Call me a romantic, but any place that still does Christmas caroling is A-OK in my book. People just don’t do that kind of thing anymore. Except in Adelsdorf in Middle Franconia. I’m exaggerating, and I’m pretty sure that it does go on in other places—but I’m not writing about them right now. ;-)
In addition to the Christmas carolers, Adelsdorf has all sorts of Christmas concerts and Advent programs.
Don’t have the Christmas Spirit? Perhaps the community Winter hikes are more for you? No?
OK, what about the Church Festivals? St. Stephen’s holds theirs on the third Sunday of October, while St. Lawrence holds theirs on the first Sunday of August. The Chapel’s festivals comes at the last Sunday in September, and the Kirchweitag on the 2nd Sunday of the same month.
Not everyone is a party animal at heart, some people prefer more quiet pursuits, like hiking. Don’t worry, Adelsdorf’s got you covered. There are quite a few marked nature trails to follow with “themes” like the Fishing Trail that details all about the fishes and water. The Forestry Nature Trail tells about wildlife in the area, right down to foxes, ducks, and even badgers.
Along the Hofsee you’ll find even more wildlife, and Adeldorf offers a day fishing license if you’re interested. Keep your eyes peeled for the storks and purple orchids.
Itching to see a castle? I’d say so, and not only because Adelsdorf actually translates to “Aristocracy Village.” ;-)
Luckily there are two. I should say that it’s lucky that Schloss Adelsdorf is still here. It was built in 1120 (with a moat no less), and destroyed during the Peasants’ War in 1525; only to rebuilt and destroyed and rebuilt again.
The coolest part of Schloss Adelsdorf isn’t the many exhibits it hosts throughout the year, nope—it’s the White Lady who’s said to live here. Get it? The castle’s said to be haunted.
Haven’t heard about any ghosts over at Schloss Neuhaus, but this 11th century castle suffered sort of the same fate as Adelsdorf; it was destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed again (this time by the French in 1796), and rebuilt again.
No one’s mentioned ghosts at Jewish Cemetery, dating from the 14th century. It’s pretty large, with over 1,500 graves; the last one being in 1941, with all its gravestones pointing in the direction of Jerusalem.
There aren’t any spectors, ghouls, or apparitions over at the prehistoric burial mounds from around 500 B.C. Too bad, because any place that’s said to be haunted is A-OK in my book. ;-)
