Torgelow in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is just shy of the Baltic Coast. Now, don’t go holding that against it — Torgelow is quite interesting to say the least; and imaginative to say the best.

The folks over at Torgelow’s Tourist Information Center (Friedrichstraße 1) will help you get squared away with all your sightseeing questions.

One of its attractions is the Tierpark Ueckermünde. There are over a hundred species of animal that call this place home, including ones from Africa (think lions & lemurs!) and Australia (kangaroos). There are many less “exotic” animals, more the farm animal kind like donkeys, pigs, and rabbits.

Another smash hit is the Ukranenland. The what? Ukranenland. Thanks to an archaeological find, you can visit a 9/10th century village of the Middle Ages. Cool, yes? Very!

The Ukranenland is a living, breathing, working outdoor museum where you’ll see medieval bronze casting and crafts made before your eyes. As well as housing and boating (take a ride!) from over a millennium ago. Thousands of visitors a year flock to Torgelow in the Spring & Autumn for the twice-yearly Historical Market Days.

If you’re at the Ukranenland you’re close to the ruins of Castle Hasenburg which has been destroyed during the 17th century Thirty Years’ War. Despite the destruction of a castle ruin, there’s something romantic about them.

Hasenburg is on the town’s few sightseeing routes, whether walking or bicycling. Actually, Torgelow can boast 21km of bicycling trails. It also has a Swedish Route and a specific walking route.

You see, Torgelow does have quite a bit of sightseeing. It also has quite a few memorial stones dedicated to Nazi resistance fighters, victims of hard labor, and those from the camps.

Your last bit of sightseeing is the Christuskirche which was built here in the late 19th century. Seems downright young next to the Ukranenland, yes?

There are close to like 9,000 Neustadts in Germany. And, yes, I’m well aware that this is a bit of an exaggeration. And, no, I have not been drinking. One thing I do know, this Neustadt in Saxony (where in a hop & a jump you’re in the Czech Republic) is just an unassuming town with a quiet simple grace.

Now, that doesn’t mean you’ll be bored or anything. No, there’s still a good deal of sightseeing that can be done in this old gold mining town. It’s just that it isn’t all glitz and over the top. Maybe this is what makes someone choose a place like Neustadt in Saxony instead of somewhere more “sophisticated” like, um, Dresden?

Despite not being a large city with art museums, Neustadt has decided to bring the art outdoors. No, there isn’t a Picasso hanging at the Marktplatz, but there are many sculptures scattered throughout its nine villages. Neustadt is particularly proud of its bronze goat statue.

It’s also proud of its Jacobikirche which was built in 1346. The belltower strikes at 15 minute intervals and can be visited on Tuesdays to see its alter. If you call ahead they might let you in on another day.

Although technically not a “church,” the stained glass over at the Cemetery Chapel is quite beautiful. Also at the cemetery is a memorial stone dedicated to prisoners of the concentration camps. Another memorial stone is found at the Schlosspark (village Langburkersdorf) and one in the village of Rugiswalde.

More history and culture can be found at the Urban Museum which is housed in an old brewery, over at the Rathaus (Town Hall), and at a beautiful Renaissance style Parsonage building — which just so happens to be the oldest building in town dating to 1616.

Sightseeing and getting around is relatively easy, just start at the old Post Office Mile Marker and go! Maybe that’s what folks did long ago when the Salt Road and an old medieval Pilgrimage Route came right through town.

I don’t know about them, but from the looks of Neustadt in Sachsen — I think I’d like to stay instead. ;-)

Höchst im Odenwald is a Hessian town that could be considered a suburb of Darmstadt since it’s only 25km away. That’s not fair, though, as Höchst has enough culture and history to stand on its own.

And, any place that holds a 4-day party is WAY OK in my eyes! ;-)

History in Höchst can be seen from quite a few different periods. In the village of Mümling-Grumbach, you’ll see an area that was once sacred to the Celtic, including a relief of a Celtic alter stone. A church now sits on the spot, so the area is now sacred to two cultures.

Jump ahead to the time of the Romans, who built the Villa Rustica Haselburg. This free outdoor museum in the Hummetroth neighborhood is great for understanding the history and culture of the 2nd Century A.D. It’s also the largest of its kind in Hesse.

Now, you’re heading towards the dark, superstitious days of the Middle Ages. Monasteries where big business back then and Höchst is home to such nunnery built around the year 1200. Only the tower remains of that time with the farm, hospital, and kitchen from around the days of the Reformation in the mid-16th century.

