Our Student Buddy Melina created a short and informative video about the public transport in Saarland, which you can use for free with your htw saar ID card:

Even though Saarbrücken might seem small and silent for some people, there is plenty to do and to explore in Saarbrücken and the surroundings.
The sights in Saarbrücken are typically covered relatively quickly during a city tour, so we tried to make a little summary for you

• Staden:Especially during summer, you need to check out the "Staden". It is the grass area next to the saar, close to the Ulanen Pavillion, which sells different drinks and smalls snacks. This is a meeting point for everyone who wants to be outside, meet new people, relax, be active, chat with friends, and much more. Bring your picnic blanket and some friends and simply have a good time.

• Stand Up Paddeling: At the riverbanks of the saar you can not only realx during the day (before the party at night), you can also rent a Stan Up Paddle Board and glide peacefully over the Saar River.
• Canoeing: Navigate the Saar River by canoe and observe the banks from the water (check out the University Sports Program)
• German-French Garden: Take a leisurely stroll through the parklands styled after the 1950s and 60s.
• Mountain Biking: Speed through the mountain bike trails in the forests around Saarbrücken or try out the pump track in St. Arnual. (It is not too expensive to rent a bike)
• Hiking: Explore the primeval forest (Urwald) just outside the city on foot or explore the Saarbrücken Rock Trails (Felsenwege) and marvel at the huge sandstone formations in the St. Arnual district. You should not miss visiting the Saarschleife, one of the most known and beautiful sights of Saarland.
• Cycling: Cycle leisurely along the banks of the Saar River and take a break at the old Saar boat harbor.

• Theater: Immerse yourself in culture by attending a stage performance at one of Saarbrücken's theaters. With the " Kulturpakt" from the AstA of htw saar, you can visit the theatres and many other cultural institutions totally free!!
• Museums: Visit one of Saarbrücken's modern or immersive museums, for example the Modern Galerie or Völklinger Hütte (for free with the " Kulturpakt")
• Climbing and Bouldering: Scale the walls at KBA in Dudweiler or the climbing center on Mainzer Straße.
• Bowling: Roll the ball down the lanes at the Saarbrücken bowling alley.
• Escape Rooms: Follow clues and solve puzzles to free yourselves from the room within the given time limit.
• Virtual Reality Games: Experience another dimension in the Virtual Reality Arena.
• Laser Tag: Test your aim in the laser tag arena in downtown Saarbrücken.
• Movie Night: Catch a screening of the latest blockbusters or arthouse films at one of the city's five cinemas, not just during the Saarbrücken Film Festival. (check the " Kulturpakt" for cooperating cinemas)
• Go-Karting: Race around the curves at full speed at Kartpalast Saarbrücken.

Saarbrücken offers ample opportunities for night owls to party until the early hours, attend events, or simply enjoy a fun evening with friends. There's so many different opportunities, something for every taste, so go ahead and explore!
We aksed some students for their favourites and created a little list:

• St. Joanner Market: Like an Italian piazza, the St. Johanner Markt in the old town serves as a central meeting point for students. You can find many bars and restaurants there. Most people use it as a starting point for their night, where they decite to go next. Some stay also the whole night and the Market is lively til late at night during the weekends.
• "Silodom": During the day the "Gärtchen" (little garden) serves as a beergarden and lounge, during the night, the graffiti-covered concrete walls pulsate to the beats of techno and electro music. From the old industrial building and former "eyesore at the Osthafen," emerged one of the trendiest event locations in the Saarland capital, boasting an underground style.
• Jules Vernes: What is a stylish café with tall glass fronts during the day transforms into a trendy bar in the evening. The extraordinary interior features old school desks and furniture collected from flea markets, lending it a unique charm that has contributed to the bar's popularity, especially among the city's students. Visitors appreciate the attractive culinary offerings and the wide selection of cocktails. Often, there are also exciting event offerings, including (english) comedy nights and live bands.
• Discoplex A8: This club is a real highlight: it boasts the largest light and laser system in the city, the largest LED wall in Europe, and three floors spread across over 2,000 square meters catering to all age groups. It's no wonder that this is the place to be at night. There's a suitable floor for every musical taste.
• Blau: Is basically the student-club to go, open til the morning hours, this club is located underground in the middle of the city centre of Saarbrücken.
• Seven: Every Friday and Saturday, Club Seven invites guests to an elegant yet laid-back club atmosphere. Bringing an international flair are the new club operators, hailing from three different nations.
• Mauerpfeiffer: The club at Ludwigsbergkreisel is an institution among Saarbrücken's clubs. Here, the night turns into day, or perhaps it's already daytime, as many often arrive in the very late (or early) hours. Musically, the focus is mainly on techno, with both regional and international DJs taking to the decks.
• Soho: On Fridays and Saturdays, it opens its doors to its party-loving guests. Occasionally, there are also themed parties during the week. The DJs create a relaxed party atmosphere with the best of hip-hop and electronic music.

You want to check out what is going on outside of Saarbrücken or Saarland, maybe some of our tips below will help to decide where to go:

• Luxemburg: Luxembourg City is distinguished by its illustrious history and tourist attractions, all waiting to be discovered by you. Picturesque squares, narrow alleyways, majestic boulevards, and beautifully landscaped parks invite you to leisurely strolls. You can travel there for free by bus with your student ID card, check the bus schedules. Public transport in Luxemburg itself is for free.
• France: If you are in the mood for french baguette or croissants in the morning, France is just a few minutes and a single saarbahn ride away.
• Trier: Always worth a visit, Germany's oldest city has everything to ensure an enjoyable trip: historical landmarks, a beautiful city center where you can still find family-owned shops, and excellent gastronomy.
• Speyer: The Cathedral in Speyer is very well-known. It's no wonder, as it is the city's landmark and even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But Speyer has much more to offer: a historic old town, its location along the Rhine River, and a wealth of culture.
• Saarburg: Saarburg is a charming small town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Located close to the Luxembourg and French borders, this beautiful town is surrounded by vineyards and the Saar River, making it an idyllic destination for a relaxed weekend getaway.
• Frankfurt: is a melting pot of cultures, reflected in a culinary diversity that is unmatched. From traditional apple wine to international culinary delights, everything is possible in Frankfurt. This city combines cosmopolitanism with coziness, culture with nature.

Information from the Tourist Office in Saarbrücken and the Saarland Tourism Office

Brochures in English and French about the Saarland Region:
Welcome to the Saarland Region (EN)
Visiter la Sarre (FR)

www.htwsaar.de/en/studying-living/saarland

Studying and living in Germany:

Plan your studies Information from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Study in Germany - Land of ideas Information of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Your link to Germany (deutschland.de), in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin

For Tips on how to travel to Saarbrücken in the first place, see this website.

Within the first two weeks of your arrival and as soon as you have found accommodation, you have to register with the local residents' registration office called the Bürgeramt at your local city hall. The office will give you a written confirmation of registration called “Meldebestätigung”. Be sure to keep this document, since you will need it to apply for your residence permit. Only after registering your place of residence can you apply for your residence permit and open a bank account.

You can call to make an appointment under +49 (0681) 9050.

You can also book an appointment online. However, the entire website is in German only. Contact us if you need help. 

The Bürgeramt gives away last minute appointments each day early in the mornings between 7:30 and 08:00 am for the next day. So be an early bird and check the website daily to get one of these last-minute appointments.

For an appointment, click on this link: Terminvergabe Bürgeramt

Now follow these steps:

• Click on Bürgeramt
• Click on Meldeangelegenheiten
• If this is your first place to live in Germany, chose Wohnsitz-Anmeldung Zuzug aus dem Ausland
• Scoll to the bottom of the page and cklick on Weiter

Here, you will get information on what documents you need to bring with you:

• Personal identification card or passport
• A housing confirmation from your landlord called “Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung”. You can download the form on for Saarbrücken at: www.saarbruecken.de/rathaus/buergerservice/umzug_und_meldeangelegenheiten
• A rental agreement if already available (please note that a rental agreement only is not sufficient, you still need the Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung)

• In the final step, you scroll to the bottom of the page an click on OK. This will open the page with the dates you can chose for your appointment

The address is:

Bürgeramt City
Gerberstraße 4
66111 Saarbrücken (near Saarbrücken City Hall)
(Bus stop: Rathaus or Johanniskirche)

If you do not live in Saarbrücken but in one of the suburbs, you need to register at your local city hall. Please check on their respective websites for the Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung.

More general information about how to register your place of residency in Germany can be found at study-in-germany.de under Step 1.

Our student tutor Karo made a short video about this process:

• Put your name on your mailbox and doorbell (if your landlord has not already done so). Your mail will not be delivered unless your name is on your mailbox. There is no need to register with the post office.

• Arranging for telephone, internet and maybe other services (Gas, electricity); check what is included in your rent contract and what you need to choose by yourself. It pays to compare them, and online portals can be helpful. If you don’t do anything about it, you will be automatically registered at the standard provider, which is most of the time not the cheapest (does nor apply for internet).

• Introduce yourself. When you have settled in a bit, introduce yourself to your neighbours - this is not required, of course, but it is a way of getting to know people quickly, considered polite and lets you know who your neighbours are.

• Quiet hours. In general, noise is prohibited between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. so that everyone can get a good night‘s sleep. This means keeping music at a low volume and avoiding things like running your washing machine during those hours.

• Cleaning responsibilities. Almost every German state has agreements specifying which tenant is responsible for cleaning the hallway or the walkway in front of the building. Find out when its your turn!

• Tap water in many is carefully inspected, so it is normally perfectly suitable for drinking and cooking. Please use responsibly and sustainable.

Did you know? We Germans are the un-disputed world champions in separating waste materials. With our blue, yellow, green and black containers, we collect separate and sort our waste materials for recycling, which benefits the environment.

If the garbage cans are not filled as intended, they will not be taken away. Employees then put a sticker to them, pointing out why the bins have not been emptied and requesting that they be re-sorted. Fines may also be imposed.

• Correct waste separation is mandatory by law in Germany
• Packaging is collected in different waste containers depending on the type of material
• Different components of a package should be separated from each other
• Packaging should not be stacked and does not need to be washed
• Best is to separate your trash already in your flat in different bins

Our tutor Miriam has made a small video about it:

• The „Rundfunkbeitrag“ is a fee that every household in Germany needs to pay. The contribution serves to finance public broadcasting service based on a contributory model, the current fee is 18.36 euros per month.
• Find out if those fees are included in your rent or if someone you live with is paying it already, as you only need to pay this fee per household, not per person.
• Yes, you need to pay even though you might not use it•If not, you need to register yourself, you can do it online
• If you receive social benefits like Bafög, income support (=Sozialgeld), housing benefits (=Wohngeld) or benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act, you can be freed from paying it

It normally is payed every three month 55,08€