You will never, ever, EVER be without something to do in the beautiful and mystic Black Forest. That said, when you come to a place like Gengenbach you’ll have more than enough to keep you on the go.

If you don’t like being outside, Gengenbach might not be for you. You’ll probably be better off in nearby Baden-Baden, Freiburg, or Strasbourg, France where you’ll have many indoor activities to your liking. But, don’t rush off before you see Gengenbach’s Art History, Military History, and Carnival History Museums.

Just understand that Gengenbach’s Carnival history is about the free loving, party before Lent Carnival, opposed to the amusement rides kind of carnival. Gengenbach also has the largest Advent Calendar anywhere.

If you’re still sticking around town, that means you’re ready to tackle more sporting activities than you can shake a stick at. Gengenbach has swimming, archery, Nordic Walking trails, regular old walking paths, mountain biking, normal bicycling lanes, hand gliding (love it), and an 18 hole golf course. Is that enough for you?

All that sure works up the hunger pangs. To quell it, try something called Vesper. It’s quite the spread with farmer’s bread, Black Forest ham, trout, and locally made cheeses. There’s no being hungry after that; but, if you want more try a slice of a traditional Black Forest cake or some fresh fruits and veggies.

Thanks to Gengenbach’s mild climate, some of the best wine making grapes (like Riesling, Burgunder, and Weißherbst) are grown here.

More eating and drinking go on during Gengenbach’s Carnival Celebration right before Lent. Also, during the Wine Festival, Christmas Market, and Palm Sunday festivities.

Wait, indoor loving people — come back! Gengenbach has something else for you. The town holds many musical concerts and theater performances throughout the year; and quite a few art galleries, to boot.

Oh, wait, what’s that… Who’s built all those lovely half-timbered buildings, ancient Gates and churches scattered throughout town — that in itself serves as plenty of photo opps.

The way it appears, Gengenbach has more than enough to keep the indoor and outdoor types quite busy and on the go. Oh, and quite well fed!

The old mining town of Großräschen goes about its daily business. It’s a place where you’ll find the freshest produce to eat, the clearest water to swim, and old churches filled with art. Throw in an Eastern European organ concert and few other festivals to show of the best of Großräschen.

If you’re the outdoor loving type the Lausitzer Seenland (right, that’s in Lusatia) is what you’ll come to see. With twenty-three artificial lakes, you’ll never once feel like you’re on a crowded beach. With so many walking and biking paths, you’re not gonna find yourself in any kind of pedestrian or two wheeled traffic jam.

Once Ilsesee opens in 2018, the new huge artificial lake that’s being filled with water these days, there will be 24 artificial lakes for everyone to spread out even further.

It’s safe to say that after a day of swimming and sailing you’ll be mighty hungry. Many dishes are made with potatoes that Prussia’s Frederick the Great himself introduced into this region of Brandenburg.

And, no village celebration is complete without food so try many other local specialties that can be had at the Village Celebration in August, an October Autumn Celebration, the Osterfeuer (bonfire) at Easter, and the Christmas Market (no respectable German town would be without one).

Just as no respectable town would be without its church. Großräschen has quite a few since there are five quarters and seven local villages. The most visited is the medieval village church in Freienhufen, another in Saalhausen, and one in Wormlage (with a World War I memorial right outside).

Wormlage also has the remainders of two windmills and a huge town park with ponds and two graves hidden within.

For something more lively, the Kurmärker Saal isn’t just one of the town’s oldest buildings; but, puts on plenty of theater shows and concerts.

The biggest concert is the Eastern European Organ Music Days. Organists from all over Eastern Europe come and put on a large organ recital every year at the beginning of September.

Is there a more beautiful place to go about your daily business?

Morbach in the Rhineland-Palatinate is a air health resort town where it likes to rain. Don’t let a little bit of the wet stuff stop you from wanting to visit, but if you prefer to stay dry come in May, that’s the driest month. If a rainy gray day is your vision of a great time remember December is the wettest month.

Somehow a dreary day seems appropriate to visit the ruins of Burg Baldenau. One thing you might notice is how little you are next to the massive stone walls that still stand after almost seven centuries.

A bright day is necessary for a visit to the ruins of Castle Hunolstein, however. These ruins are now where near in the shape of Burg Baldenau, but the view of the surrounding Hunsrück is unbelievable. You’ll want a clear day so that you can see for kilometers from the high vantage point.

Rain or shine, it won’t matter when you visit either the Morbach Wood Museum or Telephone Museum. Take a long look at how the communication devices have changed over the last century — then look at your little high tech mobile phone to really make a comparison.

Ask the rain to come back another day if you’re getting out to see the Archaeological Park Belginum. Built by an old Military Road, there are approximately 800 years of history (400 B.C. to 400 A.D.) at the park with Roman and Celtic graves.

For other sites to see in Morbach go see the St. Anna Catholic Church, the World War I memorial, and many of the timber framed buildings from around the 18th century.

If you want to see the forested countryside try Nordic Walking, a Barefoot Path (great for stress relief), and walking and cycling trails and paths along the moorlands. It might be a good idea to do any of those on a sunny morning or afternoon.

You know what? It won’t make a difference if the sky is clear, bright, and sunny; or, the rain is falling softly on your shoulders — Morbach is pretty awesome no matter what Mother Nature decides to do.

Meitingen is a place with only two hotels, is close to the Nature Park Augsburg, and has lots of little surprises in store.

As with most of Swabia and Bavaria as a whole, its countryside is so incredibly gorgeous it will have you speechless. You might not have much to say other than “WOW” when you’re inside the Nature Park Augsburg. Within the park are Nordic Walking trails, cycling trails, plain old easy walking paths, and the Swabian Folklore Museum.

Even Meitingen’s SunSplash outdoor swimming pool is surrounded by tall green trees and a picture perfect landscape. If you got nerve climb up the diving board and look around. The pool complex also has a baby pool and a free form swimming pool.

More information about Meitingen can be found at the Information Center at the Town Hall. Sorry, it’s not any kind of historical building — it’s a modern structure.

Besides checking out artwork by local artists, you’ll find information on many goings on about town. Like the small animal market, pedigree dog shows, youth orchestra concerts, the Advent Bazaar, and Christmas Market.

All that activity works up the hunger and you can’t find some better food. Swabian dishes are hearty fare and even though this is Bavaria where beer rules — different wines are always a good choice.

If it’s on the cold side, sample the Gaisburger March which is a beef and veggie stew; or something called Schupfnudeln that are thick potato dumplings. For a quick snack nothing beats a Laugen Bretzel.

At the Gasthof zur Alten Post and the Gasthof Neue Post you’ll get accommodations that refresh the tired traveler and the best rustic food in their restaurants.

Hey, sometimes it’s not a visit to a museum that gives you true local flavor of a place; sometimes it’s the food and all the other little surprises that will do it for you instead.

We can thank Miesbach for the traditional style of dress that’s one symbol of Bavaria. Silly me, I thought beer was the main symbol for Bavaria. Don’t know what I was thinking…

The Miesbacher costume isn’t as old as you’d think, only becoming popular a little more than a century ago. The town itself? Much older.

How do I know? Simple, the town’s been holding its weekly market since the 13th century. And, Schloss Wallenburg was built in the 1270’s with there evidence to prove that the Burg is even older. Though, the castle’s donjon and chapel are long gone.

On top of it, the Miesbach Local History Museum (say, Heimatmuseum) has some local 15th/16th century artwork and a Gothic clock (circa 1600).

If you want to see all of Miesbach the best way is to follow on one (or, all) of the fifteen tourist walking routes. They’re broken down by area (one follows to the Weyarner Monastic Church, another to the Tergernsee with a great view of the Alps) and most can be done within an hour & half to three hours.

Another one of the tourist routes will take you through the old part of town and to the former 18th century pilgrimage church of Maria Ascension.

If you get tired, don’t worry, Miesbach has some comfortable guesthouses for the weary traveler. The Gasthof Bräuwirt, right at Marktplatz 3, will do the trick with its tidy rooms and umbrella shaded beer garden.

I know. I know… I’m always talking about beer in Bavaria. If you’ve never had a good German beer, wait ’til you try it. If you have had it before, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Even better if you stay the night, because then you can catch an opera, musical, or theater performances by the National Theater Bavaria. The most popular venue for the troupe is in the Waltzinger Celler, a historical building in its own right.

Well, you may even decide to stay right here for longer since this area, also known as Oberland, was chosen (my us Germans) to be the most preferred location to live.

