State capital is heading for a new record year | State capital Saarbrücken

In the first nine months of 2023, the state capital recorded more than 484,000 overnight stays. This is an increase of 16.3 percent compared to the previous all-time record year of 2019. The current leader is the month of September with over 64,000 overnight stays and an increase of almost 22 percent compared to September 2019.

Mayor Uwe Conradt: “The overnight stay figures speak for themselves: Saarbrücken is a real visitor magnet, and more and more guests are discovering Saarbrücken as a lively city at the interface between Germany and France. Savoir-vivre, gourmet culture and joie de vivre make our city a travel destination, and not just for connoisseurs. Numerous top-class sights await our guests, such as the Ludwigskirche, the St. Johanner Markt or the Residenzschloss. Our diverse event, cultural and shopping offerings as well as our extensive forests make Saarbrücken a popular adventure destination. The Saarbrücken region also invites you to visit with other offers such as the Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site or the Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve. I would like to thank all actors and companies that do excellent work in these areas.”

Successful marketing and infrastructure measures

In the past few years and months, the state capital – together with the municipal company City-Marketing and other players such as the Saarbrücken Tourist Office – has implemented important measures to increase the quality of stay in the Saarbrücken city and to promote Saarbrücken.

The successful “visit.saarbruecken” campaign by City Marketing GmbH, which was developed together with the state capital and in cooperation with the regional association, has become an important component in promoting the Saarbrücken region. Also currently visible in the city is the new lighting concept for the Christmas city of Saarbrücken developed jointly by City Marketing and the state capital – including the illuminated Old Bridge and the new lighting elements in Bahnhofstrasse.

The Ferris wheel at the Christmas market organized by the Saarbrücken Tourist Office has also become a strong visitor magnet.

The state capital has expanded the pedestrian zone at St. Johanner Markt by 9,000 square meters. With the rededication of Obertor-, Faß-, Türken- and Katholisch-Kirch-Straße as a pedestrian zone, the entire old town center of St. Johann will become predominantly car-free. This creates more space for pedestrians. In addition, the offerings from restaurateurs and retailers can be enjoyed even more undisturbed.

In addition, the state capital has implemented the “Tempo 30 in the city center” model project. This project is intended to increase traffic safety around the pedestrian zones and the bicycle zone in the city as well as reduce noise pollution. A total of 14 streets are part of the model project. The state capital is therefore one of the pioneers in Germany.

City center in transition: New usage concepts required

To ensure that the city center remains livable in the future, innovative concepts are required. That’s why the state capital is committed to a mix of retail, gastronomy, living and events in Saarbrücken. In the future, the city center should be defined as an overall experience. One example is the investor’s new plans for the former C&A building on the corner of Viktoriastrasse and Kaiserstrasse, which focus on urban living for older people. There are also plans to upgrade the area around the congress hall with appropriate measures to create an exhibition center in the heart of the city.

„The results confirm us. And they encourage us to continue on the path of making our beautiful city even more attractive,” says Mayor Uwe Conradt.