When you hear the name Limburger thoughts of a stinky smelly cheese come to mind. When you think of Limburgerhof in the Rhineland-Palatinate stinky won’t be coming to mind.

What Limburgerhof is really known for is the chemical company BASF, which is one of the largest employers in the region. BASF built many homes in what is known as the Old Colony and the New Colony; which are just residential neighborhoods.

BASF even had its hand in the building of the Limburgerhof City Hall. No, this isn’t any kind of historical old building, but a modern facility that is also a Culture Center for theater performances, balls, conferences, and seminars.

The Albert-Schweitzer-Haus is also a community center, by the way.

Limburgerhof is a relatively new town, technically born only in 1930 when the small area grew by leaps and bounds; although the region has been hustling and bustling for thousands of years.

Stone Age tools have been found and a Bronze Age grave was found at Bundesstraße B9. The Romans came through here on one of their well traveled roads.

From the Middle Ages, there is the Kloster Limburg and the old Mill found along Deer Creek. A couple centuries later a countess built a lovely manor house which can be found at the Castle Park (it’s frequently rented out for weddings and other events).

The 19th century also brought to the region of Limburgerhof the Mennonites from Switzerland. Mennonites have remained in the area since then; and Limburgerhof has the only Mennonite Church in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis.

It appears that Limburgerhof has quite a bit to see in this small village of almost eleven thousand residents. There’s only one hotel in the entire town, so if you’re going to stay be smart and make reservations early (or book in nearby Ludwigshafen)

Didn’t I tell you stinky cheese is out of mind when thinking of Limburgerhof? ;-)

The most famous (or, would that be infamous) visitor to the town of Lügde was Charlemagne who spent his very first Christmas in 784 A.D., right here in this part of North Rhine-Westphalia that borders Bad Pyrmont and Lower Saxony.

With the town’s mild winters, who could blame him? Summers tend to be warm, all the better to get out and see the Westphalian countryside. Well, that is IF you like it warm.

Spring is pretty awesome here in Lügde — not only because of the weather, but because of the Osterrad. Osterrad? In English that’s an Easter Wheel; where an oak wheel is set on fire and rolled down the hillside. It’s a pretty good time to be had by all!

There’s no chance that the residents of Lügde are going to use the wood from the 1000 year old tree found right by the Evangelical Church (12th century) in the village of Elbrinxen.

Also in Elbrinxen are plays put on at the Elbrinxer Marktscheune (Market Barn). Who cares if you can’t speak a word of German, you’ll have a good time anyway.

If you just like being outside, then you’ll enjoy being right in the Teutoburg Forest and the Weserbergland; which is where you’ll find this town.

When you prefer museums, Lügde has a local history museum (Heimatmuseum — housed in an 18th century framework building) and another one at the Paradiesmühle (Paradise Mill). Oh well, all those paradisiacal names…

Though not a museum, you’re able to see into medieval life of Lügde at the old Franciscan Monastery and the former Cistercian Monastery Falkenhagen. This one has its cloister and dormitory preserved and is thought to be one of the oldest buildings in the area since it was built in 1509. The gardens of the monastery are more than lovely and quite picturesque.

In the Old Town section of Lügde you’ll find many more timber-framed buildings and two defense towers. Although they’re not as old as the one at the monastery, I wouldn’t mind photographing them for long-lasting memories.

I wonder what Charlemagne would think of Lügde today? Ah, who cares… what WE think of it counts, doesn’t it? :-)

Found on the left bank of the romantic Danube River, still within the exceptional Swabian Alb, is the town of Lauingen. It’s a place with more than 79 walking trails through the Pan Valley.

Walking through the Swabian countryside is always a good choice; but, it’s not the only thing a visitor has to do around here.

Lauingen is a town with lots of little surprises and sites from many different time periods. The Romans created a temple to the god Apollo and parts of the Apollo Grannus can still be seen today.

The Middle Ages were also good to Lauingen and you can walk the battlements of the original early 15th century Stadtmauer; which was the town’s defense wall. Hey, no one ever said medieval life was easy — there were all sorts of invaders and marauders up to no good.

Other medieval sites in Lauingen include the former Augustiner Kloster (a monastery) and a Cistercian Monastery dedicated to St. Agnes. St. Martin’s Church is also a good stop, people have come to worship here since the 16th century.

