Lower Saxony has got to be the best place to see by bicycle. And if you’ve ever been to Spinoloha, which is what Spelle was called back in the 9th century when the town was created, you know what I’m talking about.

Why else would the place in the Emsland region have over 200km of cycling paths? I can’t think of any other reason, either. Just one thing… you’ll have to leave your bike at the bottom of Spelle’s observation tower.

I guess you could say the same thing about bicycling in northern North Rhine-Westphalia since Spelle’s village of Venhaus is on the border of the federal state — but that’s another story on a different web page.

Forget about North Rhine-Westphalia, Venhaus is what we’re here to see. I should say more specifically the Castle Park is what you’re here to see; and the church of St. Vitus, too.

Burg Venhaus was pretty formidable when it was built in the early 17th century. With a bit of imagination you can see the knights crossing the moat in a full gallop on their horses.

Not too far from the Castle Park on Hookstraße are quite a few old buildings from just about a hundred years ago. I know it isn’t that old since Spelle’s been around for more than a thousand, but it’s still a nice piece of its history.

And as with any decent German town, Spelle has its sports clubs. There’s everything from football (a.k.a. soccer), tennis, and volleyball. There’s even a chess club for those who wish to give their brain cells a proper workout.

I prefer to give my blood-alcohol levels a workout instead. Just kidding, there’s no booze left at the Old Brewery & Rectory. Sounds funny… a rectory and brewery, right? Either way, this charming building is a look at 18th century architecture.

Lastly, I’ll be looking at the bottom of a 21st century beer. ;-)

Oh, cheery-O (you’d think I was an Anglophile with phrases like this), I’m back at one of my favorite places: the Black Forest.

This time in the spa town of Schömberg, which is between the two other attractive spa towns of Bad Wildbad and Bad Liebenzell, in the Calw district of Baden-Württemberg.

I give you so precise instructions since there’s another Schömberg near Balingen, approx. 1.5 hours south of this one.

Schömberg is also known as Glücksgemeinde or “Lucky Town,” but not because it has slot machines and Roulette tables. No, it’s called a Lucky Town because of its low pollution (good for allergy sufferers), its health resort, and all around sense of well-being.

In addition, it is establishing a Happiness Index similar to the Gross National Happiness Index of Bhuthan, in order to increase and improve the happiness and well-being of its citizen! Oh boy, I think I’m gonna move there sooner rather than later… ;-)

In July, there’s Glückswoche or Lucky Week where you’ll meet all these happy folks who call Schömberg home.

Schömberg is lucky for another reason, all its activities that’ll get your blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing. OK, some are a bit more subdued, like the carriage rides around town and the movies playing at the local cinema.

However, if you want something that’ll get you up and moving try Folk Dancing, Nordic Walking, bicycling, Horseback riding, tobogganing, skiing, and cross-country skiing. In case I wasn’t clear, though, some of these sports are for you winter loving spirits. ;-)

Another popular “sport” in Schömberg is Geo-caching. Haven’t heard about it? Well, welcome to modern technology and Google maps. You get this little handheld device that gives you certain coordinates and you find yourself a lucky treasure. See, didn’t I tell you Schömberg was a Lucky Town?

A really cool spot in town is the Barefoot Park where you get to run around without your shoes experiencing all sorts of different textures under your tootsies. It’s quite a different experience than all the walking you’ve been doing on the local hiking trails and the Mittelweg (a long distance hiking route).

Then again, if you’re tired you can always sit and enjoy the Christmas events held throughout the month of December. But, I’ll take a massage and a bite of Black Forest Cake to eat.

When arriving in the town of Sonsbeck you’d never guess that 85% of the town was flatted during World War II. Thankfully the town’s hundreds of years of history weren’t lost when it happened — and they’ve added more along the way.

You’ll find Sonsbeck bordering the town of Alpen and Xanten, just about 25km southeast of Cleves. If you’re coming from these towns take your time through the countryside, you’ll see “sunken roads” following along old Roman trails.

During the Middle Ages Sonsbeck built the Römerturm over the site of the Roman’s original watchtower. The medieval Römerturm isn’t all from this epic time period though.

There’s also the St. Mary Magdalene Church and Gerebernuskapelle. I can’t forget about the charming Catholic Church located on Herrenstraße. A guided tour by a professional (check at the tourist office) might be a fantastic idea. This way you can enjoy all the history & facts to better appreciate all that you’re seeing.

Guided tour or not, visitors come and see the Plague Cross and old Jewish Cemetery, to visit the Ceramics and Local History Museums, take pictures of the Piglet Marktbrunnen (piglet sculptures at the Market Fountain), see how the Gommansche Mühle (a mill) works, and climb the Observation Tower overlooking the Westphalian countryside.

Of course, if you’d rather be closer to the flora and fauna there are more than enough walking, hiking, and bicycling trails & paths to keep you entertained. The kids, however, might prefer the playground; and there are also tennis and badminton courts.

For the cultural side of Sonsbeck there are comedy acts, musical concerts, and theater performances throughout the year. Not to mention there’s always a movie playing at the cinema.

But, if you like the cultural with the festive, there’s the annual Easter Market and Easter Bonfire. Think of it as great excuse to let your hair down and have a great time. Man (woman, or child) can’t live by history and sports alone, right?

When fruit is the way to your heart, Rimbach (Odenwald) is the ultimate town for you.

Located just a half hour north of Heidelberg in the Odenwald or Oden Forest, Rimbach is most famous for all its apple orchards and a lot of other juicy fruits and regional foods you can imagine.

Figures, I have to write this and I’m starving (Honey, can you bring me something to eat, please?).

On the chance you’re reading this hungry, you better get something to eat before finishing this page. ;-)

A big thanks goes out to the Romans who brought pears to the area more than a thousand years ago. Now there are apple, cherry, plum, almond, and walnut orchards all over the place.

Over there the winery (which you need to call ahead if you want to visit) holds an apple harvest every autumn. Yeah to the apple!

As if all this fruit isn’t enough to keep you going, locally made cheese and cider cake are pretty popular around here — not to mention totally delicious.

Being well-fed you’ve got no excuse not to see the rest of Rimbach. It doesn’t matter if you’re here to party at the Nicholas Party in early December or enjoy the festivities of the Rimbescher Kerwe, a church festival in early May.

June brings on the Pfingsmarkt and the there’s both Autumn (September) and Spring Festivals.

On the off chance that you’re here and there isn’t a festival going on (or, even if there is) make sure you see the Evangelical Church and former synagogue.

Rimbach is also where you’ll find the Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald. A good idea is to take fruit out with you for a nice picnic break, then get yourself moving again on the circular walking trails or hiking paths.

You go on ahead, I’m still hungry so I’ll just sit right under an apple tree and wait for a couple to fall so I can eat ’em enlightenedly.

A friend and I were talking the other day about city life in the United States. I mean big, concrete jungle cities. We discussed how art and culture seem to make all the difference in place with not a lot of trees, wide open spaces, or anything too historical (sorry, 13 Original Colonies).

Quite the opposite of Kösching in Upper Bavaria that has art, culture, history, trees, and plenty of wide open spaces.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s Bavaria — so add beer gardens to the list of what Kösching has, too.

Well, forget the beer garden for a few minutes. I want to talk about Kösching’s churches. Why? Easy question to answer, my friends, because all of them are a striking example of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. Oh, and they’re just as important to live today as they were when they were built.

The oldest is St. Salvator, a yellow & white towered pilgrimage church built in 1125. The Church of the Assumption is a Baroque beauty sitting right next to historic Town Hall, and St. Pete’s (sorry, St. Peter) is a gem from the 13th century.

This last church is a must-see (if ever there was one); its altar is a gravestone from a Roman soldier. Yes, a Roman soldier. I know a wee bit morbid, but Kösching’s been around since 80 A.D. — and you know what that means… Roman times.

Done with the churches yet? All right, time to move on to what Kösching’s got going on outside (didn’t I tell you it had lots of wide open spaces?).

Where else better to play some miniature golf (what, that counts), go hiking or biking, horseback riding, play some beach volleyball at the outdoor swimming pool, or check out the curative properties of the local Kneipp Pool.

Yeah, my friend can keep their big American city. I think I’ll set up shop right here at a beer garden in Kösching.

As it happens sometimes I’m a bit ahead of myself. How un-German of me since we are KNOWN for being prompt and orderly. But, I have a good reason so that should totally excuse it. Oh, wait — here I go again because I haven’t explained why.

I talked about the town of Mendig long before I actually wrote about the place. Confused? You won’t be in a second.

You see, I was so excited to talk about the German Volcanoes Route, a 280km scenic route (your choice walking, biking, or driving) that I decided to write that first. And as it turns out, Mendig is Station 6 on this landscape created by erupting volcanoes.

Don’t worry though, they’re all extinct now but every year in July Mendig holds its annual “Night of the Volcanoes” — right down to a gigantic fireworks display representing the fire breathing, lava flowing eruptions. Nice, keep the “volcano gods” happy! ;-)

That’s not all Mendig does when it comes to the volcanoes. There’s the Lava Dome, a volcano museum (as if the name doesn’t give it away) and you got the chance to go 32 meters below street level to a cave system known as the Lavakeller (Lava Cellar). Plus, swimming in the Laacher See, created by a volcanic eruption, just keeps the lava theme going.

But, man isn’t bound to lava & ash alone in Mendig — it’s also known as a brewery city. Better yet, keep the “beer gods” happy for a great time.

On odd-numbered years Mendig holds the 4-day Gambrinusfest on the Marktplatz with guys & gals dressed in period garb, and a “Beer King” is crowned. What a gig that would be… what does one got to do to win?

In the meantime while you campaign for the “king” job, I’ll go to Mendig’s Passion Play, music concerts, book reading, and visit its 12th century churches (St. Cyriacus & St. Genovefa), and then on to the sculpture garden.

Then one day when you’re crowned “king” you’ll rule that it’s OK to get ahead of oneself.

Now, bring me a beer or “off with your head!” ;-)

How much history can one little town of about 8,600 residents pack all into one place? Quite a bit if you’re talking about Mittenwalde in Brandenburg.

Located just about half an hour south of Berlin, Mittenwalde started out humble enough. Then through the years has inspired devout writers and master builders.

For the master building part of Mittenwalde you’d look no further than the 25m high Pulverturm and the Berliner Tor gate. Both were part of the town’s medieval defense wall called a Stadtmauer. Then there’s the 13th/14th century St. Moritz Church with a Gothic Hall.

Another engineering marvel is the Schloss Schenkendorf. This castle is not from the Middle Ages, only built in 1896 and looks more like a “villa.”

It was used for various purposes throughout its history, including the Nazis in the 1930′ & ’40’s and the Soviet Army during its East Germany days. Inside the castle’s complex is nature park; and the Orangery is rented out for meeting space.

Also in town is a memorial to Erich Steinfurth (at Burgstraße 11) who was murdered by the Nazis at the Sonnenburg Concentration Camp in 1934.

Steinfurth’s memorial isn’t the only one in Mittenwalde. There’s one dedicated to hymn writer Paul Gerhardt who lived here from 1651-1657. And over at Yorckstraße 45, there’s a house that once belonged to Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, who lived here for seven years (1799-1806).

Because Mittlenwalde is actually eight districts, you’re lucky enough to get two local history museums. The one in Ragow, and housed in an old school, is open on the third Wednesday of the month (excluding July & September).

The other, in Mittenwalde itself, is into more of the cultural side of the town’s history including a garden, an old fashioned “scullery,” 19th & 20th century dolls, and wine making.

You might prefer just to skip the museums & stuff and head right on over to conquer all the hiking trails, or just sit lakeside for a day of sun tanning.

On the border of Freiburg in the gorgeous Breisgau are the four villages of March.

Even though the area has been settled since the Iron Age, sadly many of you might never have heard of it. Great thing the internet has, isn’t it?

It’s not like you’ll be saying “Oh, goodness not another museum,” because there is only one; the obligatory Heimatmuseum, or Local History Museum. It’s a really nifty museum complex with exhibits in an old barn, an old vicarage, and washhouse. The only thing is, you better plan for this museum experience since it’s only open the 1st Sunday of the month from 2pm-6pm.

And there’s the only star/sky observatory in the Rhine Valley — which is open on the second Tuesday of the month.

At least that’s a little more often than the annual guided cycling run on the second Sunday of September and the Christmas Market.

But, I’m not complaining! There’s still a bit more to do in March so I won’t have time.

The oldest church in March is the Catholic St. Georg. It was established way back in the mid-8th century, but its tower didn’t come along for another eight hundred years. On the inside take notice of the blended Gothic and Baroque style nave.

I know that sure makes the 18th century St. Pankratiuskirche seem like a mere baby. The Evangelical Martin Luther Church (also 18th century) was once the town’s Catholic St. Gallus Church.

