There’s no way that anyone will ever stop me from singing the praises of Schleswig-Holstein, especially when you see a town like Harrislee; located on a strip of land between the North and Baltic Seas, right next to the border of Denmark.

The nearby Flensburg Fjord is a small inlet of the Baltic Sea dotted with colorful boats and the coastline of the two countries. There isn’t a more beautiful place to swim or just sit beachside with a good book.

You can also expect to hear a bit of Standard German, Low German, and even Danish around these parts. There’s an amateur Danish theater called Harreslev Amatørscene, if you want a cultural evening (even if you don’t speak a lick of it).

While you’re here visit the Industrial Copper Mill Museum, also known as the Kobbermølle Museum on street signs, see prehistoric Stone Age graves, or visit the Klueser Forest. This recreational area is shaded by Birch, Douglas Fir, and Spruce trees. Sounds like a good place to enjoy a picnic to me.

If you’re the ambitious type, grab a bicycle and ride the 66 km cycle path that takes you from the North Sea dyke along to the Baltic Sea. That may be a long way to go for one day, depending on your condition, so if you want to travel the whole thing you may wanna stay overnight at one of the few area hotels.

Some of the hotels in Harrislee are very upscale offering spa services, golf (18-hole and miniature), and gourmet dining. However, there are a few small traditional inns in Harrislee, too.

Try to visit Harrislee on a Friday morning so you can shop at the weekly town market (7am-1pm). It’s a great place to buy yourself a souvenir.

At the end of the day enjoy a local sweet dish known as Rote Grütze. It’s made with fresh strawberries, cherries, rasberries, sugar, and served with either whipped cream or vanilla sauce.

I don’t think there’s a Standard German, Low German, or Danish word for yummy — but if you find one, let me know! ;-)

Brand-Erbisdorf was once a hustling silver mining town. It’s location close to the Czech border hasn’t changed over the years and can be reached by air, bus, rail, or car; and only a few minutes hop from great Freiberg.

Silver mining was quite central to the town’s economy since the 16th century; ceasing only in 1913. After the mining of all that silver stopped was when all the werewolves moved in. ;-)

I’m just kidding, no werewolves live in Brand-Erbisdorf or her six surrounding villages; only about 11,000 human residents.

There are mining exhibits over at the Museum Huthaus Einigkeit, as well as art designed by the miners from stones found in the pits. The museum is only open Tuesday to Sunday, so plan accordingly.

Created from one of the mining pits is the Erzengler Teich. This huge artificial lake, that’s open mid-May to mid-September, has everything you could ask for a day of fun. There’s a diving board, a water slide, a beach volleyball court, table tennis, a playground, and even paddleboats. Clean changing rooms are the icing on the cake.

Only things remaining to see around town are the Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1624 and the Buttermilk Gate from 1821.

Speaking of buttermilk, that reminds me of a local specialty of Saxony, Buttermilchgetzen are delicious buttermilk potato pancakes. For dessert, try the Eierschecki which is a three layer cake made with Quark (a kind of cheese curd), sugar, milk, and the last layer is a sweet dough.

Most local dishes can be tried during Brand-Erbisdorf’s Autumn Celebration that’s held annually at the end of September. But, with all the farm land that surrounds the town, you’re sure to get your hands on the absolute freshest produce just about any season.

Remember to come to Brand-Erbisdorf when you’re in the eastern part of Germany. Even if all you do is spend it hanging around that posh Erzengler Pond. :-)

Braunsbedra has more historical churches than you can count on one hand. That’s quite impressive for a small town of thirteen villages, only a couple minutes southwest of Meresburg.

However, its village of Roßbach is more famous for an epic Prussian Army battle that took place here in the 18th century.

It’s probably a good idea to break up the sightseeing of all Braunsbedra churches with all the other sites in town.

However, you can spend an entire day at the Hasse-See alone. It’s a lake that has camping sites, a beach volleyball court, a playground with trampoline for the kids, and swimming (sure!). Saxony-Anhalt‘s swimming season isn’t too long and Braunsbedra makes the most of it with a summer concert series at the lake.

Come to think of it, there are four lakes around Braunsbedra where you can do everything from boating, to windsurfing, and fishing. Geiseltalsee (that one’s huge!), Südfeldsee, Runstedter See, and the other above. So, now that you know ’em all, what ya gonna do with this knowledge? :-)

Save another day of sightseeing for the Braunsbedra Castle, built in 1260 and now an old age home. You’ll even find ruins of a gorgeous Renaissance castle in the village of Frankleben. That’s also where you’ll find a 14th century Village Church, one of Braunsbedra’s many.

Other churches that shouldn’t be overlooked include the 12th century Grace Church, the 12th century Erlöserkirche, and the Church of St. Heinrich in Hasse Roßbach that was built in 1150. Don’t confuse it with the other Heinrich Church; that one hasn’t even been around a century.

With everything to do here, it’s best to stay a couple nights and the best centrally located guesthouse is the Hotel Braunsbedra (at Markt 1). If you got the energy at the end of the day, the hotel has its own bowling alley.

Get a good night’s sleep and then walk through the Trim Path and all the other walking trails in Landscape Park; or, look for rare birds in a protected habitat.

Stay another night and you can fit in a visit to St. Martin’s Church, the memorial to victims of the Second World War, the monument to sculptor Gerhard Geyer, and Lookout Point for views over the town.

Looks like you might need to spend another WEEK in Braunsbedra, this way you don’t miss anything.

There are many cool things about the Hessian town of Braunfels. One is that the town is on the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße or German Framework Road, a tourist route that takes you to places with lots of fairtytale framework buildings which, in the case of Braunfels, are located in the old part of town.

Another are the ruins of Burg Philippstein with its dry moat (no water) and its old Donjon, which is actually a tower.

Then there’s the Mittelalterliches Spektakulum, or Medieval Spectale. Held every two years, this is a super large medieval festival where the 300 year old Kurpark is turned into a Knights Camp.

Want more?

Braunsfels has a zoo with deer and even wild pigs.

Still aint’ cool enough for you? Don’t worry about it, there’s still more!

How about that Braunfels is a climate spa resort town, which means the fresh air is good for not only the soul; but, the body as well.

Or, how about the town has a brewing museum? Thanks to German Purity Laws, you’ll find out it’s a simple process to make some of the best stuff on Earth.

Braunfels’ Local History Museum is a good place to visit if you want to learn more of the town’s history (ya think?) and culture.

Starting to tingle? Wait…

The coolest, coolest, COOLEST (most awesome) part of Braunfels is its Schloss. Braunfels Castle is a dark grey stone structure that looks like it belongs to a Dracula movie (OK, Frankenstein movie since you’re in Germany). To say it’s huge is a serious understatement. It looks menacingly (ominously and foreboding are good words, too) down over the town. Oh, heck, it’s downright creepy and yet so WONDERFUL!

It’s probably safe to assume that the medieval baron who built the place knew exactly how to display his power. I just wouldn’t want to be the one to clean all those rooms and wouldn’t be surprised if it was said to be haunted.

On the inside of the Schloss, you’ll find religious art from the Altenberg Monastery and art from Dutch masters like van Eyck. The castle’s church is also quite beautiful; so try not to miss it.

Even if you just come see Schloss Braunfels, you’ll think the town is pretty fantastic. But, it’ll be even better if you could see the darn whole thing.

When you come to Bad Dürrenberg in Saxony-Anhalt rest assured you’ll have a good time. It’s a town that knows how to throw a party.

Shop at Bad Dürrenberg’s Farmer’s Market in the beginning of September or party hard at the City Celebration. Saxony-Anhalt is home to Germany’s oldest brewery (1314) and many local dishes are made with regionally grown ingredients. So, you’ll be eating and drinking the best stuff around while you’re here.

On the last weekend in June, Bad Dürrenberg throws a three day festival known as the Brunnenfest (Well Celebration). From May to September there are also a number of concerts held in all sorts of venues.

The Village Church Vesta (besides being a piece of Bad Dürrenberg history as the oldest church in Central Germany) holds many of these concerts. You’ll be amazed how medieval and Renaissance melodies sound with the church’s great acoustics!

Bad Dürrenberg is also a town worth its weight in salt. Literally. You can find out how important the stuff was over at the Borlach Museum, dedicated to the stuff that made medieval empires and fortunes.

There is just a regular old local history museum that looks more into the everyday cultural life of Bad Dürrenberg.

The best way to see the town’s cultural life is hop on a bicycle and cycle the Saale Cycle Track or, walk off a few calories on the town’s Trim Path. The Saale area is known for their wine, just don’t try to do these activities after a few drinks. Oh, all right, go ahead and try — only if you’re able to laugh at yourself. ;-)

You’ll also see little sculpture pieces in the town’s City Park and Bad Dürrenberg even has a few war memorials.

With hourly rail service from Leipzig, there isn’t any reason you can’t enjoy all of the town’s goings on. If you want me, you’ll probably find me at a local beer garden enjoying the local brew.

I’m not gonna buy it if you tell me you couldn’t find your way to the Middle Franconian town of Burthann since there’s frequent train service to Nuremberg (only about a good half hour away). Getting here is only the half of it since the stunning countryside is exceptionally pretty.

If Burgthann’s flowerbox framed City Hall (on a charming cobblestone square) is any indication of what you’ll find in the rest of the town; you’re in for a real treat. You won’t find a historic Rathaus building here, though, but the modern building doesn’t look out of place, either.

What is historic in Burgthann are the ruins of Burg Thann (yup, spelled correctly). This old castle was built around 1160, destroyed and rebuilt several times before it was finally abandoned in the 18th century. Climb its Donjon (tower), walk around its local history museum, or enjoy some music during the summer Jazz Celebration.

Other summer events in Burgthann are two (yes, two) Kirchweih Festivals. There are quite a few hamlets that make up this town, so each has their own church; hence more than one Kirchweih (which is a church festival).

The biggest festival in Burgthann is the Eppelein Festival, which is held at the castle. This party is so large it’s held once every three years to serve thousands that come out to eat, drink, and dance in the streets.

Oh, please — this is Bavaria, tell me you didn’t expect there wouldn’t be good Bavarian beer? Pair it with Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, which is great grilled sausage and usually served with Sauerkraut and a hearty bread.

Don’t worry about all the calories, work ’em off bicycling around the Rothsee (between Allersberg and Hilpoltstein). Ride out along the Danube Main Channel and walk around the Bavarian Ludwig Danube Main Channel Museum (wow, that’s long name).

Burgthann is a rustic and traditional Franconian town, just like its food. It’s pretty and the people are friendly; which makes an even greater place to visit.

Ochsenfurt is a town where you could be quite content to sit at a streetside cafe (right off the town square); absorbing every ounce of its Franconian culture. Of course, you could take a more proactive approach.

As good as sitting at a cafe with a great beer sounds, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you actually did. This is a town with a festival or market going on for everything, including all seasons.

The Spring Market is the last Sunday in April, Summer Market in June, Autumn Market the 2nd Sunday in September, and Winter Market on the first Sunday after November 1. To round it up, they’ve also got a Green Market (Grüner Markt) on every Saturday in front of the Town Hall.

Then you’ve got the Ochsenfurt Festival in September, right around the same time as the Wine Festival. How funny is a festival to wine when Franconia is famous for its beer? Ah, doesn’t matter… it’s a good time to be had for everyone!

Kidding aside, for those of you who are curious, there are simply too many vineyards in this area to dismiss this healthy tipple. :-)

If you’re visiting and no festivals are happening, it’s all right; there’s stuff for you to do. Ochsenfurt was a medieval town and there are remnants from that time. There are parts of the original defense wall, called a Stadtmauer, and few of the towers that were used to help protect the village from invading marauders.

On the Marktplatz, you’ll find the New Town Hall with its moon clock and the Old Town Hall with its pillory (used for the punishment of criminals). You’ve also got a local history museum, a school museum, and a museum on living a Carthusian monastic life.

Then you’ve got the St. Andreas Church and Michaelskapelle (St. Michael’s Chapel) to see, too. Many devout pilgrims have come the way of Ochsenfurt on the Jakobsweg or Way of St. James going to Santiago de Compostela, including England’s Richard I on one of the Crusades.

Ochsenfurt didn’t have a Kneipp barefoot bath or a medicinal herb garden back then. Otherwise, the good ole king might never have left. With a town this fantastic, you won’t want to, either.

There’s an old saying about “when in Rome, do as the Romans.” Well, in the case Oberschleißheim, do as the Bavarians: drink. Seriously. And eat. You’re not gonna find that much Weißwurst (white sausage) anywhere else but in Bavaria.

Do you really think I’m kidding? Oberschleißheim is a mere cat’s jump north of Munich, what does that tell you?

But, if you can tear yourself away from Oberschleißheim’s beer gardens there is a good bit to do in town.

If you’re here during the summer, go swim in one of the bathing lakes nearby. Or, sit beachside with a beer (oh, I’m starting to see a central theme here). Don’t blame me, it was all the Duke of Bavaria and his purity laws fault!

That’s also a nice time of year to see Schloss Lustheim, one of Oberschleißheim’s three palaces. It’s Baroque Garden is quite famous and it’s worth every cent of the three Euro entrance fee to get in. As a matter of fact, it’s worth every minute as its name alone already makes LUST. ;-)

Oberschleißheim’s Old Castle (the second of the grand palaces) is now part of the Bavarian National Museum with permanent exhibits on everyday life. The entrance fee is only six Euro and OH SO WORTH IT. It’s also got a huge collection of information on East and West Prussia.

The New Castle (the last of the palaces) is a stunning and ornate early 18th century design. No museum in this old gal, she’s used for meeting and concerts. It won’t be hard to imagine yourself waltzing in long brocade dresses or other finery in these elegant rooms.

Jump ahead into the 20th century (sorry, the 21st century) at the Air & Space branch of the German Museum. It’s got everything from gliders, to jets, to rockets — this is every little boy’s dream spot! It’s the small things in life that make kids happy.

To keep your big boys happy, get ’em a Bratwurst and a good Bavarian beer. It’s the small things in life that make them happy, too.

There are thousands of castles in Germany and the town of Nörvenich (and surrounding area of 14 villages) has five of them.

Before you get your armour (or, any other medieval castle adornment) in a bunch thinking that’s all Nörvenich has to offer, there is more to it than that. It’s motto of Kleine Gemeinde mit großem Herz (English: Little Town With A Big Heart) says a lot.

A few of the castles in the area are in ruins. Alte Burg (Old Castle) is one of them; only some of its original 13th century walls remain. Harff Castle is another one of Germany’s burgs that lie in ruins. It wasn’t very old when this mid 16th century castle fell into disrepair in the 1880’s. Call me silly, but there’s something romantic about castles; ruined or otherwise.

Burg Binsfeld is still intact, though. Technically, it’s a late 14th century water castle but it’s surrounded on only three sides by water. I guess that still counts as having a moat.

Burg Bubenheim is a wee bit older than Binsfeld, built a hundred and sixty years before. The dark stone castle might still be standing, but the Burg’s chapel of St. Nikolaus has been in ruins since 1883.

Schloss Nörvenich is the most popular, though. It has many uses from a wedding venue, a local museum, and has a sculpture park. If you got an event going on, you can rent out the Rittersaal (Knights Hall).

Another stop in Nörvenich that’s quite an attraction is the church of St. Medardus. It’s another medieval creation (circa 1177) but, the church was updated in the 17th century.

With all that time wandering around dark castles and churches, it’ll feel good to get outside. It’ll be fun for you and the kids to try and find your way out of the corn labyrinth. Even if you don’t, it’ll feel good to get out and see the sunshine.

You can enjoy it just the same playing some tennis, swimming, or riding along all the cycle trails. One of the more famous is the Kaiser-Route (Emperor’s Route) that goes on for some 480 km (approx 375 miles) through the Westphalian countryside from Aachen to Paderborn.

With that much love for maintaining castles and churches, I find Nörvenich’s motto “Little Town With A Big Heart” is right on.

Just between the Swabian-Franconian Forest and the Swabian Alb is the cute lil’ town of Lorch (Württemberg).

Many medieval monks used to call this place home at the Monastery Lorch which is the town’s main attraction. Any art lover will appreciate the reliefs and “reliquien” found within the complex. The artwork in the former Benedictine monastery spans centuries. As it should, the doors opened to religious vocation in 1102.

Before the monks came the Romans. They built the Castellet Lorch in the 2nd century A.D. and a replica of a Roman Tower stands in town today.

Only one other site needs to be seen, the Schillerhaus. The famous German poet Friedrich Schiller lived here for only two years of his life, but you can’t fault Lorch for being proud of a local boy.

Since Schiller didn’t live here very long he probably didn’t swim in Lorch’s Excavator Lakes, created from mining. But, you can! You can also shop at the Löwenmarkt or Lion’s Market (end of May/beginning of June), the Martinimarkt, or enjoy a good glass of wine at the Harvest Festival.

Wine goes great with many hearty Swabian dishes and to eat in Lorch is a treat. Most dishes are created from a few simple, yet fresh, ingredients and are usually covered with some sort of broth or sauce. Don’t be shocked to see many different kinds of wursts sliced into cold cuts or thrown in a salad.

You’ll be giving yourself the energy you need to tackle the walking and bicycling trails through the Swabian Frankish Forest. It’ll be quite easy spending an untold number of hours wandering around and through it.

Life in Lorch today is much easier than it was when the Romans and monks called this place home. The food, for sure, is much better.