Freyming-Merlebach is a town in Moselle, in the region of the East, 45 km east of Metz and 20 km south west of Saarbrücken, Germany.
The town is located in the natural region of Warndt, a geological massif and wooded border area.
The city was born from the merger in 1971 of the municipalities of Freyming and Merlebach, whose history was linked. Already inhabited during the Gallo-Roman period, the territory that is not spared by the conflicts is devoted under the Ancien regime to activities related to wood, glass crafts and nails.
It was during the German annexation between 1870 and 1918 that an important mining activity related to coal mining developed. Freyming and Merlebach are among the most powerful sites in the Lorraine region, and the morphology of the municipalities is evidence of this, made up of working-class housing estates and equipped with recreational facilities.
It was after the merger of 1971 that Freyming-Merlebach reached the peak of its economic power before gradually the crisis set in. The last well closes at the beginning of the 2000s. The city, which has more than 13,000 inhabitants, must then begin its economic reconversion and move towards tourism.
Its heritage and unique natural environment as well as its cultural and associative dynamism make it a stage of interest during a stay in Lorraine.
A city tour can begin with the city hall, rebuilt in 2012 in accordance with avant-garde ecological standards, and continue with other elements of the civil heritage.
This is the case of the headframe well Cuvelette, symbol of the mining past, or the rock of Wieselstein, a megalith shaped menhir six meters high. It is an ancient Druidic rock located in the workers' towns and which served as rallying point between the two wars during hard social conflicts.
See also, Villa Louise (eighteenth century), former property of the powerful family Mangay. One of the illustrious figures of this line, Philippe-Louis Mangay (1782-1842), lawyer at the royal court of Metz is buried in a pyramidal tomb, at the square Saint-Maurice.
Regarding the religious heritage, we can see the Saint-Maurice church, Freyming, erected in 1913, during the German annexation, considered a masterpiece of neo-baroque art widespread in the region from the Saarland. The windows of Zettler and his remarkable organs are part of his fame.
Same neo-baroque style for the Church of Our Lady of Nativity in Merlebach, built in 1926, with a copper bulb on its belfry.
Stalking workers 'miners' cities, several churches or chapels date from the twentieth century. One of them was built for the Slovenian miners, the St. Joseph's chapel, and houses a remarkable organ.
Note also that now transformed into chapel of the cemetery, the former choir of the first church Saint-Maurice, Freyming (fifteenth and nineteenth) has a hagioscope. That is to say a small opening in a wall allowing people outside to follow the celebration with a view of the altar...
In terms of natural heritage, the banks of the Rosselle (tributary of the Saar) and small streams flowing into the river border and the newly developed city center city park are popular walks. However, it is the Barrois quarry, north of the city, along the German border, also covering the neighboring municipalities of L'Hôpital and Saint-Avold, which is really worth a visit. A former sandstone and sand quarry, bordered on the south by slag heaps, it served from 1920 to 2001 to fill the holes and cavities inherited from the exploitation of coal, once these exhausted. The quarry of 400 hectares now has a canyon shape whose bottom is dotted with water points. Nature has regained its rights on the secure site and opened to the public since 2010. Footpaths and bike paths have been developed, as well as lookouts. A new protected ecosystem has developed there. Free or guided visits (information on +33 3 87 90 53 53).
For hiking or mountain biking including this quarry or other heritage sites of the city, such as its neighborhoods inherited from the mining era, documentation and information at +33 3 87 90 53 53 and +33 3 87 37 57 80.
On the sporting side, Freyming-Merlebach will benefit from the remarkable Aquagliss center, with its swimming pool and indoor and outdoor recreational areas (in summer). Entry: 3.50 and 4.50 euros. Information on +33 3 87 00 22 90.
In addition to the many stadiums and boulodromes open to the public, it is also possible to play a game of tennis (book a short at the local club at +33 3 87 90 17 48) or consider a horse ride (inquire at +33 3 87 81 00 14).
Finally, at the cultural level, the Médiathèque is both a place for exhibitions and shows. Information on +33 3 87 00 23 42.