A century later (1820 to be exact) the Schlosspark von Hugstetten (and its English Gardens) came along. It’s a nice place to take a stroll with the kids or find a little romance with your other half.

March might not be a super-disco going town with loads of nightlife. After all, this isn’t Berlin or Munich. But, aren’t you glad you marched through March; or at least clicked on this web page?

Near to Renningen and Sindelfingen (and a few other towns that end in -ingen) is Magstadt. What you’ll find here in this small town of barely 9,000 residents are some amazingly fun festivals and historical old buildings.

What? You need more than that?

OK, well in that case, there are some great markets throughout the year for some fantastic shopping.

Happy now? Great, now lets go explore Magstadt! ;-)

The first place you should visit is the Heimatmuseum (or Local History Museum). It’s located at Marktplatz 6 in the Old Town Hall.

I hope you’re here on the 3rd Sunday of the month, because that’s the only time this free museum is open. Any other day of the month and you’ll only get to see the outside of this 16th century half-timbered building.

At least you’re not just stuck seeing the outside of Magstadt’s Evangelical Church, everyone is welcome! A church that has stood here since the 10th century, but it wasn’t until a few centuries later when the wood structure was replaced with a sandstone Romanesque building (with a military tower). Look closely, you’ll even see some Gothic style features, too.

With that out of the way, I hope you’re ready to get your party on!

Springtime is a wonderful time of year to see Magstadt. There are spring concerts, bonfires, and the Maifest is on the last weekend of April, held at Wood Lake. Also, the Open House at the Fire Brigade takes place in early May.

Come June and July when things really pick up with the Forest Festival (early June), the Luigi Cup for football (that’s soccer for you American Football fanatics) and the Rießfest in early July, the Fleckenfest (held at the Marktplatz) is mid-July, and the Kinderfest for the kiddies is later on in the month. That’s not even including the outdoor rock concerts in the Magstadter Wald forest (where you can hike, walk, or bicycle, too)!

Autumn doesn’t leave anyone out, either. The Helferfest or Helper Festival is early October and the Advent Markets that take place in late November. Then you’ve got Advent and Christmas concerts to attend. Phew!

Can you think of any better way to end your time here (or the year for that matter), than right here in Magstadt? I know I can’t.

The present day Freystadt in Upper Palatinate still retains quite the medieval feel as it did back more than seven centuries ago, yet it has all the modern conveniences that one couldn’t live without.

Your first glimpse of Freystadt might be the two medieval gates, known as the Obertor (Upper Gate) and Untertor (Lower Gate). The latter is rented out for events; the former is the location for the town’s Stadttorfest in July. During renovations artwork from the 15th century was found.

Close to the town’s gates you’ll find the Pilgrimage Church of Maria Hilf, a stunning Baroque Church that’s more than 300 years old; and the venue for many religious music concerts.

What’s a church without a monastery? Within the church complex is a former Franciscan monastery that offers guided tours and classical music concerts.

Also, those town gates got to go somewhere — like right to the Marktplatz. You’d never guess today the area was decimated during the 17th century Thirty Years’ War. The Rathaus was originally built way back in 1598 and less than a hundred years later had to be redone because of the war with the Swedes.

I almost forgot about the Pulverturm, a 14th century Powder Tower used to defend Freystadt from those pesky invaders (that wouldn’t leave the town alone). Off the side of the Pulverturm is a small garden and café.

Another medieval contribution to Freystadt is the Hospital. Not a real-life “ER/get a doctor stat” hospital, but a former one. During the summer, the courtyard is yet another venue for classical music concerts.

The Nothelfer Chapel isn’t medieval, but once a Celtic holy site. Today there’s a Neo-Gothic church on the Möninger Mountain. It’s the highest point in the area, so the view’s spectacular.

Prefer the Baroque? Good, then you can follow a bit on the Tour de Baroque which is a 285km scenic route starting in Neumarkt, then right here in Freystadt, going on to Beilngries, Kelheim, and Passau.

Don’t get off yet, though. Maybe you’d like to rock climb the Jura region. It’s only about 20km away, and climbing or cycling it is totally radical (awesome, fun, super cool — you get the point ;-).

I have to admit, I wouldn’t climb or bike anywhere other than over to the Hausbrauereri Katzer. That’s right, a brewery with its very own beer garden (open May-September). Call ahead if you’d like to see the brewing process. Otherwise sit down & have a good drink.