In true medieval and Renaissance tradition, no such town is complete without a castle. The old Schloss Lauingen isn’t used for its original purposes anymore, it’s an old age home. I don’t think you could ask for a more splendid place to grow old.

For some Lauingen revelry, come to the Hexentanz or Witch Dance. Every year on the Thursday before Mardi Gras (right before Lent) partygoers dress in traditional “witch” dress — hook nose, pointed hats, and all!

Daily life any other time of the year goes on around the Market Place (Marktplatz) with its historic City Hall; with its monument to one of its native sons, Albert Magnus, who went on to become a Dominican Bishop in the 13th century.

For a bit of something different, most towns in Germany are filled with old churches — this one has a mosque. It’s a new addition to the town (1996) built for the many Turkish immigrants who now live here. Everyone is welcome to visit and learn more about Islamic history and art.

Who knew that in the German town of Lauingen in the Swabian Alb you could learn about Islamic history, Roman history, and medieval history all in one place? Pretty cool, huh! :-)

In the Swabian Alb town of Laichingen the traditional Gregorian calendar that we’re used to means nothing. What, does that mean a Sunday isn’t really a Sunday? Or, March is some other named month that the rest of the world hasn’t heard of?

No. Of course Laichingen follows the days of the week as the rest of the world; but, the town’s festivals and markets follow the Christian Calendar.

Laichingen’s Ostermarkt (Easter Market) is on Easter Monday. The Pfingstmarkt is on Whit Monday (count like fifty days after Easter), and the Kirchweihmarkt, or Church Festival, is held on the Monday after Kirchweih (which is the third Sunday in October).

Oh, there’s no leaving out the Christmas Market that’s held in Mid December.

You might be thinking, what’s the big deal about Laichingen’s markets and festivals. Oh, you don’t know what you’d be missing! Besides buying beautifully crafted clothing, ceramics, and glass; you’d be eating some of the most delicious street food you’ll ever wrap your lips around. Your tastebuds will thank you profusely!

Just remember two things about Swabia and you’ll have the dandiest time… 1) the countryside is gorgeous and 2) the food isn’t like anything you’ve ever eaten. So, while you’re out shopping at Laichingen’s markets try some of the freshest breads, fruits, and other little treats.

Trust me, you won’t be sorry for one second. Plus, this is the Baden Württemberg side of the Alb, wash it all down with a fine wine. A beer could work, too, but this isn’t the Bavarian side of the Alb.

Eating, drinking, shopping isn’t all that Laichingen has to offer its guests. The Old City Hall (beautifully lit up at night) is a historic building that’s a famous landmark for young couples wanting to get married. The magnificent late 15th century Liebfrauenkirche could work just as well. One can never ceased to be amazed at all the artwork found inside an old church.

More art can be found at the St. Albans Castle Church. And, don’t hand me if you’ve seen one church you’ve seen them all.

But, if you rather go on a cave exploration in its Tiefenhöhle, then you’ve come to the right place in Laichingen. Hey, you might never know what you’ll find in the old cave — but, my guess is that it won’t be any kind of religious art. They saved that for all the local churches.

There are two definites in this world… A) our beloved sun goes up and down, day in and day out, and B) Lower Saxony has some really cool towns, as in the case of Apen.

You might not have ever heard about this little town between Oldenburg and the North Sea, but you will now. The funniest part about Apen is that it has ten local municipalities and three of them are named Augustfehn.

Yeah, confusing right? But, they are appropriately named Augustfehn I, Augustfehn II, and Augustfehn III. As with most of Germany, don’t ask — just enjoy it for what they are. ;-)

Another thing that’s a given within Lower Saxony (and in Apen in this case) is that you’ll be able to eat some really (really REALLY) good food. Apen is home to ham manufacturing and there’s a museum that will teach you all about how they smoke it.

Sorry vegetarians, I don’t think this is your kind of place. You may just have to visit some of the other sites around town instead.

Apen has an ironworks place to visit, as well as the fantastic 15th century church of St. Nicolai. There’s even an old windmill known as the Hengstforde Windmühle; found in the village of Hengstforde (ha!).

As in the question of what came first the chicken or the egg, ask yourself will you work up an appetite for some of that local ham by riding through the countryside and swimming in the municipal lake? Or, will you have to work off all those calories after you’ve eaten?

Ah, this is a vacation — who cares about calories!

