Oktoberfest

Millions of people attend the Munich’s Oktoberfest each year, but how many know that it all started from a royal wedding in 1810?

On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (who later become King Ludwig I), married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the wedding festivities which took place on a meadow just outside the city fringe. Ever since that historic day the site has been called Theresienwiese in honour of the bride.

The wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese went on for several days and included a horse race on October 17, 1810. The race day was organized as a festival for all of Bavaria in the presence of the royal family. It must have been a very successful event as a decision was made to repeat the race the following year – and hence the start of the Oktoberfest tradition.

A year later, the horse race was joined by the inaugural agricultural festival, which began as a trade fair for Bavarian farmers. Zentrallandwirtschaftsfest still takes place every four years during Oktoberfest on the southern part of Theresienwiese. The small stands that sold beer at the Oktoberfest very rapidly grew in numbers and the first big beer tents were set up in 1896.

The first carousel and two swing rides appeared in 1818 – initially only a modest assortment of amusement and sideshows occupied the remainder of the festival site. As the fairground industry took off in Germany, the fun fair element of the Oktoberfest got bigger and bigger from the 1870s onwards.

To this day, the Oktoberfest is still held on the Theresienwiese. The event is kicked off with the tapping of the first barrel and the cry of Ozapft.  The name has been shortened to Wiesn over the years and become a byword for the Oktoberfest all over Germany. There’s not many events in the world that can boast such widespread international appeal as the world‘s biggest beer festival. These days Oktoberfest attracts more than six million visitors from all over the world and its success and popularity has spawned many imitation events around the world.

Oktoberfest is 200 years old in 2010, but it has actually only been held 177 times. During the cholera epidemics of 1854 and 1873 and the First and Second World Wars, Oktoberfest was cancelled  – a total of 24 times over the past two centuries.

Bavarian Beer and Food Evening Tour in Munich
Other Things to do in Munich

Meissen Porcelain Museum - ©GNTB

Visitors to the Northern Bavarian and Thuringia regions can travel along two scenic tourist routes which links places of interest associated with the manufacture of porcelain or White Gold as they were referred to 300 years ago. As early as the beginning of the 13th century, European royalty had been importing porcelain from China, at exorbitant prices. To crack the secrets to the manufacture of porcelain was a much prized achievement and this happened in Saxony in the early 18th century.

On January 23, 1701, the Court of Saxony announced that they had found the secrets to porcelain manufacturing and in 1710 the Meissen porcelain manufactory moved into the Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen. From this period onwards, many porcelain factories sprung up all over Germany and Europe – some have survived to this day whilst many have closed, ironically due to being unable to compete with cheaper Asian productions.

The 550 km Bavarian Porcelain Route extends throughout the north-eastern regions of Bavaria and the Porcelain Route in Thuringia connects museums and factories in the eastern and southern parts of the state.

Porcelain trails through Northern Bavaria

Along the Bavarian Porcelain Route, visitors have the opportunity to explore 300 years of Bavaria’s porcelain heritage. No less than 40 factory outlets, specialist stores plus over 20 museums exploring porcelain can be found along the Bavarian Porcelain Route. The factories of famous brands such as Arzberg and Rosenthal are the highlights along the route and then there’s the Porzellanikon Museum complex in Selb.

Porcelain Route brochures are available, covering a variety of themes, and make it easy for visitors to plan their trips. The route passes through the north Bavarian holiday regions of the Steigerwald Forest, the Upper Main Valley/Coburger Land, the Franconian Forest, the Fichtelgebirge mountains and the Upper Palatinate Forest. Apart from its unique porcelain heritage, visitors will enjoy the varied scenery along the route as well as the opportunity to taste delicious regional cuisine.

Meissen Factory - ©GNTB

Other Things to Do in Northern Bavaria – For travellers looking for an active holiday in the region, there are many walking and cycling routes. There are also many spas and wellness centres for rest and relaxation. If you’re travelling with young ones, there are adventure parks, zoos, summer toboggan runs to keep youngsters entertained. The swimming lakes provide fun and entertainment in the warmer months of the year, while snow-based activities offer winter diversion.

