It was a cherished and popular tradition: at the beginning of the 2000s, the Saarbrücker Zeitung’s reader hikes attracted numerous hiking enthusiasts from Saarland to the most beautiful routes in our homeland. However, there haven’t been any of these hikes for a long time.
But that will change: To mark the anniversary of “50 years of the Losheim reservoir”, the Saarbrücker Zeitung has once again organized a reader hike together with partners from the region. On Saturday, May 25th, it leads along one of the premium trails through which the lake community has earned a good reputation as a top hiking region: the reservoir table tour. The hike starts on May 25th at 9 a.m., the last possible start is at 10 a.m. at the tourist information center at the Losheim reservoir. There, participants receive the documents for the hike and, if registered in advance, a parking permit that entitles them to free parking at the lake on the day of the hike.
And this is what the Stausee Tafel Tour offers: The 10.5 kilometer long route starts at the tourist information center at the Losheim reservoir. It was opened in 2005 as the second premium trail in Saarland after the Felsenweg in Losheim. From the reservoir, it slowly ascends past beautiful stream valleys to Scheiden, the highest town in Saarland. From the vantage point there you have a wide view over large parts of Saarland all the way to France. At 290 meters in altitude, the path is easy to moderately difficult. It is well signposted throughout, with a chef’s hat as an identifying mark showing hikers the way. The title “Tafeltour” means that there was a hiker-friendly restaurant along the way from the start. The hosts on the lake in particular, with the Hochwälder Brauhaus, the garden bistro, the Maison au Lac restaurant and the Seehotel restaurant, still offer something for every taste.
But the reservoir table tour will soon be able to adorn itself with another label: in 2022, the German Hiking Institute has developed the Regional Pleasure Trails. These trails are premium trails with a special culinary and hiker-friendly offering. The highlight are the pleasure stations along the paths, where hikers can buy regional drinks and products. The “Lecker Pfädchen” in Thalfang was the first path to receive this award. Due to the great success of the “Lecker Pfädchen”, there will soon be more such trails in Saarland. From July, the Saar loop table tour in Mettlach and the reservoir table tour will also start as a regional pleasure trail with culinary offers from partners of the regional initiative “Ebbes von Hei”.
And that’s why this SZ readers’ hike is also designed as a pleasure hike, thanks to the support of the partners from the regional initiative “Ebbes von Hei” (see information box). At the start there are apples for the hikers, which are provided by Globus in Losheim. At the second station at the Kneipp facility at the reservoir, Saarschleifen-Land-Tourismus GmbH, the tourism company for the Merzig-Wadern district, offers hikers a glass of sparkling wine from the Herber winery in Perl. At the viewing point in Scheiden, the Kirner Brewery provides the National Park Kellerbier and Schwollener Sprudel mineral water from the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park. There’s also chili Lyoner from the Steuer-Wagner butcher in Losheim with rolls from Café Louis in Weiskirchen – and it’s all free! Once the hikers have reached their starting point at the reservoir, the local restaurants await them in the immediate vicinity so that they can complete the hike in a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurateurs would be happy about a prior reservation.
You can also get to know the “birthday child” reservoir better on a reader hike: this year the lake turns 50 years old. This is celebrated all year round because the reservoir has developed into a national tourist center since it opened in 1974. The SZ reader hike is part of the anniversary program. One of the highlights of the annual program is Klassik am See on July 6th and the big band open air with, among others, the SWR big band on July 7th. (Information www.musik-theater-saar.de). The culinary offerings at these events also come from partners of the regional initiative “Ebbes von Hei”. An overview of all events can be found at www.losheim.de
But it gets even better: Participants in the SZ reader hike can not only enjoy the beautiful nature around the reservoir and taste delicacies from the region. You are also doing good by taking part in the hike. Because the Sparda-Bank Südwest profit savings association, as a partner of our “Help-With!” campaign, will donate 10 euros to the SZ “Help-With!” campaign for everyone who takes part in the reader walk – up to a maximum of 5,000 euros. This money can be used to help Saarlanders in need in an unbureaucratic manner – just as “Hilf-Mit!” has been doing for 50 years.
For organizational reasons, you are requested to register in advance for the SZ reader hike. This can now be done via the Losheim am See municipality’s own tourism company on Tel. (06872) 9018100 or by email to: [email protected]. Anyone who registers in advance by May 22nd will receive an extra bonus: they will receive a parking permit at the start of the reader walk, which will allow them to park at the lake for free. When registering, please state how many people you are traveling with and what the license plate number of your vehicle is.
If the weather gods cooperate, nothing stands in the way of a day full of beautiful nature impressions and taste experiences at the Losheimer reservoir. Be there for the SZ reader hike on May 25th. Because here you can hike, enjoy regional delicacies and do good!