It’s sometimes thought that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Well, they obviously have never been to Beckingen in Saarland, where its parts (or, in this case the neighborhoods) are truly worth so much more.
Each of the neighborhoods that make up Beckingen have seen more than a thousand years of history, and they were once part of a bustling Roman Road.
It’s a place of green meadows & pastures and dense forests all painted with a mountain backdrop that was once part of France. In fact, the castle that once stood here is now in ruins thanks to the French Revolution.
Beckingen Proper was once on the old Roman Road and is the place to go for a serious game of tennis or to sit by the local swimming pool. It also hosts the immensely popular Beckinger Schmaus festival.
Its Hargarten district likes to party too, hosting the Children’s, Halloween, and Farmer’s Market Festivals. It’s also one of the youngest of Beckingen’s neighborhoods, having been around since only 1179.
For a great view of Beckingen and surrounding Saarland go atop the Litermont in Düppenweiler.
Honzrath is another party district with lots of festivities around the “rock cellar” or rock formation caves.
Reimsbach, the oldest of Beckingen’s neighborhoods, sits on what was once an intersection of two ancient Roman Roads. If trees could talk, imagine the stories that the town’s 1000 year old Elm could tell.
And finally, Saarfels is the gateway to the Wolfskopf, a nature preserve filled with rare plants and animals.
For those of you with a green thumb, check out the Wolferskopf Nature Park with over 450 varieties of plants, 30 of them orchids (those buggers are so hard to grow!). In fact, Beckingen is probably best enjoyed outside. The other park, the Saargarten, illustrates this elegantly. Filled with bicycle trails, flowersbeds, and stone artwork you’ll understand why people have lived here since the Bronze Age.
