Two million people can’t be wrong, can they? Not when you’re talking about Wangerland, a town that sits on the North Sea coast in an area known as the Friesland.

Where did I get the number two million? Oh, that’s just how many tourists come to this coastal town annually!

I’m sure they come to sit on the sandy beach of the North Sea to frolick in the water. Yes, I’d come to Wangerland for that alone; but, there’s more to it than that.

Of course there is! People have lived here since the 2nd century B.C., though there isn’t anything that remains of that period. What does remain, is a bit from the glorious days of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. I know, I’m romanticizing, but Wangerland has that effect on me.

But, to be honest, most of it comes in the form of village churches from Wangerland’s nine local shires. In the village of Hohenkirchen, there’s a fabulous 13th century Romanesque church. And most of the other churches throughout Wangerland were built through the 13th to 16th centuries.

Art is a popular theme here; and how could it not with all this gorgeous scenery? You’ll find lots of it at the Künstlerhaus Hooksiel. Come here when you’re ready to ditch your 9-5 job in the corporate world and take up painting. There are lots of lectures, workshops, and even “scholarship” subsidies to help the proverbial “starving artist.”

If I thought with that side of my brain, I’d be out drawing pictures of the Burg Fischhausen. I’d be imagining what these ruins were like back in its Renaissance heyday. But, you can still see its stair tower and the fireplace in the Knights’ Hall.

One piece of advice when visiting Wangerland, some say it’s in East Frisia others say it’s not. I got an idea… debate it over a Jever beer. The brewery is only a few kilometers away — so you know it’s freshly brewed. ;-)

Weinböhla is a Saxon town where grapes like to grow, people come to camp and sightsee to their heart’s content.

Not a bad start to this town that’s real close to the Czech border. Even though Weinböhla takes up a small portion of the Saxon Wine Road, it’ll leave a lasting impression.

Grapes aren’t Weinböhla’s only cash crop as many fruits and veggies (including the little respected asparagus) are grown throughout the year. How could they not with an average of 1500 to 1700 hours of sunshine a year?

If you average it out, that’s like more than 66 days of straight sunshine. Good for the grapes that grow on the sloped landscape, bad if you’re a vampire. ;-)

Enough of my bad jokes and on to see Weinböhla’s sites. Start at the town’s Town Hall and find your way around until you get to St. Martin’s Church. Built before the Reformation in 1349, its tower was replaced in the 1890’s because of lightning. A little time spent at the Local History Museum (called Heimatmuseum) will do a lot in explaining the cultural life of this wine town.

Now that I think about it, so will a concert or performance at the Zentral Gasthof (Central Guest House). Now, don’t go thinking this is a hotel, it’s a concert hall and restaurant (located at Kirchplatz 2 and the best place in town to try some traditional German dishes).

The Winemaker and Street Festival, held on the first weekend of September, is another example of Weinböhla’s cultural life. Here’s a great chance to try some more of the locally fermented beverages and traditional cuisine.

Sitting around a camp fire with a glass of wine isn’t the same as doing it with a beer. But, hey, drink what you can when you’re sitting at any one of Weinböhla’s campsites.

What a way to wind down after spending the afternoon at the town’s outdoor swimming pool. Other activities at the pool complex including beach volleyball and table tennis.

If you’ve had too much of Weinböhla’s wine before you start playing the game, just cover one eye so you only see one ball coming at you and swing. ;-)

I don’t know about you, but I’m an odd duck when it comes to all things historical.

I appreciate Wolmirstedt in Saxony-Anhalt, only about 14km north of Magdeburg, for being a historical town (it does have the historical town center to prove it); and it has a partially ruined castle with its own chapel.

But, this is where I get odd, they look funny with modern day cars parked right next to them. Oh, I know, if this is the worst thing I have to complain about then I should consider myself lucky, right? ;-)

It’s just hard to picture Schloss Wolmirstedt, that was built in 1009 (yes, that’s over a thousand years ago!) as it was when it’s got Porsches, BMW’s, Benz’s, Audis, and Volkswagens (OK, these are the only German cars I could think of right quick!) parked there.