Although not officially in Höchst, the Castle Breuberg is close enough to the Monastery that you COULD come see it. Not a single trip to Germany is ever complete without a castle (or several dozen). So, why not add Breuberg to your list of things to do?

Why not add shopping to your list of things to do, too? On Friday afternoons from 2pm-6pm is the town’s Weekly Market. This is on top of Höchst’s annual Kartoffelmarkt (Potato Market).

Shopping and sightseeing are surely nice, but a festival is even better. Every May Höchst holds its 4-day Apfelblütenfest or Apple Blossom Festival; and every October count on a few Octoberfest celebrations.

In between festivals and attractions, you can spend the day swimming at the (heated) outdoor swimming pool or, walking & cycling around the village of Annelsbach’s woodlands.

I told you that Höchst im Odenwald has enough to stand on its own. Looking forward to see you here!

I said to myself, Self, does a town like Herbolzheim that’s dead smack in the middle of the Breisgau have to have a lot of sightseeing in the traditional sense? I pondered this for quite some time; and my answer was both a yes and a no.

To be quite frank, there isn’t a whole list full of stuff to see in Herbolzheim. Yet, there’s more to it than just eating rustic Black Forest your entire stay. So, it’s safe to say that while it doesn’t have much in one area, it’s OK because it has something else to keep you entertained.

Many visitors to Herbolzheim stop to see the 19th century Catholic Church St. Hilarius and the 19th century Protestant Church Tutschfelden. The Margarethenkapelle isn’t a chapel anymore though. It is now the Herbolzheim Urban Museum.

The Kirnburg isn’t what it used to be, either. I mean, it WAS once a castle — but, now its just in ruins. It was built around 1200 and stood until it was destroyed in the 16th century. You might not be able to tell by looking at it, but the Burg was built on top of an even older one.

With that out of the way, it’s time to let your hair down. Come grab a glass of wine and head out to the Europa-Park amusement park in nearby Rust. Rollercoaster and Bumpercar rides await!

However, I’d suggest leaving the rollercoasters for another day if you’re in Herbolzheim at the end of October for the Autumn Celebration. It’s a good chance to sample some awesome street food, including Black Forest Ham. Try Black Forest Cake for dessert and wash it down with some wine.

If you’d like someplace quieter head over to the Garten Hohenstein, where you’ll love the tranquility and peace of this flower garden. Then again, a round of golf could do the same thing so it’s good that Herbolzheim has its own course!

It looks like Herbolzheim, a town of just under 10,000 residents, has found a great blend of its history, culture, and sports. Just what you’d expect from a town dead smack in the middle of the Breisgau!

The world famous Schwarzwald (sorry, that would be the Black Forest) doesn’t always reveal its secrets all at once. No, it takes time to get to know all its parts. Then, you find a town like Furtwangen and want to yell to the world that you’ve found a precious gem.

First off, Furtwangen is a university town. Imagine all those young brilliant minds all within its borders. Then, there’s the fact that Furtwangen is on the German Clock Route, or Deutsche Uhrenstraße in German. This is where you’ll find the Clock Museum housing a huge collection of, well, clocks.

Please, Germany is known for being prompt — must be all the clocks that keep the country running on-time! ;-)

There’s more to Furtwangen than college and clocks. There’s an outdoor tourist museum and the Computer Museum is filled with all sorts of office machines and calculators.

Then there are the festivals! Carnival is one of the biggest festivals in the Black Forest. Watch a “witch” jump over fire, drink til you’re merry, and eat until you can barely fit into your “costume”!

Yeah, sounds fun, right? :-)

Clocks make their reappearance during the annual Flea Market in late August. Well, it’s technically the Antique Clock & Watch Exchange that coincides with the Flea Market. Either way, imagine 300 booths all laid out with all sorts of bric-a-brac. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure…

The Schwarzwald-Bike-Marathon is another big doozy, considered to be one of the most difficult in Germany. If you’re like me, biking 120 kilometers through the forest isn’t a good time. So, opt to climb Furtwangen’s observation tower instead. The view is excellent to say the least!

There’s also the Hexenlochmühle, one of those romantic water mills to see. And then a trek to the Martin Chapel (a source of the Breg & the Danube) is in order.

It might just be a good thing you’re not in college here — you’ll have the time to see it all and not have to do homework!

I think television has ruined us. What does this have to do with a town like Fürstenau in Lower Saxony? Well, here’s my theory. We romanticize life in the Middle Ages on television (and movies) to the point where we don’t see how difficult life really was.

