OK, let’s get one thing straight; just because the town of Vilsbiburg doesn’t have a traditional “Market Square” doesn’t mean it’s not an old traditional Bavarian town.

Most noticeable about the Vilsbiburg’s Market Place is that it’s not square like so many other towns in Germany. It’s a long street flanked by some ornately decorated buildings wedged right next door to plain, modern ones with a cobblestoned street and tents with locals hocking their wares.

At the far end of the Market Place is the “avocado” green 16th century Tower Gate. Right next door is the historic (it’s red) Hospital Church. At least Vilsbiburg’s City Hall isn’t painted some unique color, it’s a tastefully decorated 18th century white building with lots of flowerboxes.

Both the Pilgrimage Church Maria Hilf and the City Parish Church Maria Ascension are, as well, equally tasteful. Many old churches are often filled with beautiful works of art, done by the talented faithful.

Vilsbiburg does have a local history museum, but a great way to experience it would be to stay overnight at the Gasthaus Breitenacher. This historic pub/beer garden/inn was once part of a schloss complex and besides economical room rates (with breakfast), they serve local Bavarian specialties. Yes, that means beer, too. You didn’t really think you’d come to Bavaria and NOT visit a beer garden? ;-)

To be honest, Vilsbiburg isn’t just garish colored buildings and beer gardens. The Naturefahrungsraum am Rettenbach (try saying that fast five times!) is great for just walking or cycling around the foothills of the Alps.

There’s also an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor one (with waterslide and waterfall), a 9-hole golf course, and Go-carts.

And the town does have it’s cultural activities. The Dorffest or Village Festival is held in mid-July, there’s an annual town Flea Market, and quite a few theater performances and musical concerts.

From the sounds of it, Vilsbiburg is a true traditional Bavaria town — no matter the shape of its Marktplatz.

In Upper Bavaria only 23 kilometers east of Munich in the Ebersberg Forest is the town of Markt Schwaben. Actually, it’s Markt Markt Schwaben, receiving the “Markt” title after getting market rights. I know, kind of confusing since it already had the name Markt. Don’t ask, just go along with it. ;-)

As with many small towns Markt Schwaben has quite a few markets throughout the year. The weekly market, held on Thursdays from 7am – noon, is a hodge podge of colors created from all the produce and flowers. And, don’t confuse the annual Advent Market (end of November) with the Christmas Market (the week before Christmas).

Is there anything as it seems in Markt Schwaben?

Pritzl-Haus is kind of an enigma in town. Some of the building’s 30 rooms in this 1890’s mansion, once used as a bakery, are only closet sized. That’s either a serious walk-in closet or a seriously tiny room. What were they thinking?

Markt Schwaben’s Town Hall is a blend of the old and new, with parts of the municipal building, it’s a modern structure attached to an old castle.

And the town’s water tower isn’t as old as it pretends to be. The look is medieval, the reality is that it wasn’t built until many centuries later.

At least you know what you’re getting when you visit the Mariahilf Kapelle, it’s just a tiny little (yet cute) chapel built in the 1720’s.

Just as well, you know what to expect at the Brauereifest, held every two years on even numbered years in late Summer. Yeah, that’s right, beer. Oh, don’t think of it as a bad thing — Bavaria and beer go hand-in-hand.

The Markt Schwaben local history museum is pretty straightforward, too. Located at Bahnhofstr. 28, the museum has exhibits from the Stone Age to modern day.

Even if you don’t speak German, you can follow along with a show put on at the Weiherspiele. It’s an outdoor theater created by an amateur theater troupe.

I think Markt Schwaben is a pretty nifty place, no matter what its name is; and I think you’ll agree.

Anytime you got the chance to sample some of a country’s best culinary specialties, eat them. And, good food is exactly what you’re going to find in the town of Marpingen during the town’s Exweller Village Festival on the first weekend in September.

Wine is also big around here and you can pair it with some Frikadellen (meat dumplings), Rhabarberkuchen (a rhubarb cake), and Kerschder, which are pan fried potatoes; all of which are local yummies. :-)

Other festivals in Marpingen, such as on Rose Monday (right before Lent starts) and the Marienkirmes (a church celebration) give you ample opportunity to try even more local delicacies.

Chowing down isn’t the only thing visitors and locals alike are able to do here. The town is historic and there are a few sites to see if you can tear yourself away from the table.

The Alte Mühle, or Old Mill, was built in 1836 and is now a meeting center, has a cafe, and houses the local history museum. Then there’s the Hiwwelhaus Alsweiler, the oldest farmhouse in the entire Saarland.

While the Marienkapelle isn’t quite a century old yet, it’s still one of the most beautiful places in town to visit. It is said that back in the 1870’s an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared here at the edge of the town’s woods.

I won’t discount anything of what took place in Marpingen’s woods more than a century ago; but there is proof positive of 1st century A.D. archaeological finds in the surrounding forest.

If you like what you see, then spend a few days getting to know Marpingen and the area of the Saarland. There are a few small traditional style guesthouses for overnight visitors.

When you find yourself in Saarbrücken, that’s only a half hour south, make sure you come see Marpingen. Your taste buds will be doing a “happy dance”! ;-)

Münchberg is an Upper Franconian town that’s known in Germany as the “Textile Town of Bavaria.” To be honest, it needs to be known for “oh so much more.”

There are many (LOTS) of historical old buildings and pretty streets throughout Münchberg’s twenty-four local municipalities; although, many are just rural residential hamlets. Take your time wandering about, you’ll find all kinds of stuff to see.

For example, Münchberg’s Pedestrian District (known as Lindenstraße). You’ll find it to be a tree-lined street separated by a brook, framed with flowers, park benches, and little shops. To cross, just walk over the little bridges that link the two sides of the street.

In the City Park there are many sculptures created by local artists. Any place that takes this much pride in itself, is simply fantastic.

Princess Mathilde Karoline von Bayern (a 19th century Bavarian princess) knew how lovely Münchberg was when she stayed here back in the 1830’s. She stayed at the historical Gasthof Bayerischerhof; and you can, too. The hotel is lovely and befitting of royalty but, no title is necessary to stay the night.

You might need to stay the night because you got lots to see around here. Make a trip over to the Evangelical Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1860’s), a Parsonage Building that was built in the 1560’s, and the town’s City Hall is neatly decorated with many flowerboxes.

Don’t skip out of town before you see the Cemetery Church, which was put here way back in the 16th century. It did have to be rebuilt in 1745 and that’s the church you see today.

One of the newer sites in Münchberg is the Holy Family Catholic Church, which was built over a hundred years ago. Funny, to consider something that old as the “new kid on the block.”

Interestingly enough one of the greatest Celtic finds EVER was found right here in Germany, in the Upper Bavarian town of Manching to be more precise.

More than 450 pieces of Celtic gold were found in this little town right south of Ingolstadt and many other pieces of the time are housed in the Celtic Roman Museum. Yes, that means they have exhibits on the Roman, as well (like Roman ships and alter stones). If you like Celtic history or art, you gotta see the Celtic Oppidum (a Celtic settlement) that’s now an archaeological site.

Manching isn’t all prehistoric and Roman history. No, it’s all about beer. The Zum Fuchbau takes its beer seriously, the hotel’s beer garden can seat up to 230 people!

On the last weekend in August, Manching holds the 4-day fair and beer festival known as Barthelmarkt. The festivities date back to the mid 14th century, but the Romans used to hold a cattle market stems from that.

Barthelmarkt isn’t the town’s only festival. Oh, no, there are plenty others. Come to Manching just about anytime during the Summer or Fall and you’ll find a party going on. For instance, the Fire Brigade Celebration is at the end of July, the Summer Celebration is mid August, and the Kürbisfest (a pumpkin & gourd artist celebration) is in the middle of September.

Other artistic venues in Manching include cabaret and theater performances.

If you want something a bit on the quieter side then Manching can accommodate you. There are lots of cycling and walking trails, or swim and fish in one of the nearby lakes. Winter time is the better time to come swim indoors at the municipal indoor pool.

And when you’ve got enough and want to get away from it all, then head over to the Ingolstadt-Manching Airport (IGS), which hosts the EADS headquarters of its Military Air Systems department.

Manching is a fun town where you can party with pumpkins and drink beer for days. Actually, it’s a place where you can party just about anytime. Like there’s anything wrong with that! ;-)

The six local parts of Michendorf are just south of the largest city in Brandenburg, Potsdam. There isn’t a whole lot to see here, but what little it does have is quite lovely.

