Located in south-western Germany, Saarbrücken is the capital city of the small state of Saarland and makes an excellent base to explore the local area.

Centrepoint of the Altstadt is the St. Johanner Markt, a bustling pedestrian precinct with many shops, cafés and lanes to explore. From the fountain in the the marketplace there is a good view of the palace, which is located across the river and easily accessed via the Alte Brücke. The palace itself is a combination of old and new architectural styles. It serves as an administrative center and a venue for cultural events. The palace wall offers a good vantage point for panoramic photographs of the city. On the same side of the river, the Ludwigskirche (pictured) is the most famous example of Friedrich-Joachim Stengel's architecture in the city. Completely rebuilt after WW2, it is nevertheless a beautiful example of protestant baroque style.

A short train ride from Saarbrücken are a couple of worthwhile destinations for a school group. Ottweiler has a great Schulmuseum. Although the museum itself is quite young, it has a fascinating collection describing over 1000 years of education. They run excellent hands-on tours.

The city of Homburg has two major attractions: the largest sandstone caves in Europe and a Roman museum. The Schlossberghöhlen are artificial and most of the excavation was for sandmining to feed the glass industry in the 17th century. Later forgotten, they were rediscovered in the 1930's and served as an extensive bunker for the city during WW2. The Römermuseum Schwarzenacker is an open-air museum with original Roman ruins and some reconstructed buildings. Their tours aimed at school groups include handcrafts, Roman food and drink and an archaeological dig.

My school travel accommodation tip has to be the Saarbrücken Europa-Jugendherberge Jugendgästehaus. Facilities, food and service were excellent when I was there.