But if porcelain, sightseeing and culture are your main interests, you can explore the sights along the Bavarian Porcelain Route, stop at the many porcelain factory outlets and specialist stores and perhaps snag that bargain piece of Bavarian china. For more information visit www.porzellanstrasse.de

Porcelain Route in Thuringia

Sitting just on top of Bavaria is the state of Thuringia where visitors will find a 340km Porcelain Route.  Whilst not as long as the Bavarian Porcelain Route, this interesting and informative tourist route takes visitors on the trail of porcelain history in Thuringia and also gives one a taste of its present-day fortunes. There are plenty of porcelain museums, factories, painting and demonstration workshops and factory outlets along this route.

You can join this themed network of roads from any direction as there is no specific starting or finishing point. It covers large parts of the east and south of the region, passing through Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Hildburghausen, Weimarer Land, Sonneberg, Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla and Ilm. For more information visit www.thueringerporzellanstrasse.de.

Rhine Riesling Vineyards

For connoisseurs of wine and beer, summer is a fantastic time to be in Germany. From Berlin to the Rhineland, there is a great choice of festivals to attend, depending on whether you prefer to conduct your wine-tasting in one of the small towns along the Mosel or in Rudesheim on the Rhine or at wine festivals in the larger towns like Stuttgart, Hamburg, Mainz, Franfurt or Aachen. And then there are the almighty giant beer festivals to keep you merry as well.  As a traveller, it’s great being in a town when there is a huge festival on as you get to meet a nice cross-section of people.

A Sampling of Beer and Wine Festivals

Starkbierzeit 2010
Feb. 25 – March 27, 2010: This is Munich’s secret beer festival in spring. Starkbierzeit focuses on strong beers traditionally consumed during Lent. More about Starkbierzeit…

Frühlingsfest – Munich Spring Festival
16 Apr – 2 May 2010:  Munich Frühlingfest ends the spring Strong Beer Season. The fair is supposed to be a scaled-down version of Oktoberfest.  This year the fair will be held in Theresienwiese – Oktoberfest grounds.
Website: www.muenchnervolksfeste.de

Erlanger Bergkirchweih 2010
May 20 – May 31, 2010: This annual beer festival is a 250 year-old tradition and is celebrated around Pentecost for 12 days. More than 1 million visitors each year come to enjoy Erlangen beer and Franconian dishes.  The Bergkirchweih is open from 10:00 to 23:00 daily and you can then roll on to the pubs in downtown Erlangen.  Erlangen’s claim to fame is that they were the first to export beer, even before Munich and Kulmbach.
Website: www.der-berg-ruft.de

International Bierbörse 2010
May 27 – September 5, 2010:  This sounds like a good excuse to drink beer non-stop for 3 months!  Bierbörse is an annual beer exchange festival which is held in 9 German cities.  You can sample up to 1,000 different types of beer, including those from 75 countries.  What’s more, this is a free event and you only pay for the beer.  Bierbörse 2010 starts at Roßmarkt, Gotheplatz in Frankfurt on May 27 and ends at Innenstadt, Schloßplatz in Karlsruhe on September 5, 2010.
Website:  www.bierboerse.com

Wine tavern in Rudesheim

Berlin Beer Festival 2010
August 6 – 8, 2010 (tbc): Usually held on the first weekend of August annually, this festival boasts the longest beer garden in the world – one mile long! One million people come to this festival each year. Stalls offer 1,200 types of beer from over 180 breweries from Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium and the UK with a focus on smaller, private breweries. However long it might take to sample 1,200 varieties of beer, the Berlin Beer Festival sounds like a great way to quench your thirst on a hot summer day. Live music and shows also keep the crowd entertained.
Website: www.bierfestival-berlin.de

Aachen Wine Festival 2010
August 26 – 29, 2010: Located in North Rhine Westphalia, Aachen is an attractive Roman spa town, famous for its therapeutic waters, hot springs and 1000-year-old remains. This lovely town hosts a summer wine festival in the town center each year with over 400 wines on offer from 20 or more wineries in Rhineland Palatine. Featured wines include Riesling, Mueller-Thurgau, Kerner, Dornfelder and Spaetburgunder. Good food and wine, music and a generally great atmosphere make this Wine Festival a favorite among locals and tourists alike.
Website:  www.aachen.de

Stuttgart Wine Festival 2010 – Hamburg
Aug 2010 (tbc): Just prior to the big Wine Festival in Stuttgart, Stuttgart Wineries bring their wares to Hamburg for 2 weeks at the beginning of August. A wine village is set up in the Hamburg Rathaus Marktplace, complete with wine and beer gardens, regional Stuttgart fare and arts and crafts from the Stuttgart region.

Stuttgart Wine Festival 2010 – Stuttgart
Aug 25 – Sep 5, 2010: The Stuttgart Wine Festival is one of the largest and most beautiful wine festivals in Germany. From the end of August to the beginning of September, the Stuttgart city center is transformed into a festive wine village. 120 wine alcoves with traditional decor offer up over 250 wines from the region, including Trollinger, Riesling, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Schwarzriesling, Ruländer, Schillerwein, Lemberger and Weißherbst. With so much wine flowing, the atmosphere is bound to be jolly. Great music and food complement the warm and friendly atmosphere.
Website: www.stuttgart-tourist.de/ENG/leisure/weindorf.htm

Baskets of wine for sale

Mainz Wine Festival 2010
August 26 – 29, 2010 and Sep 2 – 5: The Mainz Wine Market (Mainzer Weinmarkt) plays host to over half a million visitors each year. You’ll enjoy wandering through the parks and rose gardens of the town as you go about tasting wines, eating the local fare and checking out the arts and crafts stalls. There is plenty of music to suit every taste and the city is known to be particularly beautiful at this time of year.
Website:  www.mainzer-weinmarkt.de/

Mosel Wine Festivals 2010
From April 1 – Oct 31, 2010 (tbc): From early spring through fall, the towns along the Mosel hold “Weinfeste” (wine festivals). Local foods and wines are served and a general party atmosphere prevails. The Mosel Valley is full of vineyards that rise up the hills from the river banks. There is likely to be a wine festival in one town or another every weekend in the Mosel region.

Bernkastel-Kues Wine Festival 2010
From September 2-6, 2010:  Bernkastel-Kues Middle Mosel Wine Festival is  the largest and most well-known of the Mosel wine festivals.  Visitors will enjoy the brilliant fireworks display from Landshut Castle and the colourful  winemaker’s procession and the crowning of the Wine Queen.
Website:  www.bernkastel.de

Annafest Forchheim 2010
July 25 – August 3, 2010:  Forchheim Annafest is an annual fair which takes place in July.  Forcheim is on the “cellar-hill” close to Bamberg and Nuremberg and each year up to 500,000 visitors decend upon its beer gardens (over 20 beer gardens and no tents here).
Website:  www.forchheim-annafest.de

Kulmbacher Beer 2010
July 31 – August 8, 2010:  Kulmbacher is a traditional beer festival in the north of Bavaria.  Just for one week in the year, master brewers of Kulmbacher brew their secret formula beer.
Website:  www.kulmbacher.de/de/biwo

Rudesheim Wine Festival 2010
August 20 – 23, 2010: Always charming and picturesque, the small Rhine wine village of Rudesheim hosts a Wine Festival that features the wineries of the region as well as food. The festival takes place on the main street and you can enjoy the beautiful views to the Rhine and the vineyards above as you sip your wine. If you feel intimidated about going into the small wine tasting rooms, this is a perfect way to get to know Rudesheim and its wines.
Website:  www.ruedesheimer-weinfest.de

Frankfurt Rheingau Wine Festival 2010
Sep 1 – Sep 10, 2010: The Rheingau Wine Festival (Rheingauer Weinmarkt) is Frankfurt’s only wine festival with vintners from the Rheingau offering over 600 types of wines in Fressgasse, one of Frankfurt’s charming small streets. Rieslings are the specialty wines here, reflecting the unique terroir of the Rheingau wine region.  Location of festival is “Freßgass´”, Große Bockenheimer Straße / Opernplatz.
Website:  www.frankfurt-tourismus.de

Canstatter Volksfest – Stuttgart
Sep 24 – Oct 10, 2010:  This Stuttgart Beer Festival claims to be second-only to the Oktoberfest in Munich in terms of size. It began in 1818 as a harvest festival following a famine and has since been taking  place at the end of September every year.  These days, it provides two weeks of fun with oompah bands in traditional costume, lots of beer inside the marquees and entertainment
Website:  www.cannstatter-volksfest.de

Oktoberfest 2010
From 17 Sep – 4 Oct 2010: The countdown has begun. 2010 is the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest and this year’s festival will be bigger and longer.  With 14 huge tents (maybe more) to choose from, how do you decide? You’ll need to check the website of each of the tents to see which ones you fancy.
Website:  www.oktoberfest.de

Gambrinusfest in Mendig
June 2 – June 5, 2011:  Gambrinusfest takes place every 2 years and is the biggest beer festival in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Website: www.mendiger-gambrinusfest.de/

A visit to Germany is not complete without going to a Wine or a Beer Festival. There is plenty on offer so it’s necessary to plan well in order to get maximum coverage.

Did you find the wine and beer festival you were looking for?  Please leave me a comment.  If there are any other festivals you would like to see on this list, please also let me know.

Food and wine tour
Bavarian Beer and Food tour

Pfund Molkerei - Dresden

Porto in Portugal has the most beautiful bookshop in the world, but Dresden certainly has the “most beautiful dairy shop in the world”. But don’t take my word for it – check it out for yourself in the 1998 entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

Pfund Molkerei dairy is in Dresden’s Outer Neustadt district. Today tourists seek it out just as keenly as the other sightseeing attractions such as the Zwinger, Frauenkirche and the Semper Opera. Bus loads of tourists call in each day to visit this extraordinary dairy shop. And while visitors may enjoy the refreshing buttermilk, taste some of their exclusive cheeses and savour some home made ice-cream or Saxon specialties in the restaurant upstairs, what really impresses is the shop’s decorations – an amazing feast for the eyes.

The interior of the Pfund Dairy store is like a mini palace. It consists of fancifully decorated tile paintings from the neo-Renaissance period. Every inch of the shop is covered with images of the dairy farm, angels and cherubs, children at play, birds and rabbits, mythical creatures and floral elements in neo-Renaissance style. Note that these are no ordinary hand-painted tiles. The scenes on the walls, floor and counter, are from the art department of none other than Villeroy & Boch Dresdner Steingutfabrik.

About Pfund Dairy and its Founder

Paul Gustav Leander Pfund (1849-1923), a successful farmer in Reinholdshain was the founder of Pfund Dairy. When he and his wife first came to Dresden in 1879 with their six cows, he saw milk being delivered from the surrounding villages in open carriages and once they were in the city, they were also poorly cooled.

Pfund Molkerei Counter

Pfund wanted to supply the growing urban population with hygienic milk and started a shop in Görlitz Street. Through his shop window, Pfund kept watch of the customers in the street and he produced milk according to customer demand. For quality, the milk was strained twice through fine cloth and allowed to cool and his milk was sold directly to customers. Pfund’s reputation and customer base grew and his shop soon became too small. He then moved into Bautzner Straße.

Pfund was a clever and far-sighted businessman who didn’t stop at just producing fresh milk for his Dresden customers. He was the first person to produce condensed milk in Germany, developed baby food with the quality of mother’s milk and goat milk soap for sensitive skin. His goods were sold to Dresden and internationally as well. His greatest achievement, however, was the introduction of pasteurised milk in 1900.

Visiting the World’s most Beautiful Dairy Shop

Visitors to Pfund Molkerei can try a big range of farm and artisan cheeses from local producers as well as international cheeses. While  enjoying the ambience of the shop, you can also partake in cheese tasting with a fine glass of Saxon wine or a glass of their fresh milk with freshly baked baguette and cheese. Tours around the dairy are available as well but these need to be arranged in advance.  If you can’t make it to the Neustadt district, Pfund has a branch just opposite the Frauenkirche at Am Neumarkt 1, D-01067 Dresden.

Address:

Pfund Molkerei
Bautzener Straße 79, 01099 Dresden
Tel: +49 (0)351/ 81620
Web: www.pfunds.de

Munich  Franz Josef Strauß Airport is 28.5 kilometers north-east of the centre of Munich, capital of Bavaria.  Munich is the second-busiest passenger airport in Germany and ranks seventh among Europe’s ten leading airports.  There are good ground transportation options for passengers arriving at Franz Josef Strauß Airport.

By Bus

From the Airport to Munich -

• MVV, the organisation responsible for public transport in Munich and its surrounding areas, runs bus services from Munich airport to various parts of the city.  For the list of services and timetables, see www.mvv-muenchen.de.

• Lufthansa operates an airport bus service to/from Munich city centre. Travel time to Munich North is approx. 25 minutes and to Munich Centre (Main train station) is approx. 40 minutes.  See the Lufthansa airport bus website for departure times and fares.

Shuttle Service

Some hotels provide shuttle transfers from/to the airport, so check this with the hotel at time of booking.  If your hotel does not provide transfers and you would like a private transfer directly to your hotel, you can pre-book this through Viator.

By Train

S 8 To/From Herrsching

The airport S-Bahn S8 rail link goes from Munich Airport via Ismaning, Ostbahnhof, Isartor, Marienplatz, Karlsplatz/Stachus, Hauptbahnhof (Main Station), Laim and Pasing to Herrsching and back.

At the Ostbahnhof, Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) and in Pasing, passengers can transfer to the mainline and regional train services.

Travel time to Hauptbahnhof (main station) is about 41 minutes.

S 1 To/From Ostbahnhof

The airport S-Bahn rail link S1 travels from Munich Airport via Neufahrn, Moosach, Laim, Munich Hauptbahnhof (main station), Marienplatz to Ostbahnhof and back.

At the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) and Ostbahnhof, passengers can transfer to mainline and regional train services.

Travel time to Hauptbahnhof (main station) is about 45 minutes.

Rental Cars

The major car rental companies like Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National/Alamo, Sixt and Terstappen all have counters at Munich Airport.
- Pickup is from the Car Rental Center in the Central Area where you are handed your car keys and papers.
- Return of rental cars is opposite to parking area P26 and north of P9: when returning the car, you leave it with the service crew just inside the entrance, the keys and papers stay in the car.

Pre-book your Rental Car

If getting the right model rental car and at the right price is important to you, you can check out the cars and rates and pre-book your rental car through Auto Europe. Auto Europe also provides limousine services and private airport transfers.

By Taxi

• Terminal 1 taxi stands: On the arrival and departure level E04 right in front of Modules A-E
• Terminal 2 taxi stands: Along the access ramp for buses and taxis to the north of the arrival level E03 and the departure level E04
• Central Area: Level E03 to the north of the Central Area

By Car

Munich Airport is easily and directly reachable via the A 92 Munich-Deggendorf autobahn. Long and short-term parking are available at Terminals 1 and 2.

Paddle-Steamer at Dresden

Long before the Elbe River became home to the very popular European river cruises of today, steamships have been plying the Elbe transporting goods and passenger traffic. In fact, it has been 174 years since royal assent was given for paddle-steamers to operate on the Elbe.

In its heyday, around 1900, there were 37 steamships carrying millions of passengers each year.  Unfortunately, the two world wars took its toll on the steamship business, and it was not until 1992 that the Elbe paddle steamers had a new lease of life.

The paddle steamer service along the Elbe, previously in government control, was privatised and 8 paddle steamers were restored according to their late 19th century paddle steamer designs at a huge cost of approximately €13 million. In August 2000, the steamer “Krippen” rejoined the fleet as its ninth historical paddle-steamer.

Cruises on the Elbe River

Gliding up the Elbe River in a historic paddle steamer must be one of the most pleasant ways to experience the Elbe River and discover the sights of Saxony.  So on your holiday in Dresden or the Saxony region, be sure to plan a ride in one of these unique paddle steamers and enjoy a nostalgic journey on one of Europe’s major scenic rivers. On an Upper Elbe River cruise, the steamer drifts past the romantic Elbe Sandstone Mountains, pass below the Bastei cliffs and ornate Königstein Fortress.  Along the banks of the Elbe River you can also explore the modern cities that are connected to the past by remnants of medieval monuments and architecture. Excursions downstream will take you to Meissen, the “historical cradle of Saxony” and then further along the Saxon Wine Road to Diesbar and Seusslitz.

Elbe Paddle-Steamer Route

Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt are the owners of the oldest and largest paddle-steamer fleet in the world. They operate an extensive schedule of regular services and special cruises all year round, running both downstream to the wine village of Seusslitz and upstream to Bad Schandau near the Czech border.

Examples of cruises you can do

• A round trip by paddle steamer from Dresden to the fairytale summer palace in Pillnitz passing also Albrechtsberg, Lingner and Eckberg Palaces, Dresden’s so-called Elbe Palaces. This river sightseeing tour has commentary in German and English.
• A Dresden Bridges Tour – similarly with commentary in German and English.
• Evening cruises to Pillnitz
• Various special cruises, winter and Christmas cruises

All along the Elbe River route, the company provides suggestions on places and things to see.

For more information on schedules, bookings and fares, see the company’s website on www.sds-dd.de

Address:

Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt GmbH & Co. Conti Elbschiffahrts KG
Hertha-Lindner-Strasse 10, D-010167 Dresden
Tel: +49 351 86609-0

The Residenz in Würzburg - Bavaria

Along a 350 km stretch of road from Würzburg in northern Bavaria to Füssen in the Allgäu Alps is Germany’s most famous and well travelled Romantic Road or Romantische Strasse.

The Romantic Road is one of Germany’s oldest scenic routes and it takes travellers through rich and varied cultural landscape along the river Main and through the Franconian wine country to the Alps.

The Road links a series of picturesque towns and villages along the route and visitors have the opportunity to see small historic towns and old walled-cities with palaces, fairytale castles, towers, turrets and church spires. There are also many other places of historical interest such as the town squares, monuments and taverns.

And, if you’re in town on the right day, you may get a chance to taste some of their culinary delights and feast your eyes on all the local foods and produce at a town market day or partake in one of their traditional and charming festivals.

The route leads through the charming Tauber Valley, the Nördlinger Ries situated in the heart of a giant crater, the picturesque Lechfeld Plain, Pfaffenwinkel or Parsons’ Corner -

"Romantic Road" ©Romantische Straße Touristik-Arbeitsgemeinschaft

a land of farmers, artists and monks in the foothills of the Upper Bavarian Alps – before finally ending up at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, King Ludwig’s famous fairytale castles.

Germany’s “number one travel route” has linked the river Main with the Bavarian Alps as far back as the beginning of the 19th century. However, it was just five years after the Second World War that travel route was recreated as the “Romantic Road” a name that aptly describes what the region has to offer.

The best way to see the sights along the Romantic Road is on a driving holiday or on a coach tour. Alternatively, those who enjoy cycling can follow the well-marked Romantic Road Cycling Route for an amazing sightseeing experience. There are inns along the route where travellers can stop for some food and drinks. More information about the Romantic Road, cycling maps and special cycling packages are available from www.romantischestrasse.de.

Tours you can do along the Romantic Road
Visit Germany through Travel Signposts Photo Gallery

Rheingau Riesling Route, Germany

The Rheingau Riesling Route stretches over 70 km from Lorchhausen to Florsheim and is a region that’s rich in history, traditions and legends, not to mention the great rieslings. The Romans left a rich legacy of architectural and cultural monuments and visitors travelling  along the Route will find a landscape that’s sprinkled with medieval castles, monasteries, churches and established estates. The route is well signposted.

The Rheingau region is located where the Rhine leaves its north-south course and swings round to the west between Mainz/Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim.  Wine has been growing in the Rheingau since Roman times, making the Rheingau one of longest established wine-growing regions in the Mainz Basin.  Some of the finest German rieslings are grown in the vineyards on the green Taunus hills between Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim.

Discovering the Rheingau Riesling Route

In centuries past, wine growing in the Rheingau was controlled by wine estates owned by the church and the aristocracy. These days, the region’s wine estates and small wine-producing towns are connected by a network of marked footpaths and cycle trails offering visitors views of idyllic scenery, neatly kept wine-growing villages and plenty of wine taverns.

Towns along the Rheingau Riesling Route include Lorchhausen, Lorch, Assmannshausen, Rudesheim am Rhein, Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Angle, Mittelheim, Oestrich, Hallgarten, Hattenheim, Kloster Eberbach, Erbach, Eltville, Kiedrich, Rauenthal, Martinsthal, Walluf, Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden-Frauenstein, Wiesbaden-Schierstein, Mainz-Kostheim, Hochheim and Florsheim-Wicker.   Cycling or walking are good ways of discovering and enjoying the region and cycling and walking maps are available in many bookstores in the Rheingau.  Note that there are some gentle elevations but also some steep climbs and downhill bits, so enjoyment of the region is best done at a leisurely pace.  As you zig-zag along the route, stop by the many wine taverns and check out the local offerings.

Wine lovers, especially those who appreciate German rieslings, can look forward to tasting wines from traditional Rheingau estates with impressive names such as Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Vollrads and Kloster Eberbach.   (Look out for Eberbach Abbey, the set location for the film “The Name of the Rose”.)

If you’re keen to learn more about wine-making here, the Rheingau’s wine growers are happy for visitors to watch them go about their work. Those who are energetic and want to help with harvesting, need to be aware that in Germany grapes only thrive on sunny, south-facing slopes and you have to be prepared to get up early!

Flower garden, Germany

Spring Flower Show (Feb. 18 – Mar. 7, 2010)
Over 65,000 early-blooming flowers such as tulips, hyacinths, crocuses and daffodils captivate visitors to the Spring Flower Show at the Palmengarten in Frankfurt with their colour and fragrance.
For more information visit:   www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de

Excitement and Horror Exhibition (Feb. 20 – Jun. 27, 2010)
‘Gallows, the wheel and the stake – a glimpse into scenes of terror’ is the title of this new exhibition at the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann.
For more information visit: www.neanderthal.de

The International Puppet Theatre Festival (Mar. 5 – 13, 2010)
Held in Straubing, eastern Bavaria, the International Puppet Theatre Festival features 43 performances for all ages, from Wickie the Viking and Snow White to Romeo and Juliet.
For more information visit: www.straubing.de

Husum Crocus Festival (Mar. 20 – 21, 2010)
The Husum Crocus Festival provides a splendid display of over four million bulbs that transform the Schlosspark into a sea of purple every March.
For more information visit: www.husum-tourismus.de

Rahmenkunst Exhibition (now until Apr. 18, 2010)
The exhibition ‘Rahmenkunst’ (frame works) at the Alte Pinakothek presents frames from four centuries, from 16th century Cassetta to Neoclassical and Empire frames.
For more information visit: www.pinakothek.de

Berlin Cinematic Exhibition (now until Apr. 25, 2010)
The complete Metropolis: exhibition in Berlin to celebrate the rediscovery of original scenes from Fritz Lang‘s famous film, one of the most influential in cinema history, that were believed to have been lost.
For more information visit: www.deutsche-kinemathek.de

Also see Almond Blossoms in Rhineland-Palatinate (March)

Meissen figurines..

Keen porcelain collectors will have heard of Meissen, the first ever porcelain manufacturer to be have set up in Germany in 1710. In 2010, Meissen celebrates 300 years of porcelain in Germany.

If you’re looking to start up a porcelain collection or are keen to add to your Meissen collection during your holidays in Germany, it helps to understand what the monograms on Meissen porcelain means and the imitation symbols that exist. A little awareness may save you from paying huge sums of money for what are imitation products.

All porcelain manufacturers have their own monograms to mark their products and these are usually applied under the glaze at the bottom of the piece. The symbols may vary a little to show different periods of production.   Meissen also uses incised marks on certain products such as biscuit porcelain and white glazed porcelain.

In the early days, Meissen imitated Chinese or Japanese characters in their monograms and this was followed by letters for a short period of time, such as KPM, MPM and PFT . From 1724 onwards, they adopted the blue crossed swords trademark and this is one of the oldest trademarks in existence.

But note, not all blue crossed swords are Meissen symbols. Many porcelain manufacturers wanting to cash in on the porcelain trade in Germany, France and England in the 18th and 19th centuries imitated the Meissen products as well as the crossed sword symbol, often adding their own variation to the crossed swords.  Most of these manufacturers did not survive for long – perhaps they died at the hands of the sword! You may still see some of these imitation products and symbols in some antique collections.

A Plate with various Meissen trademarks

Meissen trademarks. Photo courtesy of GNTB..

At 12:00 o’clock is the Meissen crossed swords of 1934.  At 1:00 o’clock are the initials of Augustus Rex.  The AR monogram was specially reserved for objects used by the royal court of Elector August the Strong, founder of the Meissen factory and later reigning monarch of Poland, King August II. It was also added to porcelain pieces produced for the court of his son, August III, who succeeded him in 1733.   (Note that European porcelain manufacturers have also imitated of the AR monogram.) Going around the plate clockwise, you’ll see Meissen variations to the crossed swords symbol.

Meissen Manufactur have shops and dealerships all over Europe, but for those who are keen porcelain collectors and want to learn more about German porcelain, Meissen is the place to be in 2010 where manufacturers and several museums have come together to celebrate 300 years of porcelain in Germany.

For more information visit Meissen’s website at www.meissen.de.

How to get to Meissen:

• A14 from Leipzig, exit Nossen-Ost
• A4 from chemitz, exit Siebenlehn
• A4 in direction of Dresden, exit Wilsdruff
• A13 from Berlin, exit Radeburg
• B6 from Dresden