OK, so beer isn’t really considered the rightful symbol of Bavaria. But, I’ll be waiting around until August for the annual Miesbacher Brauereifest where I can have a toast to my symbol of Bavaria. :-)

It wouldn’t be fair to tell the story of Lauffen am Neckar and only write about many of the old historical stuff about it. Of course Pre-Christian man, the Romans, the Alemmanians, and the Franconians once walked the area; but, there’s a lot more to it than that.

Any place that has survived countless wars and the Plague (in 1564, 1606, 1607, and 1626) and has come back better & stronger deserves a little respect.

For you history buffs Lauffen on the River Neckar has a good deal to keep you busy. The old castle that was built in the 11th century is now the town’s Rathaus (Town Hall). It doesn’t look too shabby considering it was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War and had to be rebuilt.

The Lauffen Town Museum is housed in an old convent; but, the Regiswindis Church and Chapel are the best in town. Regiswindis Church goes all the way back to 741 A.D. and was rebuilt in 1227 and 1567. The Chapel and crypt dedicated to St. Ann is some amazing medieval architecture.

There’s also a Roman estate known as the Villa Rustica that was built here sometime in the 2nd or 3rd century A.D.

In the pedestrian zone of Lauffen you’ll pass along many framework houses from the 15th century. After that, it’s time to get down to some serious wine business.

Lauffen is quite famous for its wines and it has numerous festivals throughout the seasons to prove it. Wine Day is in April, there are two Wine Fests (one in July or August; another in September/October), and Wine Night in mid December.

Add that to the Fish Festival in May, the Book Festival on the last weekend in April, the Bridge Fest in June (held only on odd-numbered years), and the Christmas Market on the 1st weekend in December. Consider these another reason to sample some of the locally made wines and to eat many regional dishes.

Yeah, Lauffen am Neckar definitely deserves some respect and in return you’ll have one heck of a grand time.

It’s a tad confusing when you have a town with the same name in six German federal states. But, for this I’m talking about Lichtenau in Westphalia, right inside the Teutoburg Forest / Eggegebirge Nature Park.

Lichtenau enjoys some pretty warm summers, so if you like that weather it’s a nice time to visit. That’s also when the town holds a concert series at the Kloster Dalheim.

No matter the season, the monastery has a museum totally dedicated to monastic culture. Walk around to see all the religious statues found around the monastery’s grottos, too.

More medieval sites in Lichtenau include St. Kilian’s Church whose tower goes back to 1323. Only a few years later Burg Lichtenau was built. Don’t expect turrets and towers, this a tall boxy grey stone building.

Another boxy, yet charming, building is known as the Spieker which has been a part of Lichtenau since it was built in 1588. To keep with the square sites, go see the town’s Thousand Year Old Tower. Yes, before you ask, it’s that old for real.

The only thing older around the area are the Stone Age graves that date back more than 5000 years.

Good thing Lichtenau has a cultural side, too. While there’s no proper theater within all of the town’s fifteen subdivisions, you can easily run over to Paderborn, which is just a few kilometers away, for that.

Yet, every other October brings on the Klostermann Market within the Forest. The food is simply delicious and the party atmosphere is quite contagious. However, the December Christmas Market is also quite interesting.

December and the winter months might be a bit cold to head out on the umpteen number of bicycle paths or the touristy Walking Way. Good thing there are nine other months outta the year where you can enjoy them.

I like it cold, so I might be the only one out there on the trails that time of year. But, at least now I’m not the only one that knows about Lichtenau in Westphalia

Altdorf, the one in Lower Bavaria, is a small village of only about 11,000 people. It’s a town where red tiled roofs make a bright contrast to the dark green trees that tower overhead. A hot air balloon ride over the countryside is the best way to see all of it.

There’s not a lot in terms of sightseeing around Altdorf, but that only gives you more time to eat and drink at a few festivals and markets. Like there’s anything WRONG with that? ;-)

Three sites in Altdorf are a must see, though. One is the Frauenkirche, a Romanesque church built in 1419. It’s filled with art painted around the year 1500, a Madonna statue from 1520, and an alter from 1690.

The second is the church of St. Nikolaus with art from around the same time period as the Frauenkirche. There are carvings from around the turn of the 16th century and an alter from 1670.

Do yourself a favor and brush up on Art History before you come here and you’ll appreciate the beauty of these two churches even more; and a visit to Altdorf’s local history museum (called Heimatmuseum) will help, too.

With all this done and seen, it’s time to relax with a beer and a pretzel. Pretzels are important in Bavarian culture and we can thank them for the doughy treat as they’re a Bavarian creation. You’ll find they are just as important to Oktoberfest as beer.

Eat them at the Altdorf Summer Celebration at the end of July, or try a pretzel dumpling known as Breznknödel. If you want something that goes deliciously well with a Bavarian Beer, eat some Bierwurst; a thick cut of meat served with bread. It’s easy to like a place when the food tastes so good.

You will be swapping the beer out for some wine during Altdorf’s Wine Celebration in August. Although, you might want to find something hot to drink while out shopping at the Christmas Market in December or cheering on a hockey game at the outdoor rink.

If you’re here that time of year, it is going be a bit too cold for that hot air balloon ride, though. I guess you’ll have to come back and visit again then. :-)

If you were going to make a movie about life in the Middle Ages you couldn’t create a set as beautiful as Altensteig is naturally. It’s a place that hasn’t changed too much over the years and when covered with snow, it could be the model for every “Christmas Village” knick-knack or picture ever made.

I guess its not on the touristy Deutsche Fachwerkstraße or German Framework Route for nothing; with the oldest of all the timber framed buildings dating back more than 550 years ago.

Altensteiger Schloss is one of the most visited places in town, and rightfully so. Close your eyes and you’ll hear the din of medieval villagers milling about. The castle is pretty impressive, right down to its moss covered roof and timber framed exterior.

As picturesque as the Schloss is, the surrounding mystic Black Forest only enhances it. The nature park has over 700,000 years of human history and even more of the Earth’s natural history. You’ll find moorlands, vineyards, plants, and all sorts of animals within the Schwarzwald; and you’re even able to buy “genuine Black Forest” products.

Walking around the Black Forest isn’t the only thing you can do in Altensteig. You can go horseback riding, go fishing, try roller skating, mountain biking, regular bicycling, or even play a game of miniature golf.

All this activity will sure work up a healthy appetite and I don’t know of any place better to munch out on than the Black Forest area. Oh, sure, you’ve got the famous Black Forest ham and Black Forest cake; but, try some Leberwurst (liverwurst), veal roulade, or anything made with potatoes or asparagus (most grown locally).

You might want to try a local Riesling wine (a white wine); but, try the Spätburgunder red wine, too.

No wonder King Wilhelm planted himself right here in Altensteig (he knew a good thing when he saw it) and there’s a memorial plaque to prove it. I know you’ll think so, too.

In the Saarland region where you’ll find the town of Friedrichsthal you’ll hear a few dialects of German and even French. Being this close to France and Luxembourg, it’s not any wonder that mostly everyone is bilingual. English is also widely spoken, so I guess that would make people trilingual.

One thing that transcends any language barrier is food. Again, with some French influence the food around Friedrichsthal is quite savory and usually served with something sweet. Try the potato soup or Frikadellen (meat dumplings) with a Butterkuchen (butter cake) for dessert. Of course, they all taste really good paired with a good Moselle wine.

Oh, I know, you can’t eat the whole time. You could try, but, there is other stuff to do around here. Though, eating and drinking seem like the best idea during the town’s City Celebration. OK, maybe some dancing, too. ;-)

One of the most popular places for locals and visitors is the town’s artificial lake, known as Saufangweiher. The surrounding forest is a good background for a day of fishing. Another place of natural beauty is the Hoferkopf, a protected nature habitat.

To keep enjoying the great outdoors, try a game or two of miniature golf. There’s also an outdoor municipal pool to jump around in. To round it up, there’s even an indoor pool in town, too.

If you want something a bit more cultural (and less outdoorsy) a good idea would be to visit any number of art galleries in town, or enjoy a concert or piano recital in the Town Hall’s Festival Room.

Friedrichsthal has come a long way from being a working class town with coal mining and a glassworks factory. The countryside is simply pretty, the food is more than delicious, and the wines are out of this world. Add in all the cultural activities and you’ve got yourself a great trip; and it even won’t matter what language you speak!