"Une vue splendide", declared France's most famous poet, Victor Hugo, in 1863 when he visited Germany's loveliest river bow, the Saar Bow. Here, just a few kilometres from Mettlach, the Saar makes a complete U-turn and flows back towards its source for a while. The best views of this wonder of nature are to be had from the Cloef viewpoint or the Montclair castle ruins.

Jump on your board and head out into the wind. Anyone planning to head to the 120-hectare Lake Bostalsee should not only pack their swimming trucks, lilo, inflatable toys, but also their windsurfing board. There's a good reason why Saarland's largest lake is so popular.