Bliesgau

The Bliesgau is a region in Saarland on the river assemblies, a right tributary of the Saar. The Bliesgau is a landscape of rolling hills, vast orchards and is dominated by the limestone floor. Commonly it is referred to as the "Tuscany of the Saarland ".

To be distinguished from the more geologically accrued, traditional Bliesgau mentioned landscape is the Bliesgau biosphere reserve, which includes more natural areas such as parts of the Homburger basin, the St. Ingbert- Kirkeler wooded area and the St. Ingberter sink, but spares and parts of the natural environment Bliesgau.

• 4.1 Nature Reserves

• 5.1 Way of St. James

Location

The Bliesgau belongs geologically to the Palatine - Saarland limestone area, located southeast of Saarbrücken and borders the neighboring France. Essentially, it covers the area of the city Blieskastel and the two municipalities Gersheim and Mandelbachtal. In the physiographic division of Germany Handbook of Bliesgau forms its own main unit within the Palatine - Saarland limestone area ( Greater Region 3rd order ), which in turn to the northern French cuesta ( Greater Region 2nd order ), the left-bank counterpart to the Southwest German cuesta land belongs.

The highest elevation of 401.1 m above sea Bliesgau with. NN the Great Kahlenberg at Breitfurt on which the ruins of the observation tower Alexanderplatz tower stands.

History

The oldest traces of human settlement date back to the Middle Stone Age. It is known the Gollenstein, a 4000 years old menhir.

Especially from the late Bronze Age and the subsequent Iron Age, there are many archaeological finds. In Rubenheim (part of Gersheim ) and Wolfer home (district of Blieskastel ) a large grave mound field was discovered. With pure home (part of Gersheim ) a Celtic princesses grave was found in 1954. It is now part of the European Cultural Park Bliesbruck - clean home. There are also remains of a Gallo- Roman settlement in this plant.

A compact row graves area marks the center of early medieval Bliesgau in the 6th and 7th centuries. The document places the 8th to the 11th century, spread over the entire catchment area of ​​the Assemblies. As the seat of a Gaugrafschaft, which included the Bliesgau and the west subsequent Rosselgau, 1046 Habkirchen is occupied. After 1100, the name fell into disuse to re- revive in the scholarly literature since the early 18th century. As Gaugrafen are attested:

• Erenfried, 888 Count in Bliesgau, 895 Count in Scarponagau, testifies to 904
• Odaker, 893 Count in Bliesgau, 901-902 Count in Ardennengau
• Hartung, 960 Count in Bliesgau
• Folkmar, 982 Count in Bliesgau
• Gottfried, 1087-1100 Graf Bliesgau

Medieval churches

The medieval settlement of Bliesgau is documented by Roman round towers in Bebelsheim, Erfweiler and clean home. The churches are no longer in their original form. The Stephen Church in Böckweiler dates in its present form from the 11th century.

Farmhouse and village image

Where the villages still the original building with farmhouses show, you can often find closely built streets where lined up the Einfirsthöfe closely. In most cases these are " broadly structured Einhäuser " (W. HAWK ) with a steep roof, consistent with the broad eaves to the street. The wide gate that leads into the dish, usually located between the living area and the stable part ( "Mitt Bankrupts house" ). Ellenberg explains the type of house and the close arrangement with the formerly used in Bliesgau Realerbteilung.

Biosphere Reserve

26 May 2009 large parts of the Bliesgau and adjacent landscapes have been recognized by the UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve German. All communities located in Bliesgau had used it. For rapid implementation was a sponsoring Friends of the biosphere region Bliesgau founded eV in May 2001, the 2006 merger of the municipalities Blieskastel, Mandelbachtal, Gersheim, Kleinblittersdorf, Kirkel, Homburg and St. Ingbert followed for the purpose Biosphere Reserve Association Bliesgau. This purpose association also includes the Saar Pfalz-Kreis and Saarland as members.

Nature and Environment

The Bliesgau is marked by a characteristic natural landscape, which is composed of widely spread meadow orchards, species-rich dry meadows types, extensive beech forests and dotted by the strongly meandering Blew floodplain. A special feature of Bliesgau lies in the diversity of its landscapes with the interlocking of different macro-and micro habitats. The landscape is characterized by wide swinging rolling hills, it is characterized by a millennia of use by people and represents a cultural landscape the habitat for many rare animal and plant species dar. The Bliesgau has the largest concentration of endangered species and habitat types in south-west Germany.

In Bliesgau about 80 percent of the total Saarland occurrence to find Steinkäuzen that are endangered in Germany. A rarity represents one of the largest populations of marsh fritillary butterfly, and on the limestone soils are found almost half of occurring in Germany orchids. One of the biggest orchid meadows located on the boundary of the municipality Gersheim. In the lowland forests of the Assemblies live beaver families and on some slopes of the baffle assemblies can discover the nests of the kingfisher. At the nature reserve hell digging is a herd with rear cattle, water buffalo and wild Konik horses, a white stork nest, as well as populations of herons, wild ducks, geese field and other rare species. More white stork nests are found at the fisherman's hut in Beeden in Ingweiler at the Assemblies and in Webenheim.

A special role in the preservation and maintenance of the cultural landscape Bliesgau plays the grazing of cattle, sheep and goats. Through an extensive grazing of receipt of the landscape characteristics is secured and the basis of life of endangered animal and plant species ensured. Through the use of domestic animal species that are threatened with extinction (Thuringian Forest Goat etc.), Naturland Saar Foundation is making a further contribution to the conservation of the species in Bliesgau.

The concerns of ecology and the principles of sustainability has Spohns house prescribed in Gersheim. The environmental education center with attached Schullandheim mediated in many ways education for sustainable development (ESD ), one of the main objectives of UNESCO. Spohns house was for the fourth time with the appropriate seal of approval awarded by UNESCO ( the UN Decade "Education for sustainable development").

Nature Reserves

Several nature reserves are reported for the natural environment Bliesgau. As a special protection habitat types mentioned include: Kalkhalbtrockenrasen, heat-loving shrubs, sage oat grass meadows and orchid beech forest.

Regional principle and Tourism

Also the principles of sustainability and regional product marketing on the Association Bliesgau biosphere reserve has prescribed. His efforts are aimed at the creation of economic value to the region in handicraft, agricultural and tourist services. Under a separate common label their products sell numerous businesses both in the region ( "From the region for the region " ) as well as nationally.

Under the tourist aspects of the Bliesgau has prescribed the gentle tourism. Was on a sprawling tourist infrastructure and is omitted. Advertised with natural monuments and historical structures (see Tourist Destinations ). Priorities in the tourist area form hiking and cycling, natural and cultural attractions and culinary delights. Due to influences from neighboring France a gastronomic culture has evolved over the decades in Bliesgau, which is to rank among the top performances in the German - French -speaking countries. One now has regional prosperous event is the " Lamb Bliesgau week ," while offering the top chefs from the Bliesgau, including star chefs, dishes of regional lambs. The project is accompanied by art exhibitions and wants to bring art and gastronomy combined.

From Bliesgau as a starting point many interesting tourist destinations in the neighboring areas of the Greater Region Saar -Lor -Lux are reached on day trips.

Way of St. James

By Bliesgau leads the subsection Hornbach - Metz of the traditional Way of St. James, on two alternative routes. The south leads from Hornbach on the Wintringer chapel and the French city of Sarreguemines in the direction of Saint- Avold, on the northern Blieskastel, Gersheim and Saarbrucken to Forbach French. Located southwest of Forbach take both routes together again.

Tourist destinations in Bliesgau

• Gollenstein at Blieskastel
• European Cultural Park Bliesbruck - Reinheim ( Celto -Roman settlement of cross-border archaeological excavations )
• Baroque old town of Blieskastel
• Historical hamlet Gräfinthal with monastery ( again in 1993 ), Cultural Wulfinghoff house, outdoor theater, hotel, gastronomy in the community Mandelbachtal
• Würzbacher pond in Niederwürzbach
• Ruins of the observation tower Alexander Tower on the Great Kahlenberg at Breitfurt
• Nature reserve hell ditch at Beeden with rare species.

Photo gallery

Marsh Fritillary

Orchid meadow at Gersheim

Ecological Education Centre Spohns House

House hole field with Bliesgaulandschaft

Landscape between Blickweiler and Wolfersheim

View from Hölschberg at Biesingen in Bliesgau

Thuringian Forest Goat in Bliesgau

Celto - Roman archaeological site in Gersheim - clean home

Church of St. Mark (Clean Home )

Church with a round tower in Bebelsheim

Orangerie ( remains of the original structure. Palace complex ) in Blieskastel

Personalities

• Ingobertus, namesake of St. Ingbert
• Pirmin, namesake of Bierenbach
• Marianne von der Leyen, regent in Blieskastel 1775-1793
• Joseph Cardinal Wendel, Archbishop of Munich 1952-1960
• Andreas Hamm (1824-1894), bell-founder and founder of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen