Saarlouis

Saarlouis is a town in the Saarland state of Germany. It lies on the left bank of the river Saar, near the French border, about 40 kilometers west of Saarbrücken. It is the seat of the district of Saarlouis.

The city originated as a fortress founded in 1680 by order of Louis XIV to secure the western frontier after ongoing conflicts. The fortifications, often associated with Vauban, formed the core of the town and gave Saarlouis its characteristic layout. The fortress was named Saarlouis in honor of the king.

After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Saarlouis was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it developed as an industrial center in the Saar region, with iron and steel production and related trades. After World War II the Saarland was under French administration before joining Germany in 1957.

Today Saarlouis has about 40,000 residents. The economy is diversified, with services, small- to medium-sized manufacturing, and logistics playing important roles. The city includes river port facilities along the Saar that support commerce and regional trade, and it is connected by road and rail to the surrounding Saarland cities and the cross-border area.

Culturally, the city preserves the historic fortress and the surrounding town center, which accommodate museums, galleries, and markets. The fortress remains a focal point of the historic urban landscape and contributes to Saarlouis’s identity as a border town with a long, layered history.