Kirkel
Municipality
Coat of arms
Location of Kirkel within Saarpfalz district
Kirkel Show map of Germany Kirkel Show map of Saarland
Coordinates: 49°17′N 7°14′E / 49.283°N 7.233°E / 49.283; 7.233
Country	Germany
State	Saarland
District	Saarpfalz
Government
• Mayor (2016–26)	Frank John[1] (SPD)
Area
• Total	31.38 km2 (12.12 sq mi)
Highest elevation	381 m (1,250 ft)
Lowest elevation	225 m (738 ft)
Population  (2021-12-31)[2]
• Total	9,992
• Density	320/km2 (820/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	66459
Vehicle registration	HOM
Website	www.kirkel.eu

Kirkel is a municipality in the Saarpfalz district in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approximatively 8 km southeast of Neunkirchen, and 20 km east/northeast of Saarbrücken.

Overview

A rather well-preserved castle ruin is located a few hundred metres from the town centre. The small Kirkel castle was built in 1075 and is the town's landmark. Located on top of a small castle hill, and due to its large tower with 169 steps to the top, it can be seen from a great distance. Kirkel has the densest forest range in whole Saarland region. It attracts many visitors due to its nice picturesque valleys and greenery over the hills. Kirkel celebrates festivals more than any other place in the area. The most famous sight was the "Wurstmarkt" around August, which lasted for five days with a proper beer festival. As of 2014, no more Wurstmarkts are being held in Kirkel.^[3]

Attractions

• Philippi Collection