Exploring Sarreguemines

Sunday 20/05/2012 -  It was a lovely morning when we woke up the next day Marg and Peter had already been out to find a boulangerie and it was croissants, cheese, strawberries and jam for breakfast.  Very French!  And very nice too.  After our chores were done we set off to discover Sarregeumines.  First stop was the Office de Tourisme where we picked up a map and a book which had a couple of guided walks in it.

We started at the Porcelain Museum which was very interesting, seeing the fine china, porcelain, ceramics and glass items on display. 

All the information was in French with no English translation so not so easy to follow the technical bits but you could get the idea most of the time.  The most spectacular sight in here was the Wintergarden room on the 2nd floor with wall frescoes and magnificent majolica dating from the 19th century. 

 Outside there was the large ceramic kiln, the only one saved when the ceramics works was demolished?  It is 11 meters tall and one of the last examples of this kind in Europe.  

From there we started on the Historic circuit walk and followed the numbers to see a good selection of the history of this little town.

We saw the ruins of the castle which used to dominate the town from its hilltop position, French Street, Goethe Place, Gold street, Plough street, Market Place and The Freedom street.  

All these are examples of the early settlement in the town and are still standing today and lived in.  An interesting look at life as it was.  Saint Nikolaus Kirche, The grand old Courthouse and the colorful designs in Cremer Generals street completed our tour of the old town and we walked back to Matilda for lunch.

After lunch Marg and Peter took the bikes to go the Moulin de la Blies,  and we left to follow the Ceramic trail.  We started just up the road from the port looking at the old workers housing estate which housed the workers from the earthenware factory.  The homes have been restored and are in good condition.  From there we walked through the newer area of town on our way to the Blies Mill which now houses the Musee des Technicques Faiencieres.  

Once an earthenware factory between 1825 and 1969 the Moulin de la Blies was just one of many ceramic manufacturers in Saareguemines.  Today it is home to a technical museum showing how the ceramics were made.  It is an interesting place to wander through and see how things were done so long ago.

A beautiful garden has been set up on the old industrial land along side the river Blies and as you wander through the many different areas you see many relics of the past.  Old storehouse ruins, old grindstones, potting sheds and kilns all make for a magical mystery tour through the grounds. 

On the day that we visited a local photographer had an exhibition on display throughout the ruins and we saw many incredible photos of life along the riverside.  And yes we did meet Marg and Peter there.

Once we were all toured out we walked home along the canal path coming back to Matilda about 6.00pm.  Just in time for a drink before dinner.  We had a lovely evening sitting in the balmy evening watching the world go by.  A group of boys and men playing soccer kept us entertained for most of the evening before we called it a night and headed for bed.  What a great day we have had discovering this lovely little town.

The still balmy evening turned nasty when sometime during the night there was a huge thunderstorm with lightning and hail. The rain had us jumping up and closing windows before sleep overtook us once more.  We need the rest as we are off again tomorrow and will cross the border into Germany sometime in the morning.

Until then.....