Eat more at Apen’s Harvest Festival, or during the Village Celebration in Augustfehn. Ha-ha, which one? All three have a village celebration! Just as the town has an Autumn Market, a Farmers Market, an Oktoberfest (that one always includes drinking — not just eating), and a couple more.

Of course, all that eating and partying makes you tired, so why not enjoy camping for a few nights. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy Apen for what it is!

Some things change and some things don’t. There’s no denying it, there’s no changing it (bad pun intended!); and in the case of Diez in Rhineland-Palatinate on the Hessian border that’s all right

One thing in Diez that’s changed is its name; which has varied several times since the town was founded, and might not have had been named at all when men & women first came to the area 20,000-12,000 B.C.

Yeah, that’s a long time for people to have been living here; but, when you’re located just north of the Taunus Mountains, close to the Westerwald, and on the Lahn River it’s safe to say they probably just enjoyed the scenery; as you will, too.

To get the most out of Diez’s scenery you gotta go to the Hain, the city forest. There are plenty of walking and bike trails, a trim path, playground for the kids, a miniature golf course, and tennis courts. Who knew this would become of the forest that once belonged to the Schloss Oranienstein (see, more change).

The Baroque castle of Oranienstein still stands and guided tours are available if you wish to see it. But, the Diez Castle is the clear winner in a showdown between castles.

Grafenschloss Diez was built in 1073 and perched above the River Lahn; now part youth hostel and part museum. The museum has extensive exhibits on prehistoric & early history; as well as medieval and urban history.

Look, I was right… some things change and somethings don’t — Diez is still dominated by the “Castle;” although it’s original purpose isn’t what it used to be.

At the bottom of the castle is the Protestant Church where quite a few nobles of the castle are buried. What makes this church even more interesting is the Roman grave stone that predates the church by many many centuries.

Speaking of churches, don’t forget to go see the ruins of the old Benedictine Monastery.

Diez once had a bustling Jewish population dating back to the 13th century, too. The town’s synagogue is gone, destroyed in November 1938, as was the Old Jewish Cemetery. The New Jewish Cemetery dates back to the 19th century built right to the mountainside.

When you make a stop at the ICE high-speed train station in Limburg head on over to nearby Diez and see for yourself all the changes that have happened to this town over the last 20,000 years. Then let me know what YOU think.

The federal state of Lower Saxony is one of those places where if you just jump on a bicycle and ride around all day, you’d be more than happy. However, in the town of Dassel with her seventeen local villages you might be here a while, especially if you haven’t been on a bike in a while.

Bicycling isn’t the only claim to fame in this town. We Germans take our sports very seriously, and a good game can transcend any language barrier that might arise. In Dassel, you can swim, play a game of tennis or table tennis, go horseback riding, and enjoy a good game of football (that’s soccer, my friends in the U.S.).

You don’t need to speak German when you’re walking the forest paths, or taking a bike out for a spin along the trails alone. No words are necessary (other than WOW!) when you’re sitting under Dassel’s Oak trees that were planted here back in the 18th century.

More outside fun can be found at the Neuer Teich (New Pond) or taking a guided forest tour.

Speechless you might be when you get a load of the St. Laurentius Church with its Renaissance paintings; the church itself was built in 1447.

A real quiet place are the ruins of Burg Hunnesrück. Only some of the 13th century walls remain today and this castle was the older sister of Erichsburg Castle.

Erichsburg wasn’t built until the 16th century and while it isn’t in ruins, the castle’s in not too good of a shape. That doesn’t mean you won’t find something beautiful at this place, though.

The history of Erichsburg and Burg Hunnesrück; and much of the area as a whole can be found within the walls of the local history museum (Heimatmuseum), known as Grafschaft Dassel. Another piece of Dassel’s history is the old Wassermühle from the mid 1600’s.

Isn’t that a lot to see and do? I told you that you’d be here for a while. Now, if I could just remember where I parked my bike, I would join you. ;-)

Don’t fret too much if you’ve never heard of the town of Donzdorf. I’ll tell you all about it, and then you can brag to all your friends about this super fabulous Swabian town that they’ve never heard of.

Swabia is one of the most beautiful regions in all of Germany. When you come to Donzdorf the best way to see it is by getting up in a hot air balloon. If you’ve got a fear of flying or heights you’re gonna miss out out on something spectacular.

You’ll fly high above three of Donzdorf’s castles (which you can see once you got yourself back on terra firma). Schloss Donzdorf has a lovely restaurant if you get hungry; but the biggest attraction is its English Baroque garden.

Schloss Ramsberg might be private property, but you can see from the outside that this mid-16th century castle is really beautiful. It was too bad that the old donjon (tower) was torn off years ago.

Despite the beauty of the other two castles, it’s the ruins of Burg Scharfenberg that will utterly amaze you. The castle was built in 1156 and it wasn’t countless wars (or, anything of the sort) that devastated the burg. It was lightening that ravaged it. The tall stone walls that still stand after 800 years will have you stunned.

After visits to the Schloss and Burgs, come shop in one of Donzdorf’s markets. The Shopkeepers Market is held in July and September, the Christmas Market at the beginning of December, and there’s always a weekly market going on Fridays from 7am-11:30am.

If it’s winter, you might prefer to get out on the slopes for some skiing instead of shopping. Other sports in Donzdorf run the gamut from tennis, to golf, and even swimming at the well maintained municipal pool. Or, the local artificial lake, too.

Can’t you just wait to brag to your friends about how truly awesome Donzdorf is? I couldn’t — that’s why I’m telling you!

We can thank volcanoes for the many hills and small lakes that created the natural landscape in the Hessian town of Felsberg. It’s not known as the “Volcano City” or anything, though; it’s nickname is the 3-Burgen-Stadt or 3 Castle Town. Do I really have to explain that, or does that say it all?

Of course, the best I can do is tell you about Felsberg’s Burgs.

All three are castle ruins and each are unique onto themselves. Altenburg was built here in the 14th century and burned down back in 1525. What fire and time didn’t do to ravage this castle, the bombings of the Second World War did. The castle is undergoing renovation and reorganization making visiting not really possible — though you can get some picture from a distance.

Felsburg (the castle, not the town) is the second of the town’s castles. This one rises high above the village and is only partially in ruins. The chapel holds an real informative castle museum and its white tower is pretty unique.

This leaves us Burg Heiligenberg. It’s one of the oldest in all of Hesse, but the Stone Age artifacts found here are even older. Burg Heiligenberg used to be a restaurant and hotel, but not any longer. Now, it’s the location of the annual Rock Festival in July.

Your visit to Felsberg doesn’t end at the castles. I can’t let you forget about the Beekeeping Museum (housed in the old Kartause Eppenberg Monastery) or the Pre- and Early History Museum. You’ll also find quite a few framework buildings throughout Felsberg’s sixteen quarters.

700 kilometers is a long way to walk (or, bicycle) but parts of the Acre Nature Preserve come right through town and there are lots of works of art scattered along the way. The art is the main focus of the trail, so keep your eyes peeled.

I guess we should really thank more than the volcanoes for making Felsberg an amazing town to explore.

Don’t be upset with the 11,000 residents that call Fürth in the Odenwald their home. This little known secret town is pretty awesome and who could blame them for wanting to keep it all to themselves.

The weather within this area of the Odenwald tends to be a bit on the cooler side, so if you don’t mind it to be a bit chilly in summer or snowy during winter then Fürth is just right for you.

No matter the weather or the season Fürth LOVES a good time and just about anytime throughout the year. The eleven villages of this town hold everything from masked balls to spring concerts. They also have a Spring Celebration, a Summer Celebration, a Fairytale Night, a May Celebration, and a Summer Celebration.

Just when you think you’ve done partied enough there’s the Fish Festival, the Johannismarkt, the Village Festival, a Kerwe (church) Festival, the Michaelismarkt, and a Harvest Festival. I can’t leave out Oktoberfest, and both the Christmas Festival and Christmas concert.

Inasmuch as there are countless festivals and markets going on in Fürth, that’s how many sporting activities and sites there are to see and do.

If heights don’t bother you get up for a hot air balloon ride. If you rather have your feet planted firmly on the ground, walk the many trails that meander through the many meadows and ponds. Take a guided forest tour to make the most out of your trip through the Odenwald — it’s more than pretty and brings lots of visitors to go camping.

Walk around the Bergtier Park (a nature animal park) with the kids and listen to them get all excited about the animals.

When you got a hankerin’ for some traditional style sightseeing go see the 18th century St. John the Baptist church and many of the framework houses that have been here from the 18th and 19th centuries.

It’ll be hard to figure out exactly why you’d want to come to Fürth (Odenwald). Don’t question it — just enjoy it for all its worth! ;-)