So, I do my best to block out the automobiles and appreciate the brick castle (pretty rare, by the way) as it was a millenia ago. Too bad the Upper Castle and donjon (tower) was torn off years ago but they stood for many centuries as they were built around 1381. The old barn still stands and there’s a local history museum within the castle complex.

After seeing the castle, go visit the church of St. Katherine (1876). There’s a memorial to forced laborers right outside. Look around from the church and you’re bound to find many half timbered houses throughout the neighborhood.

Also in Wolmirstedt is its outdoor swimming pool where everyone likes to gather for a splashing good time. It gets a bit chilly here in the colder months, so the pool’s swimming season runs from the beginning of May to the middle of September. That’s right before the annual Mill Celebration.

Somehow, the cars don’t look so odd parked outside of these places. Told you I was an odd duck and don’t yell at me if I forgot to mention your favorite German automobile. ;-)

Some people might have been to France and went to visit some of the most magnificent churches over there, but didn’t fully appreciate all the artwork or the sculptures found within the churches.

Now, you might be asking yourself; what does some church in France have to do with the town of Weeze in Germany?

Well, I’m just trying to tell you not to make such a mistake. So let me give you the history of the area so that when you come here, you’ll appreciate it all the more.

Weeze lies between Düsseldorf and Cleves. Being so close to Cleves, you can see the birth house of Anne von Kleve. Ahh, here’s where it gets interesting. Anne was the fourth wife of the notorious Henry VIII of England.

Thankfully, Anne didn’t lose her head — but, fickle Henry had his marriage annulled after only a couple of months. He didn’t even bother to consummate the marriage, but they remained friends for the rest of the king’s life. I guess the king didn’t appreciate a nice German girl when he met one! ;-)

Since royalty is big around here, come see the castles. Wissen Castle is an awesome moated 14th century version; as is Schloss Kalbeck (b. 1326). Many concerts are held within the classic gardens and unless you got the most severest of allergies, you’re gonna love it.

The ruins of Hertefeld Castle are pretty awesome, too. It was once a 14th century manor house before being converted to Baroque castle (destroyed in 1945); but, it’s the classical theater performances held here that keep bringing people back.

When your days of castle hopping are over, you’ve got fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, cycling, and just plain walking around the surrounding forest. That’s more than enough sporting activities to do all in one day; and I’m just tired thinking about it.

As if I’m not worn out enough, Weeze holds an annual half-marathon on Whitsunday — that’s about 50 days after Easter for those who aren’t too familiar with the Christian calendar. There are also two Kirmes Festivals (church festivals).

And if you’re an international traveler, like I am, then it might interest you to know that this town even has a Flughafen, the Weeze Airport a.k.a. Niederrhein Airport [NRN].

I sure hope that you’ll appreciate Weeze for how wonderful it really is.

You’ve got the best of both worlds when you step into the town of Hambühren. What worlds? The natural and the historical ones, of course! The only thing that’s difficult about all that is which one you want to see first. I vote for the historical, only because you get a bit of the natural along with it.

Starting your way back from the 20th century, Hambühren once was a location of a Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Created in 1944 it housed more than 1800 women, who worked in the potash mines. In fact, many of the old ammunition shelters were converted into to houses after the war.

For a museum experience there is the House for Art & Culture which is located at Schwarzer Weg 1. There is a Technical Museum that’s open on Sunday afternoons.

Wheewwww! With that out of the way, you’re now able to enjoy the surrounding countryside the best way possible — on bicycle. Oh, wait. You could have been riding around all this time around town by bike, couldn’t you? ;-)

There are a few playgrounds for the kids to run around. Or, just enjoy a day of leisure beachside at Ovelgönne. Pick any day you want, it’s open seven days a week during swimming season.

Next, try the town’s Trim Path, designed to work all sorts of muscle groups or what you’ve been eating over the BBQ area in the village of Oldau (another one of Hambühren’s hamlets). I’m guessing a walk around what is called the Fairytale Forest could do the same thing.

Just don’t go expecting to find Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, or any other “enchanted forest” characters. ;-)

When I tell you that it’s possible to spend your entire time in Herxheim riding a bicycle through the gorgeous and utterly relaxing Palatinate countryside picking sunflowers and picnicking and you’d have a jolly grand time — I wouldn’t be lying, or even exaggerating.

Good thing, however, that you’ll find much more to do and get the most amazing history lesson. Before you hand me this “I’m not a history person” nonsense, you gotta hear what’s here in Herxheim albeit a bit on the morbid side.

Interested yet? Good, I hope so! ;-)

For over a decade in the mid 1990’s archaeologists undertook a huge dig in the area. What they found was nothing short of astonishing. Over 500 Stone Age corpses were found with bones showing signs of cannibalism.

That’s a big “10” on a YUCK scale, but it’s one of the rarest finds EVER and gives a real understanding of what is known as Bandkeramik Kultur (Ceramic Culture). One of the skulls found in the Herxheimer Fund (as it was called) is now in a museum at the University of Heidelberg.

All these finds helped Herxheim to open its own Local History Museum in 2004 with many more of these archaeological finds.

We also know smoking is bad for us (no judgement if you do) and one of the other sites in Herxheim to see is an old 19th century Tobacco Shed. If you’re a cigar aficionado, you can still buy one here.

But, it might be hard to get the lung power to try one of the Nordic Walking trails or walking along St. James’ Way towards Santiago de Compostela.

Better take it easy and just sit around with that stogie drinking a good glass of locally made Rhenish wine. Don’t drink too much and wander off, though, you might find yourself in neighboring France. ;-)

Which is an entirely different history lesson, and I know — you’re probably, like me, not a history person!

Ottendorf-Okrilla is not only a suburb of Dresden, it’s a neighboring town. Which means you get to visit Ottendorf-Okrilla AND then when you’re done — go visit the city of Dresden.

In fact, you might even see it without knowing it when arriving at the Dresden Airport, since it’s right in-between.

Despite various name (and border changes) of Ottendorf-Okrilla’s five villages, this is a very tourist friendly area. For instance, the Gasthof Hermsdorf has been welcoming weary travelers since the 17th century. And the Altes Teichhaus might not be that old of a hotel, it now does it in one of Ottendorf-Okrilla’s oldest buildings, built in 1694.

OK, now that you got a place to stay, it’s time to wonder about what to see. You might choose to see each village on its own or visit according to theme (castles, churches, etc). I’ll break it down by village, though.

Hermsdorf isn’t the largest of Ottendorf-Okrilla’s villages by population, but it does have the most sights; starting with its Bronze Age graves. Many centuries later the Schloss Hermsdorf was built (burned down & rebuilt a few times, too) and now where many concerts and other functions take place.

Medingen is more of an agricultural village, but it does have a 14th century castle and a 15th century church.

Grünberg is another agricultural hamlet with only about 600 residents and is quite rural. This is what you’d expect if you’re looking for the Germany that’s not “touristy” and as far away from a big city you will ever get.

Speaking of getting away from it all, the Teichwiesenbad is the best swimming around. For only a couple Euro you can spend the day under the Saxon sun while swimming or getting in on a game of beach volleyball. Ottendorf-Okrilla’s swimming season is open from May to September, giving you ample time to plan accordingly.

Don’t worry about transportation though. Again, there’s frequent air, rail and bus service to Ottendorf-Okrilla from Dresden.

If you want a concrete jungle, otherwise known as a BIG city (like Heidelberg that’s only 8km away), then Oftersheim isn’t the town for you. Almost 50% of the town’s landscape is wooded. Not good if you don’t appreciate the great outdoors, either.

Please don’t think I’m telling you that when you’re visiting that you’re in some backwoods place with unpaved streets, or anything. For Heaven’s sake, this is Germany — so, it does have modern conveniences. ;-)

Although, the best (most awesome, coolest, fantastic) place to see around Oftersheim comes from the 18th century. Well, the 14th actually, but so much has been changed at Schwetzingen Castle in nearby Schwetzingen since then. This pink Schloss and its surrounding park and gardens is like a miniature city. It’s also where the annual Festival of Lights is held and the Schweitzer Festival every two.

The castle has four stories, a clock tower, tons of cherry trees, an English Garden, an Apollo Temple, an arboretum, a theater, and its own lake. It’s not rocket science to see how Friedrich Schiller, Mozart, and Voltaire might have been inspired by their visits to this captivating Schloss. Oh heck, I think the only thing missing is a small strip mall. :-)

Other sightseeing in Oftersheim would be a stop at St. Kilian Church, the Tower of the Protestant Christ Church, and the Kurpfalzhalle (for all sorts of cultural events). All are great in their own right, but after a visit to the castle it might seem like a let down. So, you should go there first.

For other outdoor fun, there is an outdoor swimming pool called Bellamar in nearby Schwetzingen (once again…) and barbecue huts for some outdoor grilling. I’m sure bratwurst tastes better grilled over some charcoal in the company of good friends.

A good deal of Germany’s history talks about the Romans, medieval life, and even warfare. So, when you find a town like Veitshöchheim that has a good deal of Jewish culture you take notice.

Veitshöchheim has the only synagogue of its kind in all of Lower Franconia. In addition to its early 18th century synagogue, it has a Jewish Culture Museum and a ritual bath called a mikwe. After restoration of the synagogue an extensive collection of Jewish writing and scrolls were found and the museum has a large collection of Jewish literature.

In addition to the Jewish Culture Museum, other sites in Veitshöchheim to see are the St. Vitus Church (an early 13th century design) and the Martinskapelle (St. Martin’s Chapel) — one on the oldest in all of the Würzburg District. If you look all about Veitshöchheim’s three villages you’ll find a couple more chapels, too.

There’s no way I can leave out the Schloss Veitshöchheim. Built in the 1680’s, it has a gorgeous English Rococo style garden.

When you’re ready to party, come do it Bavarian style in Veitshöchheim. Mardi Gras (or Fastnacht around these parts) is a super huge party in February. On the 1st Sunday in July is another celebration at the Bavarian National Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture. Then there’s the Wine Celebration, too.

How funny is that? Bavaria is more known for its beer than wine, but some of the best German vino is made right here.

I wouldn’t recommend diving into Veitshöchheim’s outdoor swimming pool after a few glasses of wine, though — grab an ice cold brew for that. The pool was recently renovated in the last couple years, so it’s a clean and modern facility.

Add that to the tennis courts, miniature golf, walking paths, and bicycling trails and you’ve got yourself a well-rounded vacation (or long-term stay) that’s great for the whole family.

Bavaria never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think you’ve seen or done it all, it throws you a curve ball. I like that, keeps you on your toes.

Kümmersbruck is the town that did it to me this time.

Oh, it’s not because it’s filled with a bazillion castles (there’re “only” two) or historical churches (there’s only one). It’s because the Bavarian sunshine and countryside is totally smashing.

Speaking of sunshine, Kümmersbruck is tied with Karlsruhe with the hottest temperature ever recorded in Germany (40°C or 104°F) back in the 1980’s.

Let’s hope for much cooler weather when you’re visiting Schloss Theuern in the village of Theuern; and the 17th century pilgrimage church found in the hamlet of Legenfeld. These are just two of Kümmersbruck’s ten municipalities.

But, no matter how hot it is outdoors it’s bound to be cooler down in the old mining tunnels. Kümmersbruck was an old Eastern Bavarian mining town and has the museum to prove it.

Another piece of the town’s trivia-being this far to the east, Czech is widely spoken around these parts (good if you speak or understand it).

Language won’t matter when you’re off in the district of Amberg-Sulzbach, where Kümmersbruck is located. The cussing you’ll do when your golf ball plunks into the drink during an 18-hole game is pretty much going to sound the same no matter if its English, German, Czech, or Chinese — somethings just translate better than others. ;-)

Other outdoor activities include tennis, mountain biking, walking trails, and watersports on many of the region’s lakes. Come winter, who can resist many of the wintersports activities that go on?

Thankfully, some of these activities don’t involve an kind of cussing at all!