Blieskastel () is a city in the Saarpfalz (Saar-Palatinate) district, in Saarland, Germany which is divided into villages. It is situated on the river Blies, approximately southwest of Homburg (Saar), west of Zweibrücken, and east of Saarbrücken. Geography Blieskastel is the capital of the Bliesgau and is located in the center of the Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve. The city borders on the cities of Homburg, St. Ingbert, Zweibrücken and Hornbach, and the municipalities of Gersheim, Kirkel and Mandelbachtal. The Blies flows by Blieskastel. The districts of Niederwürzbach, Lautzkirchen and Alschbach are located in the Sankt Ingbert-Kirkeler forest area. Climate The annual rainfall is and is in the upper third. 70% indicate low values. The driest month is April. It rains most in December. Organization The city of Blieskastel consists of Blieskastel-Mitte and 14 districts. Alphabetically these are Altheim, Aßweiler, Ballweiler, Bierbach an der Blies, Biesingen, Blickweiler, Böckweiler, Breitfurt, Brenschelbach, Mimbach, Niederwürzbach, Pinningen, Webenheim, and Wolfersheim. Blieskastel-Mitte is divided into the city center of Blieskastel, Alschbach, and Lautzkirchen. The district of Brenschelbach is divided into Brenschelbach, Brenschelbach-Bahnhof, and Riesweiler. To the district of Wecklingen is part of Ballweiler, and Seelbach of Niederwürzbach. Number of inhabitants as of 31 December 2017: History The former castle of Blieskastel was the seat of the Counts of Blieskastel, whose line died out in 1237. The daughter of the last count, Elisabeth, donated the monastery Gräfinthal in Gräfinthal in 1234. Castle and lordship came into possession of the Counts of Salm, then in 1284 of Bishop Burkhard of Metz, who relocated there from Finstingen. After 1337 Blieskastel belonged to the Electorate of Trier. The counts of Veldenz are also counted among the officials of Trier. In 1440, the Elector of Trier, Jakob I, turned over half of the county and the "Hungericht" to the knight Friedrich von Loewenstein. In 1522 the castle was destroyed by Franz von Sickingen in his feud with the Elector of Trier. In 1553 the rule of Blieskastel was pledged to the counts of County of Nassau-Saarbrücken. In the Thirty Years' War Blieskastel was depopulated. Around 1660, the imperial Freiherr von der Leyen, who had had possessions in Blieskastel since 1456, acquired the administration of Blieskastel from Trier and, in 1661–1676, built a new castle on the old site. In the 18th century under the Counts von der Leyen Blieskastel experienced a new flowering, as in 1773 they moved their residence from Koblenz