Within about a half an hour’s drive from Bad Hersfeld and Kassel is the 8th century Hessian town of Sontra and its 15 villages.

For the longest time Sontra was your typical medieval mining town — which was a boost to the economy right up until the 1950’s. Today Sontra’s mining history is on exhibit at the Mining Museum (called the Kleines Bergbau-Museum) in the cellar of the 17th century Town Hall.

Before you get there you might find yourself a bit distracted by Sontra’s medieval city center with plenty of timber-framed houses to look at. A fire pretty much leveled the Old Town in 1558, so not much remains prior to that date. Even the Rathaus had to be rebuilt.

Oh, sorry, the Protestant Church of St. Mary’s does. It was built at the end of the 15th century in the popular Gothic style of the period, although it did suffer some damage from that 16th century fire. Its organ (which wasn’t added to the church until the 18th century) is thought to be one of the best sounding in the whole region.

Some of you might prefer to see the ruins of the Boyneburg, a former palace that still belongs to the von Boyneburg family. It’s now a museum, too.

Another historical site in Sontra is its Jewish Cemetery with 150 grave stones. A bit creepy, but still a piece of the town’s history.

Sontra’s network of hiking and bicycling trails (like the Barbarossaweg, Hessian Radfernweg R5, and the E6 European Hiking Route) aren’t creepy. They’re downright idyllic and serene.

Too much walking for me. I’ll take a day at the outdoor pool (with waterslide), some miniature golfing, and bowling.

Sontra sounds like a nice place to visit, doesn’t it. Well, just hop on either the Bebra-Göttingen rail line, or if you’re driving the B27 or B7 federal highway; and you’ll probably be here within a half-hour. :-)

In 1974 the town of Söhlde in Lower Saxony was created from nine villages, some just normal everyday towns; the others are quite historical.

One of the most historical is Nettlingen. Its 1000 year-old frieze of the New Testament at the Romanesque St. Mary’s Church is what you need to see. The poor church suffered a fire in the 1970’s, but thankfully the frieze was restored to its medieval glory; and its Baroque altar suffered little damage.

You also got to see its water mill, built more than 400 years ago (it’s not uncommon to see all sorts of celebrations taking place here); and I would never dream of not telling you about the Castle Nettlingen. See, I just did. ;-)

Steinbrück has a castle, as well. Let me repeat that, it had a castle. The ruins of a 14th century moated castle in Steinbrück are close to the Kehwiederturm, a mill used for making gunpowder. Today, the mill was converted to a church by the refugees fleeing after World War II.

It’s OK if this old mill isn’t a mill anymore; there are more than a dozen throughout Söhlde’s villages. One of the old mills is a registry office, another is now someone’s dream home. Lucky them, right?

A leisurely bicycle ride around Söhlde is a fantastic way to see all the mill, as well as getting a proper workout. It gets a bit chilly in Lower Saxony, so if you’re not here in mid-summer, make sure you wear some layers.

This is also why Söhlde’s outdoor swimming pool is only open May to September. This is a lovely way to sit with the family for some good clean fun. Gonna be here for a while? Invest in a season pass, this way you’re able to enjoy it the pool complex the whole time you’re here.

And with nine villages within Söhlde, chances are you will be here long enough to enjoy the pool more than once. ;-)

I know I make a lot of jokes (I know, some aren’t even all that funny and I’m real sorry about that.) about drinking beer or imbibing on a glass (or two) of good German wines on occasion. But, it is my solemn promise that when it comes to the Hessian town of Selters, the aforementioned two drinks don’t even cross my mind.

What’s the catch, right? No beer? No wine? Have I hit my head and forgotten who I was for a minute there?

OK, I won’t leave you hanging too long that I’m a victim of some sci-fi body snatcher alien. ;-)

The catch is that Selters is known for “seltzer.” Yeah, you know the whole carbonated water thing that everyone today thinks is some sort of new age beverage. Sure, two of the most popular are Perrier or San Pellegrino; but it was a 16th century German doctor (Jakob Theodor Tabernaemontanus) that touted its curative properties long before the 20th century health craze.

Learn all about it at Selters’ Soda Fountain and Soda Water Museum. Learn how folks (both royal and peasant) came from all over to drink or soak in these curative waters as far back as the 8th century.

Here’s my best tip, drink up. Because you’re going to need to be hydrated so you can see the rest of Selters. This town lies within the mighty Taunus, so be prepared to hike and bike your way around some mighty pretty countryside.

And even though you’re only about 5km to the spa town of Bad Camberg, there’s no need to go there (well, that is until you’re totally done here) for any spa treatments. Selters has everything you could possibly need for all that.

And I know a lot of Selters’ sightseeing involves a lot about the “water,” but you should still make time to see its St. Christophorus parish church in Niederselters and the St. Petrus church in Eisenbach.

Hmm, I wonder if the church’s holy water is carbonated? It would seem fitting, don’t you think? ;-)

It’s deja-vu. Didn’t I just write about Staufenberg? Didn’t you just read about Staufenberg?

Not this one? That was Staufenberg in Lower Saxony. Where’s this one then? Hesse. Gotcha! Thanks, I thought I was cracking up for a minute there.

No, seriously, I knew I was going to be writing about the Hessian Staufenberg on this page. I was just foolin’ around with ya. ;-)

Staufenberg’s landmark is Burg Staufenberg, a 13th century castle with a restaurant, a hotel, and a view of the Lahn Valley to die for. It is one of the biggest attractions in town, as it very well should be. This castle (or former castle) is as gorgeous as it is imposing and foreboding. I wouldn’t be surprised if parts of it were actually haunted.

Ha, just kidding again. ;-)

I wouldn’t suggest missing out on the Mainzlar Church. I get a kick out of hearing it was “renovated” in the 1650’s. Ha, imagine how old it really is — if it needed a facelift 350 years ago.

At least you don’t have to wait until the last Friday of the month to see the church, like you have to wait to see Museum Staufenberg. Oh, it’s worth it — it’s filled with all sorts of historical dress, household goods, and agricultural tools.

As you’re wandering about, get your camera ready since Hessian Staufenberg is filled with lots of half-timbered houses.

There are more framework houses in the village of Lumda, which also has a “grotto-like” area that was used back in the Stone Age. You’ll even see an old castle with a moat — don’t ya just love those? Yeah, me too.

The last thing on your agenda for H-E-S-S-I-A-N Staufenberg is its Kramer Market, an institution since the 14th century all thanks to the Countess Elisabeth Dorothea of Hesse.

Nope, sorry, I’m wrong. The last thing is Car-free Sunday. Not every Sunday, mind you. It’s the 3rd Sunday of August, where everyone either bikes, walks, or skates around Staufenberg, Allendorf, Lollar, and Rabenau. So, leave the Porsche or Benz behind & hoof it.

As much as I liked the other Staufenberg, there’s no way you’ll confuse the two — so no deja-vu for you!

You’d think that just because the town of Staufenberg in Lower Saxony shares the same name with Staufenberg in Hesse that it wouldn’t be all that special.

But, I beg to differ. This Staufenberg has the distinction of being the southern most town in the federal state. You’ll find it on the Fulda River not too far from Kassel (about 12km to its northeast).

Who cares about its geography when its got a castle ruin that dates to around 933. You might not think the Burgruine Sichelnstein is that old, because it underwent serious expansion work in the 14th century, but it is. I think its meter thick walls are seriously impressive.

Don’t you?

All right then, if that doesn’t impress you maybe the peat bogs will. The moorlands of Germany are a sight to be seen; and its full of endangered plants along its hiking trails.

One of the coolest trails is the Barefoot Hiking Path through the Nature Park Münden. The entire thing is designed to be done barefoot — as if the name didn’t tell you that already. ;-)

Within the nature park you’ll also find a Roman fortress, Lippold Castle, and Bronze Age burial mounds. So, you’re not getting out of here anytime soon.

Staufenberg has another castle. I should say it did have one. Not too much remains of the Spiegelburg, a tiny castle (measuring only 30×30 meters) that archaeologists date to around the 12th century. It’s found along the Forest Path if you want to see it.

I know I could never tire of German castles, but in case you do there’s St. Peter’s Church (built 1801), the Johanniskirche in the village of Uschlag, a tiny replica of a medieval village in Steinroda, and the half-timbered Gollong Haus (free admission no less — awesome).

Yeah, I think Lower Saxony’s Staufenberg is really special — even if it does share a name with another.

Schwaig, just east-northeast of Nuremberg, is officially known as Schwaig bei Nürnberg. But, when you’re eyeball deep in Franconian sightseeing I don’t think you’ll be splitting hairs on its name.

How about we just call it Schwaig from here on out, shall we? Great.

Schwaig, and its two other villages, are located along the Pegnitz River within Middle Franconia. Sure, the countryside is nice — it’s even nicer when you’ve got its castles in view, too.

Schwaiger Schloss is one of them. This is what I heard about the castle: 15th century, blah, blah, blah, haunted, blah, blah. Ha-ha, just kidding. I mean about the blah, blah part, not about it being haunted. ;-)

I think it’s a benevolent ghost, since the annual Castle Festival (in September) takes place here; and no one’s gone off screaming into the night. Ah, there I go cracking myself up again.

It’s also been said that the Schwaig Castle has a secret underground passage to the Malmsbach Castle, which is a 14th century moated castle. I’m sure if there really was one, builders would have found it when they rebuilt back in the 15th century.

You’ve got one more castle in the Behringer. It’s a Baroque castle today, but like many it was once a medieval (13th century) belonging to the Count of Nassau (and I don’t mean the Bahamas). Its Rococo stucco artwork in its upper rooms is exceptionally noteworthy (which is why I just mentioned it). There I go again, making jokes — can’t help myself. ;-)

Schwaig’s Mary Magdalene Church in the village of Behringer is also from the 15th century. There’s a crypt underneath the church for a local 18th century family, that’s been said to have housed all sorts of treasure. When authorities got the chance to look, they found nothing. Too bad, I wouldn’t have minded getting a glimpse of that.

What you can get a glimpse of is the Bronze Age Celtic grave. It was found with amber and bronze jewelry, pottery shards, and remains of a loom back in the 1960’s.

All that’s left for a jokester (I mean visitor, citizen, expat, whoever) to do is following along either the Nordic Walking Route (one is more than 11km long) or the Pegnitz Circular Trail; a 6.5km route that’ll bring you past the swimming pools (1 indoor, 1 outdoor), quite a few framework houses, and charming fountains.

Maybe with any luck you’ll get to see the ghost said to haunt the castle. If not, you’ll sure get to see a really wonderful Franconian town nonetheless.

I’m not theologian, nor was I on a spiritual quest when I stumbled up the pious town of Schöppingen in the Münsterland. And even if you’re not on one either, you might find that you felt like have after visiting.

No, I’m not being cryptic, or anything; it’s just that Schöppingen lies on the Chapel Route, a small scenic route that highlights many small chapels in the region.

There are six of them alone located within Schöppingen, with the oldest known as the Pestkapelle. It was built in honor of St. Anthony by the townsfolk in 1650 in thanks for stopping a plague epidemic.

The Stockumer Chapel, the Koppel Chapel, and the Schulze Althoff Chapel were all built in 1707; and they all look pretty much the same. I ain’t saying it like it’s a bad thing — it just seems like a popular style of the time.

BTW, on the Schöppinger Mountain is a tiny Mountain Chapel, built around the early 18th century — a few years after the other chapels.

The youngest of the chapels is the Grace Chapel, and also one of the largest. More than 60,000 pilgrims a year stop at this Baroque chapel dedicated to St. Mary the Queen.

On the Sunday before Ascension Day (which changes according to the Christian calendar) a procession of the faithful follows from chapel to chapel.

As if these chapels aren’t old enough, the church of St. Brictius has them all beat. The original church was built in the late 9th century from stone. Of course it was rebuilt a few times over the centuries, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that some medieval ceiling paintings were found.

This is also where you’ll find the “Master of Schöppingen.” This crucifix scene painting was done sometime in the late 15th century; and worthy enough to be mentioned on the Euregio Art Route.

Oh, no, not another scenic route! Yeah, this 60km scenic route follows some of the best artwork along the German/Dutch border region.

Hey, that route isn’t as long as the Vechtetalroute; a cycling route that runs along the River Vecht.

At least the 3000 Steps Route is somewhat easy. Start at Schöppingen’s late 16th century Town Hall, along the pedestrian zone to the park, to St. Brictius Church, then on to the Künstlerdorf (Artist Village).

Now that’s a great place, the Artists Village, which is an entire complex for the creative types like composers, writers, artists, etc. They often hold many concerts and other exhibitions throughout the year.

Wow, gorgeous artwork; an artists’ village, and amazing scenic routes. Yeah, it is some sort of spiritual journey to Schöppingen, after all.

Anyone coming to the town of Schellerten looking for a laundry list of sightseeing stops has come to the wrong place. Yet, the one that it does have could very well keep you entertained for the better part of an entire day.

I’m not saying skip out afterwards. You might miss out on one of Schellerten’s festivals or events that are always taking place.

But, first things first! Its only claim to sightseeing is its Lutheran Church. It wasn’t always Lutheran, just after 1556. The church’s tower collapsed in 1603, then rebuilt again in 1615. The Lutheran Church’s alter and organ pipes were done in the Rococo style and its ceiling frescoes were created by famous Baroque painter, Joseph Gregor Wink, in the 18th century.

Outside of the Lutheran Church in the graveyard are many gravestones and monuments from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Don’t leave the church yet! There are many organ music recitals within its walls — and I’m not sure if it’s the setting or the organ itself, but the sounds are heavenly.

