At the end of the 16th century 14 women from Püttlingen were kept prisoner underneath the tower on charges of witchcraft. After a show process they were burned at the stake. Out of reverence for the victims the citizens of the town decided never to tear down the tower.

If you want to get an idea of the glorious past of Püttlingen you should visit the ruins of the Bucherbach castle. The construction of the castle was probably started in the 11th century, but it seems that every time a new owner took residence he added a new annex, wall or tower.

December would be a great time to visit: the traditional Christmas Market is held on the castle ground. Feast on Glühwein and regional food while strolling along the stalls selling candles, Christmas decorations and many other hand-made products.

The Martinskirche, The Church of St. Martin, is the oldest church in Saarland. It is said that it was build in the 8th century, but to be fair there’s not much left from the original building. The church as we see it today is from the beginning of the 13th century and is built in late-gothic style. A couple of years ago foundations of a late Roman Oratorium were found that proved that there has been an older church on the same grounds.

For something completely different head to the Clocks Museum or Uhrenmuseum. A big collection of amazing clocks and watches are on display and in the museum workshop you can see how clocks were made and repaired in the past — traditional way. Even the tools the watchmakers use are original.

[mgc_hotel_iframe]

[mgc_hotel_iframe]

[mgc_hotel_iframe]

Engelskirchen translates to Angel’s Church; this may explain what I’m about to share with you about this place…

Engelskirchen is a small town 40 km east of Cologne. Every year the post office in this North Rhine-Westphalian town receives over 70,000 letters addressed to baby Jesus. It is said that none of these letters remains unanswered…

The town is the gateway to the Bergisches Land; a region of mountains, brooks, forests and meadows. One of the special natural features is the Aggertalhöhle, a karst cave that is unique in Germany. In these 350 million year old cave walls you can see thousands of fossilized sea animals who have been trapped her millions of years before.

The Oelchenshammer is part of the regional industry museum. It is a 200 year old blacksmith workshop that has been producing high quality iron up to the Second World War.

If you want to see how iron was produced you should check out when the museum staff will start the machines and give a life performance. This usually happens on the second and fourth Sunday of each month between April and October.

One of the most famous citizens of Engelskirchen was Haldy, an industrialist who was clearly ahead of its time. The blessings of the railway were not yet visible to a lot of people but Haldy saw how important the railways would become for the industrial development of this area. Thanks to him the little village of Ründeroth, which is now part of Engelskirchen, has its own railway station.

The thankful citizens of Ründeroth built an 18 meter high tower in his honor. In those romantic times the Middle Ages were all the vogue and the architect managed to make the tower look like the bastion of a medieval fairy tale castle. If you do have the energy to climb the 92 steps you will be rewarded with a great view of this part of the Oberbergischer Kreis.

[mgc_hotel_iframe]