Germany

"Saarschleife" (Bend in the Saar) near Mettlach 

The Saarland is one of the sixteen federal states (or Bundesländer) of Germany. With its capital at Saarbrücken, it has an area of 2,570 km² and its population (as of 30 April 2012) is approximately 1,012,000. In terms of both area and population size – apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg – it is Germany's smallest federal state. The wealth of its coal deposits and their large-scale industrial exploitation, coupled with its location on the border between France and Germany, have given the Saarland a unique history in modern times.

The state borders France (département of Moselle, which forms part of the région of Lorraine) to the south and west, Luxembourg to the west and Rheinland-Pfalz to the north and the east.

It is named after the Saar River, a tributary of the Moselle River (itself a tributary of the Rhine), which runs through the state from the south to the northwest. One third of the land area of the Saarland is covered by forest, one of the highest percentages in Germany.

Wow this beautiful view comes from Martin of Germany via postcrossing

Sent: 29 July 2015   Received: 19 August 2015   Travelled: 21 days