As the road between Gersheim and Walsheim is closed to car traffic, a comprehensive and environmentally friendly transport scheme is being offered, featuring enhanced public transport, free park-and-ride shuttles and cycle tours in cooperation with the Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club (ADFC) Saar.
Anyone wishing to combine a visit to the festival with an active tour through the countryside can join the ADFC’s tours. The ADFC is organising four guided cycle tours from different directions, taking cycling enthusiasts directly to the festival site in Walsheim. An overview of the tours:
From St. Ingbert: Start at 09:30 at the Altes Hallenbad (Theodor-Heuss-Platz), 54 km, moderate difficulty, tour leader: Ursula Hubertus.
From Saarbrücken: Start at 09:00 at St. Johanner Markt (fountain), 77 km, moderate difficulty, tour leader: Joachim Hase.
From Blieskastel: Starts at 10.00 am at Paradeplatz, 24 km, one-way route, tour leader: Alfred Höllisch.
From Homburg: Departure at 09:00 from Christian-Weber-Platz, 59 km one way, tour leader: Ute Kirchhoff.
Further information is available at www.adfc-saar.de.
For anyone arriving by bike, there are plenty of bike parking spaces available at the entrances to the festival site.
Travelling by public bus is also straightforward. On bus routes 501 and R14 from Kleinblittersdorf, Homburg and Blieskastel, there will be more frequent services on the day of the festival towards Gersheim bus station, where there is a direct connection to the shuttle buses to the festival. From St. Ingbert, route 504 runs hourly directly to Walsheim. From the Bickenalbtal valley, in addition to the ‘Flitsaar’, route 578 runs hourly between 10.00 and 19.00 through all the villages to the festival. For visitors from the Saarpfalz district and the municipality of Kleinblittersdorf, the affordable Biosphere Ticket is available as a group day ticket for 9 euros (valid for up to 5 people on all public transport within the Saarpfalz district and the municipality of Kleinblittersdorf). For journeys across the Saarland by bus and train, the saarVV weekend day ticket is recommended.
Visitors who rely on their cars are asked to use the designated Park-and-Ride car parks. Parking is available in Gersheim (REWE supermarket, Ringstraße/community school, Kulturhaus, coach station), Reinheim (Bliesbrücke, European Culture Park) and Niedergailbach (sports ground). From there, free shuttle buses will take visitors directly to the festival site every 10 minutes between 9.15 am and 7.00 pm.
Timetables and fare information can be found at www.saarfahrplan.de. Further details on the festival programme and the special timetables for bus routes 501, 504 and 578 are available at www.biosphaere-bliesgau.eu/biosphaerenfest.