Redesign of the Saar estuary
The area around the mouth of the Saar is mentioned as early as 367/368 AD in the "Mosella" by the poet Ausonius, a praise of the Moselle in 483 verses, which is one of the most famous testimonies about Roman Germania in late antiquity. In the Middle Ages, the mouth of the Saar was first mentioned in the so-called "Saarspitz". In the recent past, the groups still used the area as a swimming pool.
In the present, the confluence of the Moselle and Saar is not defined in terms of design, with a negative overprint due to the dominant traffic function of a total of three bridges over the Saar.
The mouth of the Saar is now used intensively by cyclists, anglers, water sports enthusiasts and pedestrians of all ages. The first impression for the visitor is often made here, so that one can speak of an important entrance situation for the city of Konz. The importance of cycle tourism for the entire Saar-Upper Moselle region is well known.
The city of Konz, which describes itself as the "Saar-Moselle city", recognized the need to be creative here and commissioned the Fischer office for landscape planning, Trier, at the beginning of 2001 to create a concept for the creative upgrading of this outdoor space .
Application for funding
As a member of the “Local Action Group Moselfranken”, the city of Konz had the opportunity to apply for a subsidy as part of the “LEADER +” program. After intensive debates in the municipal committees, the fundamental decision to implement the concept was taken in November 2003, albeit in a reduced form. At the same time, the necessary technical coordination was carried out with the authorities concerned.
After formal approval was given by the supervisory and service department in Trier in April 2004, implementation could begin. The city received a subsidy of 50% of the total costs of €175,000 from European funds, without which the financing would certainly not have been possible.
concept and implementation
The aim of the concept of the city of Konz was Increased attractiveness for cyclists and pedestrians to be achieved by designing a representative, multifunctional waterfront area. The facilities should also serve as a local recreation area for the citizens of the city. Construction began in September 2004.
Specifically, the service route of the water and shipping administrations of Trier and Saarbrücken, which is also a cycle path in the maintenance obligation of the city of Konz, was moved approx. 15 m inland in the Saarspitze area in order to form a quiet “panoramic view” area where who likes to get off his bike and look towards the wide river landscape.
Only 50 m further up the Moselle, a large free area was created for events, with the areas being gravel lawn only slightly sealed. Here is a permanently mounted BBQ area to stay. In the long term, a dock for a mobile water stage is planned here, where cultural events can take place.
Saar and Moselle were so-called "Saar and Moselle Steps" made of natural stone accessible and tangible. A short-term lowering of the Moselle level was necessary to integrate the stones into the bank. The "Saarstufen" also serve as an opportunity to dock with a canoe or a boat.
Wooden platforms with green pergolas invite you to linger, but also offer space as a stage and can therefore be used for parties or other events. The green areas were spatially enhanced by additional shrubs, shrubs and trees; other areas were left to develop naturally. The construction measures could be carried out quickly and without interruptions caused by flooding and were successfully completed in May 2005.
With this concept, the city of Konz has achieved a significant increase in the attractiveness of this unique natural environment. Depending on the financial possibilities, a selective addition to the realized concept is conceivable in the next few years.