Car Hire Idar Oberstein - Mini guide to Idar Oberstein

Idar Oberstein is a big city in the Birkenfeld County in south West Germany. The city lies on the banks of Nahe River. The city is also called as a Garrison city due to its famous army deployment in the word war period.

Idar and Oberstein were two separate towns until 1933 after which they were linked together as one city and hence the name Idar-Oberstein. This city was a source of jasper and agate thus flourishing the gemstone business even now. It once had the largest concentration of American combat soldiers outside the US.

The nearest airport is at Frankfurt at about 30 km from the city. Also the city has a railway line that connects it directly to Frankfurt airport. Also there are 2 local bus companies that run services to the town from other parts of the state.

The town is situated in a mountainous region with the maximum altitude being 450m above sea level. The city has a population of 32,000 residents who are spread over and area of 92 square km. The city is divided into the old town and the new districts.

There are plenty of taxis that can be helpful for tourists to get around the town. You have two major companies running the taxi as well as the Bus service in the town. You can also choose to walk around the town if you want to see more of the landscape.

The city’s gemstone mine that is open for visitors is one of the major attractions in the city along with a few others like Historical pond loop, The Edelstein museum, Idar-Oberstein museum and the Burg Castle.

The city’s tourism office located in the heart of the town market provides you guided tour of the entire city giving you detail explanations about the city’s history.

The climate is cool all round the year with the maximum reaching just over 16° Celsius. The winters are pretty cold with temperatures going below the Zero Degree Mark.

Located in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is the city of Idar Oberstein. Known as the ‘German Capital of the Gemstone Industry’, Idar Oberstein is in the district of Birkenfeld, on the banks of the Nahe River. It is the largest city in the Hunsrück region, in the south west of Germany.

In 1865, both Idar and Oberstein were granted city status, and were united in 1933, along with the smaller towns of Algenrodt and Tiefenstein. The city is famous for its jasper and agate, which until recent times were mined in the surrounding areas. Today, the city is still well known for the gemstones and the trade of them. There is even a gemstone museum for you to visit and a mine that tourists (or locals!) can explore.

Maybe you’ll find a gemstone missed by the miners of old. Apart from the gemstones, Idar Oberstein’s other drawcards are the church of the rock, and two medieval castle ruins. The former is just that, a church built in 1482 into a natural niche in the side of a large mountain face, and is a huge tourist attraction, bringing people in from far and wide to stare in wonder. Oberstein Castle is the other attraction, a huge medieval building overlooking the town below, imposing by both day and night.

Each year the city holds a festival where the guest of honour is Spiesbraten – a marinated steak of pork or beef, cooked over an open pit on top of an open fire, and typically served with a side dish of grated radish. Make sure you co-ordinate your stay with this festival and sample a culinary delight of the area.

Bruce Willis, the famous actor, was born in Idar Oberstein in 1955 – keep an eye out and you might even catch a glimpse!

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