Idar-Oberstein travel guide

Mineralienmuseum Idar-Oberstein (Photo: Wisohr, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Idar-Oberstein is a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany and is at a narrows, between rocky cliffs and the banks of the Nahe. Since every square meter of land is at a premium here, the river has been covered over in the town. As a result, since 1986, the Nahe flows underneath the town for several kilometers.

The world famous Felsenkirche (1482-1484), the construction of which is traced to a story of fratricide, is built upon a vertical rock wall high above the old town. It gives the town a unique atmosphere. The steep steps leading up to the Felsenkirche are climbed by countless visitors from all over the world every year. Their efforts are more than rewarded by a view of the impressive artwork. Examples are the Gothic winged altar of 1410 and a beautiful Stumm organ from the year 1756. The setting of the old and the new castles high above the Felsenkirche, give the visitor a feel for how proudly enthroned above their town the lords of Dhaun and Oberstein castles were, in the Middle Ages. Deceptively small when viewed from town Felsenkirche is capable of holding up to 500 people at a time.

The town is also well known for its agate cutting. Originally, the agate cutters worked on semiprecious stones from the region (commercial mining 1375-1875) in their small cutting shops along the streams which flowed from the Idarwald and Hochwald into the Nahe. Today, the gems are imported from all over the world. With time, agate cutting evolved into a large jewelry industry dealing with precious stones and pearls as well. Idar-Oberstein became an international center for the jewelry industry. The Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum (Precious Stone Museum) exhibits various types of stones from around the world in both their raw and finished forms.

Get in

By plane

The town is 30 km south of Hahn airport (HHNIATA) over minor roads. There is a direct bus link.

By train

There are a number of regional lines providing connect to the town from Saarbrücken, Neunkirchen (Saarland), Bad Kreuznach, Mainz and St Wendel. Some (but not all) connect directly to Frankfurt Airport and Frankfurt main station.

By car

The B41 connects to the A61 at Bad Kreuznach and the A62 and on to St. Wendel and Neunkirchen.

See

• Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum (Gemstone museum), Hauptstraße 118.
• Deutsches Mineralienmuseum (German mineral museum), Hauptstraße 436, ☏ +49 6781 24619. daily 10:00–17:00. Gemstones and minerals from all over the world, and beautiful crystals brought to Europe from overseas. Jewellery from the 19th and 20th centuries (such as Art Deco). Adult €8, child or youth 6–18 years €4.50, guided tours (English or French) for up to 10 people €40.
• Precious Stone Mine Steinkaulenberg (Edelsteinminen Steinkaulenberg), Tiefensteiner Str. 87, ☏ +49 6781 901918. Jewellery and precious stones used to be mined in these caves and tunnels. Visitors can take a tour of the mines and learn more about gem mining and the history of the region. There is also a gemstone cutting factory and a visitor centre where visitors can purchase gemstones and learn more about their properties.

Eat

• Das Spießbratenhaus - Restaurant Alte-Kanzlei, Hauptstraße 432, ☏ +49 6781 28059.
• Hotel Restaurant Zum Schwan, Hauptstraße 25, ☏ +49 6781 94430.

Sleep

• Hotel-Restaurant Schloßschenke, Hauptstraße 442, ☏ +49 6781 22853.
• Parkhotel, Hauptstraße 185, ☏ +49 6781 50900.

Go next

• Bad Sobernheim

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