That’s all right, give you plenty of time to eat through town. Please, with all the lakes and rivers through the countryside you’ll be able to dine on locally caught carp, eel, or crayfish.

If seafood isn’t your idea of a good meal, try the potato pancakes. Potatoes and asparagus (the little respected veggie it is) are big crops around here with lots of farms over the area to prove it.

Some of the farms are located in the Nature Park Nuthe-Nieplitz. Even if you don’t want to go farm hopping, the nature park is more than picturesque so keep your camera handy.

After a hearty meal, go see the Michendorf’s Framework Church. It was originally built in 1375 and was rebuilt in 1743. There are two other churches with the same name, known as Feldsteinkirche. The one in Wildenbruch was a 13th century military church; which means that besides having Sunday services it was used to protect villagers from invading outsiders.

I almost forgot about the town’s Paltrock windmill and support mill. They were built back in the early to mid 19th century and still mill corn to this day.

Since the town is close to Potsdam, you can find a Michendorf hotel here for less money than what you’ll pay in the big city. The Gasthof Zur Linde is one of the town’s charming hotels with a golf course, spa services, and some water sports. You’ll find it on Kunersdorfer Straße 1 in Wildenbruch.

The Tryp Potsdam Michendorf Hotel is along the Berliner Ring and easily accessible from both Potsdam and Berlin. Because of its location, its a good place to stay and still be able to visit the whole area.

There might not be a lot to see in the area of Michendorf, but you’ll find nice hotels, good food, and a pretty countryside. That’s good enough for me!

Möhnesee is a town where the whole family can come relax and soak up all the natural scenery you can. The natural beauty of the Arnsberg Forest and the Möhnetalsperre (Möhne Reservoir) see thousands of visitors every year; you should be one of them.

Don’t come to Möhnesee if you’re looking for historic haunted castles or dark medieval churches. That isn’t what you’ll find here in the town’s fifteen municipalities. Actually, most of them are just quiet farm and residential villages.

But, just to set the record straight, the cute Drüggelter Chapel (and all her beautiful artwork) was built in the 12th century and the St. Pankratius Parish Church is over 300 years old. The interior is so ornately decorated that many people come to see it and it really is one of Möhnesee’s attractions.

If you can help it, though, don’t spend any more time inside than necessary. Grab the family and head over to the Sea Promenade with a playground for the little ones, miniature golf, and boat rentals. The sandy beach of the lake is family friendly with all sorts of activities for the youngsters.

If you prefer the forest to the “sea” then the Arnsberg Forest is what you need. There are plenty of walking and cycling trails, as well as camping facilities.

For those who prefer not to “rough it,” the Hotel Haus Delecke is one of the most deluxe hotels in town. Looking more like an old manor house than a large “chain” hotel, come play a round of golf, try your hand at squash, or sit in the garden with a good book. The hotel’s gourmet restaurant serves traditional rustic German cuisine in a fine-dining atmosphere.

There are other Möhnesee accommodations for various price ranges, though.

With all the “beach” side activities and the calm of the forest, who wouldn’t want to spend a few nights here?

You’ll find the town of Morsbach in the refreshing Bergisches Land region, next to the Rhineland-Palatinate state; all sixty-six local shires of it.

While the town has been settled since the Stone Age (prehistoric tools have been found here), the Middle Ages made more of an impact on the layout of the place.

Look around many of Morbach’s villages and you’ll see plenty of half timbered buildings. Some great examples can be found on Bahnhofstraße 4, the Fachwerkhaus in Holpe, and the Rheinischer Hof. But, it’s not only those fairytale looking beauties from the time period that you’ll see. Morsbach’s got castles, too.

Sadly, you can’t get to see the inside of Burg Volperhausen (it is private property) but the outside view of this 15th century castle is impressive. It couldn’t withstand the Swedish Forces during the Thirty Years’ War, but the Counts von Hatzfelds did rebuild it to what you see today.

Another one is the water castle Krottorf, which means that this castle’s got a moat. But, this 12th century original (and its formidable walls and two towers) is known for its wonderful stucco artwork and castle park. Hey, at least you can see the inside of this one. :-)

But, if you want to see the ultimate in medieval architecture and art, it’s the 13th century St. Gertrude Romanesque Basilica that will have you speechless. Impressive isn’t strong enough a word for this grand stone church, gobsmacked or awestruck just might work.

Throughout the many hamlets of Morsbach, you’ll find numerous walking trails that will take you along farmland, countryside roads, and a mile marker (I mean kilometer marker) showing the distance to Rome in Italy. Wow, those Romans really got around!

So, if you got some time take a hop over here to Morsbach. With sixty-six local villages it could take a while and you never know what you might find. :-)

Mandelbachtal when translated to English means Almond Brook; and it’s quite a fitting name for this town in Saarland (near the French border) because of its many almond trees that dot the countryside.

But the delicious nut isn’t the only reason why this place is so famous. Many artifacts from Celtic days that were found here are now on display at the Prehistoric Museum in nearby Saarbrücken.

For more local Mandelbachtal history, look no further than the Village Museum.

But, the biggest attraction to Mandelbachtal is the Monastery Gräfinthal. Its 13th century monastic church is on the famous Jacob’s Way (a stopover for pious pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain). It’s also the final resting place of 18 year old Princess Anna Leszczyńska, the daughter of an 18th century Polish king. Every summer since 1932 the monastery has held amateur plays in its outdoor theater.

The Ommersheimer Weiher is also pretty popular. Take a walk along the banks of the water, enjoy a game of table tennis, football (soccer), miniature golf, or let the kids run around the playground. There’s also a cafe, restaurant, and beer garden.

Haus Lochfeld is also a nifty place to visit in Mandelbachtal. This turn of the 20th century farm has its own rose garden and herb garden; but, no beer garden. ;-)

The town of Mandelbachtal is also famous for (believe it or not) Iceland horses and many horse farms can be found throughout the area. Maybe the steeds like almonds?

Buy some yourself at the town’s Weekly Market (held on Tuesdays) or try some other local specialties at the Village Celebration on the 1st weekend in July. The Summer Garden Celebration is just another reason to eat and then eat some more.

Or, maybe enjoy a good bottle of wine since you’re in-between the Moselle and Palatinate regions. Try to find a good one that will pair nicely with Mandelbachtal’s almonds!

Werther (Westfalen) is the original home to the famous butterscotch toffee known around the world as Werther’s Original or Werther’s Echte.

Sweets aside, Werther is a solid German town at the Teutoburg Forest. Don’t confuse the town with the opera Werther based on a novel by Johann Goethe, though, or the other Werther in Thuringia.

It’s a fun loving place that celebrates a Bierfest at the end of July, a City Festival (called KuKuK) on the 2nd weekend in May, and a Christkindlmarkt on the 3rd weekend in Advent. To translate the latter to English, that’s a Christmas Market that happens 2 or 3 weeks before Christmas.

Come to Werther the weekend before Easter for something completely different; that’s when the Schloss Open takes place. No, it’s not a tennis match or a golf game (there IS a golf course here, though, if you like to play), it’s a chess tournament.

When not drinking, shopping, or thinking “check mate” the town has some wonderful framework buildings to see. Many were built way back in the 17th and 18th centuries; the Venghauss’sche Haus on Ravensberger Road is one of ’em.

One of the oldest buildings in town is Haus Werther, a manor house that’s been here since 1295. No longer a home for local Counts, everyone gets to enjoy the place since it’s a local meeting center and library.

If you want an old church to wander around in, then St. Jacob’s Church is it. Here’s a chance to see a real 14th century Gothic church up close and personal. I’m not taking anything away from the town’s Protestant Parish Church, that’s lovely — just not as old.

Werther only has a couple of museums and if you’re an Impressionist art lover than the Peter-August-Böckstiegel-Haus (Schlossstraße 111) is great. This is his home town and the house where he was born has exhibits of his work.

There’s also an Agricultural Museum with exhibits on farming life from the 1850’s through the 1950’s. Amazing to see how technology had changed within a century.

That’s only a small chunk of time for a town that celebrated its millennia in 2009. And be thankful that Bierfest and the Schloss Open don’t happen at the same time — might be a bit hard to concentrate! ;-)