Well, I was misleading… there are a handful more churches in some of Schellerten’s twelve villages: St. Michaelis Church (built 1786) in Dingelbe, St. Stephanus Church (built 1742) in Dinklar (brown from the outside, bright from the inside), St. George Church (1574) in Kemme, Thomas Church (1297) in Wendhausen, and the St. Cosmas and Damian Church (1717) in Wöhle. Wow, that’s a whole bunch if you ask me, and it’ll take more than a day to see, experience and enjoy them all!

During Schellerten’s Discovery Days, you’ll get to see the church again — this time on a guided tour. Guides will also take you around the village for a history tour, as well as forest expeditions and geological tours.

But, don’t forget you’re in Lower Saxony so rent yourself a bicycle and drive yourself around.

If you get hungry ride over to the village of Wendhausen (one of Schellerten’s twelve) to their BBQ hut and grill the bratwurst. Oh, and throw some potatoes on the grill since so many are grown around these parts.

Sugar beets and wheat are also grown around here, so the vast fields of veggies are a delight to the eyes as well as the belly, yes? I think so — great, now I got to get back on my bicycle and get off these couple of extra kilos I’ve packed on.

Oh, wait — no I don’t — I forgot I was carrying that sack of Schellerten’s potatoes around. ;-)

Tucked away in the Upper Rhine Valley in the Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan Region is the diminutive town of Ilvesheim.

Why do I say diminutive? Because Ilvesheim isn’t even six square kilometers large. I guess it didn’t have too much room to grow considering it’s right next door to the big city of Mannheim.

Ilversheim does have room for many gardens, though. Go ahead, look around — I’m sure you’ll find one you like. It might not be very big, but it is pretty old.

Ilvesheim was founded back in the 8th century; although nothing of those medieval days exists.

One of the oldest buildings is Ilvesheim Castle. The current building was built in 1700 over the original (built 1511) that was destroyed in 1689. It was a family home until the 1860’s, where it converted to a school for the visually impaired.

It’s still a beautiful building, so even if you don’t get to see the inside, you’ll still get plenty of chances to see the exterior.

You’re more than welcome to come inside the Catholic Church of St. Peter, a brightly colored Baroque church that was built in 1790.

The interior of the Old Protestant Church (built 1803) is also welcoming; except it’s not a church anymore, it’s the town’s library. The current Protestant Church is the Martin Luther Church, built in the 1960’s — so it’s a modern looking structure.

Ah, who cares? You’re still welcome to come for services if you’d like.

I just thought of something. Who cares if Ilvesheim is tiny? It’s on the Neckar Valley Cycle Path, so if you’re riding through (or just this part), it won’t take all day. ;-)

But, that could work against you if you’re zipping along in a fine German automobile on the grand Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Yup, this fun scenic route drives right through Ilvesheim!

I’d gander to say that during the Ilversheim Kerwe Festival (held the 4th weekend of August) will probably tie up a bit of traffic; as will the Fisherman’s Festival on the 1st weekend of June.

Even though Ilversheim is relatively small, and it might only take a day to see it, you’ll like it so much that you’ll go back and do it twice. ;-)

Naila’s 37 villages read like a German dictionary (Bärenhaus, Brand, Dreigrün, Finkenflug, Hügel, Schleifmühle, etc). But, what does this German town offer you, the visitor? Hm, would the Franconian Forest be enough? No? Rough crowd. ;-)

All right, if you insist. Here we go.

Let’s start with the sporty side of Naila. There are all sorts of sports to keep you busy; and it kind of reads like a resort brochure (ha-ha).

Depending on the season, there is downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, volleyball, bowling, swimming, miniature golfing, bicycling, and more than 400km of hiking trails (including the Frankenweg and Ozinderweg; and not including the Nordic Walking trails).

Man, I need a beer. No time for that though. ;-)

Naila is best known, besides sports, for its markets. Every Spring and Autumn the town holds a totally cool shopping experience. Come see, you’ll never know what kind of awesome stuff you can bring home from these little markets.

On the Saturday before Easter everyone gets into the festivities with an Easter Egg Roll (Eierwalchens).

If you ask historians Naila isn’t that old, possibly Early Middle Ages (at least that’s what archaeological finds suggest). But, that doesn’t mean you won’t learn anything at the Schusterhof, an old shoe factory that’s now home to the Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum). Right? Right.

Even if Naila is an old town from the Middle Ages, you won’t find any medieval churches here. The oldest one is its Catholic Church, built in 1911; and the Methodist Church didn’t come along for another two decades. Either way, you’re always welcome to visit when here.

Over at the cemetery you’ll find a memorial sculpture and grave to victims of the Buchenwald death march, buried here in 1945.

Once you translated the 37 names of Naila’s neighborhoods I’m sure you’ll want to drink a beer with me. :-)