Wadern, the third largest city (in terms of area) in all of Saarland, and its surrounding villages of Dagstuhl, Morscholz, Noswendel, and Nunkirchen date back a millenia.
Wadern receives about 45 inches of rain a year, with December being the wettest. A visit in April will be the driest and the weather just a delight for everyone.
When it’s not raining, Noswendel has a wonderful large lake sitting on a protected nature preserve. The kids will love to feed the ducks or run around on the two playgrounds. Join in a game of one-on-one with the locals on the basketball court. A game of tennis may be your cup of tea and there are quite a few tennis courts in town.
Besides sports there are many medieval buildings to visit. The Öttinger Schloss houses the local history museum which will give you an appreciation for all the castles and medieval churches within the local villages.
The Dagstuhl Castle, built in 1290, stood for 500 years before being destroyed in 1720. It was rebuilt and today houses a computer science center. The castle’s chapel is as beautiful today as it was centuries ago. No wonder it’s still in use!
Büschfeld also had its very own castle, but it was demolished due to the building of the railroads in the late 19th century. Schloss Münchweiler in Nunkirchen is the only baroque castle in all of Saarland and completely worth a trip.
With religion playing the leading role in daily life during the Middle Ages, the churches built were, and still are, a work of engineering and artistic genius. The Parish Church Wolfgang in Morscholz dates back to the 15th century, and the church’s bell was made some 500 years ago. The Heart Jesu Church in Nunkirchen has been a protected sight since 1896 and has stood for more than four centuries.
All in all, Wadern is a town of medieval villages with wonderful churches, castles, and outdoor recreation in the picturesque foothills of the Hunsrück. It may be wet, but it’s definitely worth it! :-)