There was no fluoride in the water (think of the bad teeth of Austin Powers) and there was a constant threat of war by invaders and marauders. Also, if you did something very very naughty, the justice system we know today didn’t exist.

Good thing, Fürstenau has changed with the times and life here today is nowhere near as harsh, difficult, and bloody as it once was.

Now, don’t go thinking that I’m not in my happy place when I write this. I just so happen to think that Fürstenau is pretty gosh-darn awesome. My darker introduction just sets up some of the sites around town and what they were really for.

Not too many medieval towns still have a pillory like Fürstenau. Oh, you know what a pillory is — it’s where those naughty criminals where tied to in the middle of the market square and pelted with insults (if you were lucky, that’s all they did).

The best place for information about Fürstenau is at the Tourist Information Center, located in the Alte Rathaus (Old Town Hall) at Große Straße 27. They’re open Monday-Friday (9am-3:30pm) and Saturdays from March to September. They work less hours from October to February and never on a Saturday.

But, they’ll tell you to visit the Evangelical Luthern Church of St. George; and Castle Fürstenau, another place we tend to romanticize; as many were centers of wars and knights in (shining) armor. Otherwise, Fürstenau wouldn’t have needed a Stadtmauer (defense wall) or the Hohes Tor (High Gate) to let people in (or help keep them out!).

The Tourist Office will also gladly help you with bicycle rentals, fishing licenses, and direct you to the Hünen Cult Grave Stones, which are grave dating back almost a thousand years B.C.

You can also take a covered wagon ride, visit a pony farm (oh, what little girl hasn’t ever wanted her own pony), and enjoy everything from camping, to cafes, to fine dining.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go stay in my happy place — so you’ll find me walking the paths in the nearby nature reserve. If you’re coming, bring a tent along since camping is great fun here. ;-)

Along the Weserbergland is the town of Obernkirchen. AND, since this is Lower Saxony and Berg equals hilly, the town (and surrounding area) is best enjoyed by bicycle — especially on the 35km cycle trail. If you choose to use your own feet power instead, that’s all right, too!

A great way to really learn more of Obernkirchen’s history is to take a City Guided Tour. Which depending on what tour you take can range from only 45 minutes to an hour & a half. The tour will take you along the Skulpturenweg (Sculpture Trail) with designs all made from Obernkirchener sandstone.

The tour will also take you to the Garten Brockmann, gardens created at the turn of the 19th/20th century. You’ll also see the Stift Obernkirchen, a 12th century Augustine Monastery church. Another lovely church is St. Marien, built in both the Romanesque and Gothic styles. Obernkirchen’s sightseeing should also include a visit to the 250 year old Jewish Cemetery.

Come June when everyone in town gets ready for the Bergturnfest, a sporting “festival” with events like trunk throwing, tug of war, volleyball, and a 7km walk. Swimming is also part of the Bergturnfest, although just enjoying a day at the pool any other time of the year is really fun, too.

Although not part of the Bergturnfest, a couple of rounds of miniature golf is always great for a few hours of family fun. So is a night or two of camping at the Campingplatz Krainhagen.

While you’re out doing some track & field events, look for a memorial monument to Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852), a pioneer of this “get moving” movement (oh, I know — that was a horrible play on words!).

More of Obernkirchen’s history can be learned at the Mountain and City Museum. It’s filled with exhibits on the town’s Urban history and its glass production.

Oberstdorf, not only Germany’s southernmost town, is a lovely pastoral town in the mighty Allgäu and a postcard-perfect dream.

If you know anything about South Germany then you know that it’s the more mountainous half of the country. And the southerner you go the more and higher peaks you’ll find.

Maybe this is why so many people flock to towns like Oberstdorf to hike the massive German Alps and so many of its other walking trails, and to breath in the fresh air from this health resort town.

However, Oberstdorf rolls up its proverbial sleeves when winter decides to make its annual appearance. This town welcomes more than two million visitors a year; and although they come in all four seasons, winter time is the climax here.

Winter is a great time to come to Oberstdorf because on top of its 200km of walking trails, 44km of Alpine trails, and mountainbiking trails, it has twenty (20!) ski lifts. Which showcases, once again, that skiing is a top priority in this town of only about 10,000 people. It’s also a place where you’ll find a diagonal elevator. Pretty cool, huh?

Whether you choose to take the cablecar or hike up to the summit of the local Nebelhorn mountain (2,224 meter), you’ll have one of the most breathtaking views of the Alps imaginable. The same could be said from the summit of Fellhorn (2,038 m), though no cablecar will take you there — you’re going to have to do it on leg power alone.

Other winter sports in Oberstdorf include figure skating, which professionals vie for the coveted Nebelhorn Trophy.

Oh, there’s also the very popular New Year Ski Jump Tournament every year. So now you know what those two big diagonal strange looking constructions in town are… These are ski jumping hills (Skiflugschanzen in German). ;-)

For other seasonal sightseeing come see Oberstdorf’s 15th century chapel, 17th century farmhouses, or sit and have a nice cup of coffee at one of the cafes within the Pedestrian District — while you watch famous looking faces passing by, where you think you known them from somewhere but can’t put your finger on from where exactly…

There’s also the obligatory Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) to see and spas to relax at. For older folks like me, try one of the anti-aging and Kneipp treatments — they’re heavenly. You younger people, have a good time at the spa with any other type of massage.

The best festival is during Advent (oh, bringing us back to the colder months again). It’s got a Christmas theme with Lederhosen musicians playing festive tunes and shopping galore.

Everything in Oberstdorf leads back to the St. Johann church spire, that acts as the town’s landmark. This helps if you’re out walking the Alps, or you’ve had too many beers. ;-)

If you were searching for a hotel in the town of Glienicke (Nordbahn) it would give you about a bazillion in the big city chick Berlin. That’s how close Glienicke is to the capital city!

That’s not fair to Glienicke, though. While this might be just a small working class town of less than 10,000 folks; it still deserves to be recognized in its own right.

I mean, don’t get me wrong — sure, it’s NICE to be this close to Berlin. OK, maybe not 20 years ago when the town was separated from West Berlin by the infamous Berlin Wall. But, the wall is gone (oh Lord, fortunately!) and everyone is free to move about as they wish.

Remnants of the wall can be found at an area known as the Kindelfließ (in the south of town).

While Berlin is a bustling metropolitan city, Glienicke is a much calmer destination. It can even be downright romantic — if you don’t believe me, just take a walk around the Village Pond at night. If you’re looking for a quiet dark corner to sneak a kiss from your sweetheart, this is the place to do it. ;-)

After stealing a kiss and before rushing to Berlin to see its museums and sites, you’re not quite done in Glienicke. The Village Church, located on Hauptstraße (and close to the modern Rathaus), is a nice stop. But, I personally like the Friedhofkapelle (that would be the Cemetery Chapel) a little better though. Its exterior gold color with red tiles and stone foundations don’t clash with the countryside. Somehow, it just works beautifully.

Thanks for mentioning countryside! ;-) Another way to see Glienicke is out on the golf course, tennis courts, and children’s playgrounds. It might not sound like much, but when looking to escape the madness and chaos of the big city — you’ll appreciate it.

I also can’t forget about the half-timbered old farmhouse, that’s now a community center (located on Moskauer Straße). Besides making a great a photo-op, it’s also a great place to get to know the residents. Ask them why they prefer Glienicke over Berlin… ;-)

Question: How do you more than double the population of your town in a single bound (oh, sounds a wee bit like Superman, doesn’t it)? The answer: you hold an Autumn Market in Goldbach (Franconia), that has about 9,900 residents and invite 10,000 visitors!

That must be some market; and good thing there are more than two handfuls of hotels, guesthouses, and B&B’s to welcome everyone.

Well, no wonder they come, who can resist Lower Franconian culinary delights like Weißkraut and Lebkuchen (gingerbread), which are favorites here and readily available whether it’s market time or not.

What you might not know about Goldbach is that it’s home to Basler Fashion. What’s the big deal? It’s quite a famous women’s clothing manufacturer and you’ll find inexpensive finds at its Factory Outlet Store.

Food, beer, shopping. I think I’ve found Heaven. Or, maybe someone at my credit card company is doing a little jig every time I say “Charge It.” ;-)

It won’t cost you any money to stop and see Goldbach’s two churches. St. Maria is the much new church; but, its St. Nikolaus (found in the Old City Center) that’s quite a bit older. If you want a much older one, you’ll have to hop over to the Johannes Church in neighboring Hösbach.

Swimming won’t cost an arm and a leg, either. Goldbach’s outdoor pool is great for summer fun in the Franconian sunshine; but, if winter’s knocking down the door — do it at the indoor pool instead.

It’ll be good fun for you and the kids, which they’ll probably like Goldbach’s playground — but, dollars to donuts, they won’t like it as much as the pool.

As for me, I like the beer best of all! ;-)