Saarburg
Saarburg (, ) is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the banks of the river Saar in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle. Now known as a tourist attraction, the river Leuk flows into the town center and makes a spectacular drop of some 60 feet before joining the larger Saar that bisects the town. The waterfall is the result of a 13th-century project to redirect the Leuk through the city center. Saarburg is the seat of the "Verbandsgemeinde" ("collective municipality") Saarburg -Kell. The area around Saarburg is noted for the cultivation of Riesling grapes. History. The history of the city begins with the construction of the now-ruined castle by Graf Siegfried of Luxembourg in 964. It received its town charter in 1291. The city has a bell foundry, the Glockengießerei Mabilion, which has been in operation since the 1770s, and the only one in Germany that makes bronze bells. From 1945 to 1948 Saarburg was occupied by troops from Luxembourg. From 18 July 1946 to 6 June 1947 Onsdorf, in its then municipal boundary, formed part of the Saar Protectorate . French troops complemented the occupation until 1955. Saarburg has a proud history with bells, being the producers of bells for many German cathedrals. Twin towns — sister cities. Saarburg is twinned with: