Heidelberg Castle - Courtesy Heidelberg Marketing

Everyone loves a good fireworks display and when the setting is as beautiful as Heidelberg Castle and the Neckar River, the show is even more magical.

Heidelberg Castle Illuminations

Each summer, on three Saturday nights, Heidelberg Castle goes up in flames, casting a blaze of red glow over the castle and its surrounds. To the unsuspecting, the scene may be reminiscent of events in Heidelberg’s history when the troops of Louis XIV, the Sun King, razed Heidelberg Castle in 1689 and then again in 1693, leaving it in the ruins that it is today.

Luckily, this spectacle is only a commemoration of one of the many fiery events in Heidelberg’s long and tumultuous history. And once the red glow of the Castle fades away, a stunning fireworks display begins. This time, a symphony of colourful fireworks explode into the skies over the Neckar River, lighting up the Old Town of Heidelberg and giving it a surreal appearance.

But the Castle Illumination is not the only event in town.  Even before the Castle Illumination, there is a festive concert at the Holy Ghost Church on Market Square.

Illuminations Package

Heidelberg is a beautiful city, even without the fireworks extravaganza, but if you are planning on being in the region on Saturday, June 2, July 14 or September 1, it’s worthwhile making a stop here. What’s more, it’s possible to enjoy the magnificent fireworks display in style, from the box seat on a chartered ship.

Heidelberg Marketing is offering an Illuminations package which includes the fireworks, a two-course meal on the boat, a guided tour of the Old Town and entrance to the Castle. For more information and reservations, contact Heidelberg Marketing directly.

Event: Heidelberg Castle Illuminations 2012
Dates: June 2, July 14 and September 1
Website: www.heidelberg-marketing.de
Tel : +49(0) 6221-58402-24/-26
Email: reservations@heidelberg-marketing.de

German Wine Regions by DalGobboM

Nahe Valley Wine Region

Although the Nahe Valley vineyards are some of the oldest wine regions in Germany after the Moselle, it would be fair to say that the Nahe wine region itself is not well known to most outside of Germany. Located in the south-west of Germany, the region covers 4,000 hectares of vineyards lining the Nahe River valley from Martinstein to where the Nahe joins the Rhine near Bingen. Seventy-five per cent of the vineyards is devoted to white wine varieties.

Riesling, müller-thurgau, silvaner and kerner dominate, although pinot blanc and pinot gris have also become popular in recent years. Of the reds, dornfelder leads the pack, followed by pinot noir, portugieser and regent.
The Nahe Valley Wine Route offers visitors the opportunity to explore the area and enjoy Nahe region wines at the same time.

The Palatinate Wine Region

The Palatine wine region is tops for riesling and is also famous for its scenic German Wine Route, one of the oldest wine routes in the world. Half of the vineyards lie in the Mittelhaardt German Wine Route and the other half are in the Southern Wine Route region. Alongside the Moselle, the Palatinate region is one of the largest riesling producers in the world. Other white specials include gewürztraminer and scheurebe. Approximately 40 per cent of the Palatinate vineyards are used for red wine grapes, making the Palatinate one of the larger red wine regions in Germany. Red grapes are mainly dornfelder, portugieser, pinot noir and regent.

Rheingau Wine Region

About 78.5 percent of the Rheingau wine region’s 3,000 hectares of vineyards are used to cultivate riesling grapes with pinot noir rising in popularity. Other grape varieties such as müller-thurgau, ehrenfelser, pinot blanc and pinot gris, as well as dornfelder, portugieser and pinot madeleine are also produced here. Increasingly wine growers are also turning to international varieties such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
The Rheinsteig Trail and the Rhine Cycle Routeoffer visitors the opportunity to explore the Rheingau region and enjoy its wines.

Rhine Valley Wine Region

Rheinhessen Wine Region

The Rheinhessen Wine Region is Germany’s largest wine-growing region with 26,300 hectares of vines. The region is famous for its rieslings although interest in silvaner wines is increasing as are pinot wines. Red wine grape production has doubled over the last ten years with dornfelder as the number one variety. Pinot noir and portugieser are also doing well here.
For the active, the Rhine Cycle Route may be of interest.

Saale-Unstrut Wine Region

The Saale-Unstrut wine region is spread across three states – Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Brandenburg. About 75 per cent of the vineyards here are used to grow more than 30 grape varieties which are used to produce dry wines. Top of the white wine list is müller-thurgau, followed by pinot blanc and silvaner. Riesling drinkers will find crisp riesling or rare chasselas on offer here. The red wines grapes such as portugieser, blauer zweigelt and pinot noir are full-bodied and fruity. It seems that German wine connoisseurs rave about some of the more exotic local varieties such as kernling or andré and the rare sweet wines.

Saxony Wine Region

The Saxony Wine Region is the smallest in Europe and the most north-easterly region in Germany. Grape cultivation here is carried out by more than 3,000 small independent growers. Of the 472 hectares, 80 per cent is dedicated to white-wine grapes such as müller-thurgau, riesling, pinot blanc and pinot gris. The majority of wines produced here is consumed locally.

Württemberg Wine Region

The Württemberg Region is the biggest producer of red wine in Germany with 80 percent of its 11,289 hectares of vineyards dedicated to red wine production. A wide variety of grapes are produced here and this is one of the few regions where lemberger and trollinger are grown. Lemberger is the very finest of the red wines produced in Württemberg. Growers here have also started planting ‘new’ red wine varieties such as acolon, cabernet dorio, cabernet mitos and cabernet dorsa which are particularly suited to producing red wine cuvées.

See Part 1 of German Wine Regions Here

Middle Rhine Wine Region

Germany is well known for its white wines and for some, especially the baby boomers, the mention of German wines still brings flashbacks of names like Blue Nun Liebfraumilch, Hock and Black Tower.  But German wine production has come a long way since the early years of cheap and sweet German wines.  There are actually thirteen German wine regions that are defined as areas producing quality wine. 

The wine regions are mostly in the west of Germany and six of the thirteen are in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate.  Of course there are also other regions that produce  table wines (Tafelwein) that are usually not exported.

The Rise of German Red Wines

Another change to the German wine landscape is the increasing production of red wine.  Although Germany has traditionally been a land of white wines, German vintners are now increasingly turning their hands to reds, with pinot noir (Spätburgunder in German) leading the charge.

German Wine Regions

Below is the list of German wine regions, some more well known than others to the overseas visitor, but each one of these is as diverse as the wine it produces.  The wine regions list is presented in two parts:

German Wine Regions

Ahr Wine Region

The Ahr wine region only has 552 hectares of vineyards and ranks number ten among the thirteen wine-growing regions. As well as pinot noir the Ahr region also cultivates the equally prized pinot madeleine. 87 percent of the vineyards grow red grapes, 60 percent of which are pinot noir (Spätburgunder). Other varieties grown include the portugieser grape variety, including dornfelder and pinot madeleine. White wines only account for a small portion of wine produced here and they are mostly riesling.
For those who want to explore the region, the Ahr Cycle Route may be of interest.

Baden Wine Region

The Baden wine region is well known for its remarkable wines. Protected by the Odenwald Hills and the Black Forest on one side and the Vosges mountains on the other, it enjoys a warm and sunny climate which is almost Mediterranean. Baden is the third largest wine region in Germany. 40 percent of Baden vineyards are planted with red wine grapes – mostly pinot noir – and these account for more than half of all German pinot noir production. The remaining 60 percent of Baden vineyards are allocated to white wine grapes such as riesling and müller-thurgau grapes, while chasselas is a Badensian speciality.
The Baden region is also famous for its asparagus and if you’re visiting in spring you can enjoy the famous white asparagus on the Baden Asparagus Route.

Franconia Wine Region

The Franconia wine region takes in northern Bavaria and a small part of southern Thuringia and Tauberfranken.  Franconia’s best known grape variety is silvaner, followed closely by müller-thurgau. The leading red wine grapes here include the domina and pinot noir varieties. The Franconian region is used for commercial grape production. 40 percent of the wine here are sold in bocksbeutel, the distinctive squat flagon-shaped bottles that are associated with the Franconian region.

Hessische Bergstrasse Region

The Hessische Bergstrasse wine region became an independent wine-growing region in 1971. Today it is the smallest of Germany’s  thirteen wine regions. It consists of two separate geographical areas: Starkenburg, south of Darmstadt, comprises the towns of Alsbach, Zwingenberg, Bensheim and Heppenheim, whereas the ‘Odenwald wine island’ is the area in and around Gross-Umstadt and Rossdorf. 80 percent of the area are white wines with the remaining 20 percent growing reds. Riesling dominates, followed by pinot gris, pinot blanc, müller-thurgau and silvaner. Red wines comprise of pinot noir, saint laurent, dornfelder and other varieties of reds. Some of the smaller vineyards cultivate special grape varieties such as gewürztraminer, chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

Middle Rhine Wine Region

This World Heritage region has 120 kilometres of lush vineyards stretching from Bingen to Bonn. The vines in the Middle Rhine wine region are grown on the steep slopes along the Rhine valley and here and there you’ll see beautiful Rhine castles. Riesling is the main drop here with 70 per cent of grapes going into riesling production. Riesling grapes are also used to make the famous sparkling sekt. Other grapes grown here include pinot blanc and pinot gris. Pinot noir and dornfelder make up the reds.

Moselle Wine Region

The Moselle wine region is the oldest wine region in Germany. The area climate here is ideal for rieslings and the white wines from the Moselle region rank amongst the finest in the world. The Moselle is the fifth largest wine region in Germany. Approximately 60 percent of the vines grow riesling grapes. A speciality of the region is elbling, an older variety which is now only cultivated to any great extent along the Upper Moselle. The other major white wine varieties are müller-thurgau (also known as rivaner), pinot gris and pinot blanc. 90 per cent of Moselle wines are white. Pinot noir, dornfelder, regent and other reds account for the remaining 10 per cent.

More German Wine Regions Here

Ingoldstadt Village, Germany

Ingolstadt Village is the second of Chic Outlet Shopping’s German designer discount outlets.  This designer outlet is a convenient location for savvy shopper’s living between Munich and Nuremberg.  There are 100 luxury outlet boutiques here with prices discounted by up to 60%.

If you need an excuse to come to Ingolstadt, other than shopping, there is a lot to see and do in this city and the surrounding region.

Local Attractions

This is of course Audi city and this prestigious motor company has many entertainment events happening at its Audi Forum Ingolstadt.  At the Audi Forum you can enjoy a whole World of Audi Experience such as learning all about the car manufacturer at the Audi museum, go to the cinema, restaurants, enjoy jazz, themed tours, concerts, trade shows, exhibitions, films, lectures and conferences.

Ingolstadt’s magnificent historic buildings from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Baroque periods are sure to keep visitors in awe of this town’s rich and varied history.

Ingolstadt sits on the bank of the Danube river and you can do river cruises in the region, or follow the German Limes route which traces the former Roman frontier wall known as the Upper Germanic or Rhaetian Limes.  The Limes is considered one of Germany’s most significant archaeological monuments. The route starts in Rheinbrohl/Bad Hönningen on the River Rhine and ends in Regensburg, on the River Danube. Along the way it passes many important cultural-historical sites that bear evidence to the Roman past in the Rhineland Palatinate, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat:   10:00 – 20:00 (Closed on Sundays)
Public holidays:  The Village is closed on Apr 2, Apr 5, May 1, May 13, May 24, Jun 3, Nov 1 and Dec 25

How to Get to Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt’s history may date back to the Middle Ages, however this city’s transport network is very much 21st century. Ingolstadt is only an hour north of Munich and it is easy to get to the city by car, bus or train.

Shopping Express from Central Munich:

There is a daily Shopping Express bus from Munich to Ingolstadt from Monday to Saturday.  The return ticket is €15.  Children up to 16 years travel free.  Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver or online at www.ingolstadtvillage.com.

From Munich to Ingolstadt -

9:30 Departs from Sofitel Munich Bayerpost (Bayerstrasse, 12 at the main train station)
10:00 Departs from Westin Grand Munich (Arabellastrasse 6). 
The Shopping Express arrives at Ingolstadt at approx. 11:15.

From Ingolstadt to Munich -

16:00 Departs Ingolstadt at approx. 16:00.

Free travel for German Rail, Eurail & InterRail Pass Cardholders
If you have a German Rail, Eurail or InterRail Pass, you can travel free on the Shopping Express until 31.12.2012.  Simply show your pass to the coach driver.

By Bus:

From Munich Airport:  Take the Ingolstadter Airport Express Shuttle to Ingolstadt Village (Booking required on www.kvb.ingolstadt.de).

From ZOB and Ingolstadt Northern station: Take bus line 20 to Ingolstadt Village.

From Ingolstadt Central station: Take bus line 10 or 11 to ZOB, Harderstraße. From the ZOB there is an hourly connecting coach service to Ingolstadt Village with line 20.

By Train:

Ingolstadt’s Central train station has an InterCity train connection and is the main hub for trains running to Munich, Nuremburg, Augsburg, Ulm and Regensburg. There are regular connecting coach services from Ingolstadt Central station and Ingolstadt Northern station.

• From Ingolstadt Central Station, take Bus line 10 to ZOB/Harderstrasse, then Bus line 20.
• From ZOB and Ingolstadt-Nord, take Bus line 20 to Ingolstadt Village.

On Saturdays the Outlet has a free shuttle from Ingolstadt Central Station to the Ingolstadt Village.

By Car:

Ingolstadt Village is ideally located just off the A9 motorway. Take the A9 Autobahn to junction Ingolstadt-Nord (exit 61), direction Ingolstadt-Ost, and from the exit follow the signs to Ingolstadt Village. There are over 1,000 free parking spaces available so parking is not a problem.

Address:
Otto-Hahn-Str. 1
85055 Ingolstadt
Tel: +49 841 8863 100

For more Designer Discount Outlets in other cities in Europe and the UK , see our Designer Outlet Directory.

Map of Ingolstadt:

Baden Asparagus Route

With spring comes asparagus, nicknamed “spears of spring air” by some in Germany. The Baden region is well-known for its fine asparagus and for lovers of this vegetable, the Baden Asparagus Route covers almost 136 kilometres of fine asparagus-producing country.

A Royal Vegetable

As the asparagus was much loved by royalty in the past, it earned itself the nickname of “royal vegetable”. Louis XIV, the Sun King, loved it and had special greenhouses built to grow asparagus.  Emperor Karl I loved it as did Ludwig, the Elector Palatine – he ordered that the royal vegetable be cultivated in the gardens of his summer residence, what is now the Schwetzingen Palace. The popularity of asparagus then spread to neighbouring princedoms.

Asparagus is an easy-to-cook and versatile vegetable.  But more than being a delicacy, asparagus is recognised as a healthy vegetable with body-purifying qualities.  Asparagus was highly prized by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks as a remedy for all minor ailments, a beneficial herb and also as an aphrodisiac.

Baden Asparagus Route

The Baden Asparagus Route runs from the asparagus-producing town of Schwetzingen, southwest of Heidelberg, to Reilingen, Karlsruhe and Rastatt to Scherzheim and the season is eagerly awaited by those who love this vegetable.

The white asparagus spears are harvested between mid-April and 24 June, during which time visitors can watch the harvesters at work and even participate in gathering the spears. The town of Reilingen, has an educational asparagus trail, although I’m not sure if the information is in English. Bruchsalis host to Europe’s largest asparagus festival and is certainly worth visiting.

Baden Asparagus Route Map

Asparagus Festivals

Once the asparagus harvest is in, there are asparagus festivals all along the Asparagus Route. Asparagus queen, asparagus peeling competitions, music and entertainment are some of the happenings.  And then there’s the opportunity to taste freshly harvested asparagus with local farmers serving up a wide range of delicious asparagus dishes.  Along the route roadside stands and open markets sell a large quantity of Germany’s white asparagus consumption.

The Baden region is also famous for its wine-growing and the local Baden wine goes well with asparagus. But whether it’s the asparagus season or the wine harvest that interests you, the Baden Asparagus Route has plenty to offer throughout the year.

Munich Beer Garden ©Travelsignposts

When King Max I decreed in January 1812, that Bavarian beer breweries could sell retail quantities of their cellar beer to the public between the months of June to September, the Bavarian biergärten was born.

Biergärten’s 200th Anniversary

2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the Bavarian biergärten and German beer gardens in general. Guests of beer gardens this year can expect to see a bit of celebratory events throughout Bavaria with each city or town having their own Beer Garden Weekend.

Munich Beer Garden Weekend – July 21-22, 2012

Munich’s beer gardens are world famous and those travelling to the capital of Bavaria on the July 21st weekend can expect to experience music, dance, Bavarian food and lots of good cheer.

Some beer gardens to try in Munich include:

• Viktualienmarkt Biergarten – Just a block away from Marienplatz, this is the most central beer garden
• Augustiner Biergarten – The oldest Munich beer garden
• Hirschgarten – The largest of Munich beer gardens has seating for 8,000 guests
• Hofbräukeller and Paulaner Biergarten are family friendly
• Biergarten Muffatwerk – This ‘green’ biergarten offers organic beer and food from their certified organic farm
• Waldwirtschaft – If you love beer and jazz, this beer garden offers both
• Flaucher Biergarten – closest to the Isar
• Park Cafe – has a sporty atmosphere

Hofbrauhaus Biergarten

Beer Gardens (Biergärten) are as fundamental to the German culture as pubs are common to the British cultural landscape. Everywhere you go in Germany, you’ll find restaurants and beer halls with outdoor shaded areas where beer and local food are served.

Beer Garden History

Beer gardens are believed to have originated in Bavaria and Bavaria’s brewing regulations can be traced back to the 16th century. In 1553, Albert V passed an edict that beer could only be brewed from September 29 (Feast of St Michael) to April 23 (Feast of St George). This cooler season was more suitable for the beer fermentation as the high temperatures required for the malt boiling process caused a few fires in the 16th century.  It therefore made sense to prohibit the brewing of beer during the warmer months.

So, to provide the supply of beer during summer, the breweries had to find a way to store their beer and keep it cool as there was no refrigeration at that time.  The larger breweries were able to build storage by digging huge cellars in the banks of the River Isar. They covered the ground with gravel and planted linden and chestnut trees as an added measure to keep the ground and their cellars cool.  In January 1812, King Max I decreed that beer brewers could sell retail quantities of their cellar beers to the public from June until September.  Before too long tables and benches popped up under the trees and hence, the biergärten was born.

BYO Food

Munich Biergarten ©Travelsignposts

There are not many restaurants or drinking establishments in the world where you can bring your own food in. So it came as a surprise to me to learn that in many traditional Bavarian biergärten you can do so. This tradition started way back in the 19th century when the smaller breweries were not happy as they were losing business to the big breweries and they petitioned King Max to restrict the beer gardens from selling food.  As a counter measure, the beer gardens then allowed their customers to bring their own food when they came for a drink.  Although the decree prohibiting the selling of food by beer gardens is no longer in force today, the traditional beer gardens who maintain the custom of allowing guests to bring their own food are rewarded with later closing hours.  On warm summer evenings Bavarians love to pack their picnic baskets and head to their beer gardens for an evening of gemütlichkeit, with good company and beer from the tap.

Beer and Food in a Bavarian Biergärten

In Bavarian beer gardens, beer and beer mixes like radler are typically served in one litre steins. For non-alcoholic drinks, such as spezi (a mixture of cola and orange soda) or apfelschorle (a mixture of apple juice and mineral water), the normal serve is half-litre measures.   The beer gardens also offer the opportunity to enjoy typical Bavarian cuisine such as radi (radish), hendl (grilled chicken), Hax’n (knuckle of pork), sausages, meatloaf and Steckerlfisch (grilled fish). The traditional beer gardens are self-service, but some also have a serviced area.

Schloss Heidelberg - Courtesy Heidelberg Marketing

Over a month ago we asked those of you who have been to Heidelberg to vote Heidelberg Castle as your favourite attraction in Germany. This was part of a survey by the German National Tourism Board (GNTB) to establish a Top 100 Must-See List. The results have just been released and Heidelberg fans will be pleased to know that visitors from around the world have voted Heidelberg Castle as their favourite German attraction.
Yes, Heidelberg Castle is Number 1 out of a list of 100 attractions.

A New Travel App

As previously explained, coming out top of the list is not just a case of prestige. GNTB is developing a new travel app on the Top 100 Must-See in Germany (in English and German) and being in the top 100 list gets the particular attraction featured in the new app.

Mark Twain’s Vote for Heidelberg Castle

There are so many wonderful attractions in Germany, but even back in 1880 Mark Twain knew that Heidelberg Castle had what it takes. Here’s a snippet of how he described Heidelberg Castle in his 1880 travel book A Tramp Abroad:
“A ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective. This one could not have been better placed. It stands upon a commanding elevation, it is buried in green woods, there is no level ground about it, but, on the contrary, there are wooded terraces upon terraces, and one looks down through shining leaves into profound chasms and abysses where twilight reigns and the sun cannot intrude. Nature knows how to garnish a ruin to get the best effect….”

Heidelberg Tourism Marketing

The team at Heidelberg Tourism Marketing worked hard to achieve this result and are of course absolutely chuffed that they have for the first time managed to beat the heavyweights like Brandenburg Gate, Cologne Cathedral and Neuschwanstein Castle as well as many of Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Heidelberg also scored a second entry in the Top 100 Attractions list. Heidelberg Altstadt / Alte Brücke came in at number 12.

For those of you who took the time to vote, Steffen Schmid, Heidelberg Tourism Marketing Director, says a heartfelt Thank You.

If you’re planning a trip to Germany see the list of Top 100 German Attractions HERE.

Easter in Berlin

Easter is a popular holiday period in Germany and the Easter festival is still celebrated in the traditional way by many Germans. Easter markets, Easter bonfires, Easter brunches and Easter services all form a part of the Easter celebrations in Germany.

Music is another important element of the Easter celebrations and if you are in Berlin, there is a huge repertoire of Easter concerts that you can enjoy, including an Easter Tango Festival.

Below are some of the Berlin Easter concerts on offer:

Good Friday Organ Concert at the Berliner Dom

Tobias Brommann performs organ compositions by Bach, Vierne, Duruflé, and others, in the Cathedral of Berlin.

Good Friday Concert at the Konzerthaus Berlin

Under the baton of Leopold Hager, the Konzerthausorchester performs works by Mozart and Gubaidulina together with soloists David Geringas (cello) and Elsbeth Moser (bajan), in this concert on Good Friday.

Easter Concert at the Konzerthaus Berlin

Celebrate Easter weekend with a festive performance in the Konzerthaus Berlin. The Berliner Virtuosen Ensemble performs works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, and others, in this Easter concert in Berlin.

Easter Tango Festival at the Philharmonie Berlin

A very different kind of Easter music: Enjoy tango music at the Philharmonie Berlin, presented by the Tango Orchestra Cantango Berlin.

Berlin Easter Concerts

Easter Concert: Berlin Sinfonietta

Enjoy works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven at this Easter concert at the Berlin Konzerthaus. Under the baton of Sung Jun Park, the Berlin Sinfonietta performs at this concert with Erez Ofer (violin) and Evelina Dobraceva (soprano).

Easter, Mass in B minor, Bach at the Konzerthaus Berlin

Bach’s “Mass in B minor” will be performed by the Karl-Forster-Chor Berlin under the baton of Volker Hedtfeld at the Konzerthaus Berlin.

Händel: The Messiah at the Berliner Dom

Celebrate Easter Sunday with Händel’s Messiah in the incomparable atmosphere of one of Europe’s most impressive basilica cathedrals.

Easter Concert Series: Castle Köpenick Berlin

Enjoy this Easter Concert Series with compositions for harp and cello at the Castle Köpenick Berlin.

For the complete list of concerts in Berlin, see HERE.

For more Berlin info, see HERE.

Miltenberg Schnatterloch

Miltenberg is a popular stop on a Main River cruise and, like many others before us, our river boat calls at this historical town that is famous for its timber-frame houses.

As we stroll through the Old Town on our way to Miltenberg’s Schnatterloch (historical market square), the 16th and 17th century timber-framed buildings lining the street give the impression of a town that is unaffected by time. The buildings are in pristine condition and it’s easy to imagine that these structures were lifted from medieval times and transplanted into Miltenberg today.

Miltenburg Attractions

One of the historic landmarks of Miltenberg, of which there are many, is the Gasthaus Zum Riesen (Tavern for Giants), the oldest guesthouse in Germany. According to the Giants’ guestbook, some of its notable historical guests are said to include Barbarossa, Emperor Frederick III, King Ludwig of Bavaria, Emperor Charles IV and Empress Maria Theresa. Other guests from the 20th century are said to include Richard Strauss, famous German actors and politicians and even Elvis Presley.

Miltenberg Market Place

Miltenberg’s market place is the jewel of the city and here we see the most exquisite examples of Miltenberg’s timber-framed houses. In the middle of the market square is the octagonal Marktbrunnen, a Renaissance fountain. On top of its slender column are some dancing cherubs. In the Old Town you can see an example of a chain of relay wells that provided water to Miltenberg in the past.

Marktbrunnen - A Renaissance Fountain

There are two towers that mark the boundaries of the Old Town:  Würzburger Tor (Würzburg Gate) is the eastern gateway and Mainzer Tor (Mainz Gate) is the western gateway.

Also worth seeing are the Old Town Hall and the town museum.  The twin towers of the St. Jakobus church is unmissable as is the huge gateway to the Spessartbrucke.  If time permits, take a wander around the alleyways and backstreets where the true Miltenbergers live.

See more photos of our Miltenberg visit at Travelsignposts Miltenberg gallery HERE.

See more Miltenberg info HERE.

Map of Main River: