In the foothills of the Swabian Alb in the Echaz River Valley lies Pfullingen. It’s a town that dates back to around 937 by Emperor Otto I, lost its city privileges at the end of the 14th century when it was conquered by, what was then, the Imperial Free City of Reutlingen. It didn’t gain them back for almost 300 years, in 1699.

Pfullingen is such a pretty town and centrally located near Stuttgart. You can see just about the entire region when you’re up on George Mountain, a Swabian volcano. On a clear day, you can even see the edges of the Black Forest.

Also up in the mountains, is the Schönbergturm, an observation tower rising some 793 meters, having been built at the end of the 19th century. You can enjoy a wonderful mountain picnic at the bottom of the tower where there are tables available for some great food with the great scenery of the countryside.

In the center of town while visiting the market, you’ll be able to see the two city halls, dated from the 16th and 17th centuries. There’s the Martinskirche and all its many changes, the original wooden church dates from the 7th century and then built from stone in the 8th.

In the 10th century, the church was made into an early Roman style and much of what you see today is from the Late Gothic period from 1463. A Baroque-style Tower was added in 1773.

The Monastic Church, a much more austere structure than Martinskirche, dates from the 13th century. Concerts are now held here and a quite the contrary to when speaking was forbidden. Though, speaking was allowed in certain circumstances and you’ll see the “speech lattice” where only foreigners were allowed to speak through, of course only with permission and supervised.

Make the extra effort to see the Schlössle, dating from 1450, a half-timbered structure that now houses the city’s local history museum.

It wasn’t until 1969 that this town in the Rhineland-Palatinate state, officially became Lahnstein when Niederlahnstein and Oberlanstein were merged. The area itself though dates back to the Late Stone Age, approximately 3000 B.C., and sits at the foothills of the Taunus Mountains and the Westerwald.

The town of Lahnstein is one of historical significance and has many medieval sights for you to visit. It was once occupied by American and French Forces from 1945-1956. It’s now a spa city with some thermal baths for some relaxation after a day of business.

Since Lahnstein was also of strategic importance along the Rhine, that even when the Romans came, they knew to build a stone watch tower for defense. There are many other towers, including the Hexenturm (Witches Tower) and gates scattered throughout the city.

The St. John’s Church and Abbey dates back to the 9th century when it was just a small church. Now there stands a Romanesque basilica from the year 1130. It had been destroyed several times though the centuries and was rebuilt in the mid 1800s.

There’s also a cemetery at the church that dates back hundreds of years. The Parish Church of St. Barbara dates back to 1358, having had to be rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Wirsthaus an der Lahn, a tavern, was built with a stone ground floor and is half-timbered on the upper floors, having been built in 1697. There are other taverns along the Lahn River with long histories as well.

The Lahneck Castle was built in 1226 by the Archbishop of Mainz, sitting high above the Lahn River. This medieval fortress, built to protect the Archbishop’s silver mine, had the castle chapel completed in 1245 and dedicated to St. Ulrich.

Legend tells that when the Knights Templar were forced to disband by Pope Clement V in the early 14th century, 12 Templar Knights holed themselves up in the castle and fought to the death against the Archbishop of Mainz, Peter of Aspelt.

Korntal-Münchingen, a unification of Korntal and Münchingen, is located on the northwestern border of the city of Stuttgart — approximately only 10km from its city center — and to the west of the Porsche factory.

Korntal dates back to the year 1297, while Münchingen dates to around 1130. It seems the more turbulent history belongs to Münchingen, since most of the original town buildings were destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. Korntal, the younger town, is where most of the older buildings date back only to the 19th century.

The best way to see Korntal-Münchingen is by using each of its own circular route through its respective town. While in Korntal, or Grain Valley, you’ll find some great 19th century architecture as in the Large Hall, built in 1819. The Old City Hall dates from 1834, and the Landschloss Hotel was once the manor house of Baron von Görlitz. It’s been used as a hotel since 1819.

The Old Cemetery, once called the Funeral Garden, dates with graves prior to 1892, when it was no longer used. What is interesting enough about the Old Cemetery is that all the graves are aligned to the east!

Münchingen seems to be quite a bit older than its neighboring sister town. The half-timbered City Hall from 1687 replaced the original destroyed in the Thirty Years’ War in 1644. Also heavily damaged at the same time is the Johanneskirche with its tower from the 13th century. In what was once the Old School, a building from 1643, now houses the Local History Museum since 1986.

You need to head over towards the Hengel House, a charming house owned by the same family for over eight generations — little has changed on this house for some 200 years!

For other great buildings with history and charm, walk over to Schlossgasse 18, a true Münchinger farmhouse. And, the Backhaus (in Hintere Gasse) is a baking house dating from 1844.

Of course, no town is complete without a castle! Münchinger Schloss was owned by the Baron von Münchingen in 1558 on foundations of the original lock from 1304. When the castle was passed to the Baron von Harling in 1733, he built a new castle in a Rococo-Baroque style and connecting the old and new castle.

Korntal-Münchingen is easy to get to, being so near the city of Stuttgart. You’ll fall in love with it on its own merits for all its history and charm!

In the Lippe District bordeing the great Teutoburg Forest lies the spa town of Horn-Bad Meinberg and all its 18,000 residents, where people from all over have come to enjoy the therapeutic mineral baths for centuries.

Parts of the town date back to 978, though the area had been settled for a millenia prior. It’s no wonder, when you have great mineral baths all around to relax you.

You’ll just want to enjoy all of the outdoors of the place, as the pedestrian park at the Kurpark will just entice you to explore its cafes and its quiet romantic nook.

The Silvatikum is a beautifully designed park, making use of the natural surrounding forest. Where else could you possibly see 36,000+ trees from 14 countries in one place? Also, Horn-Bad Meinberg’s nature park has 2000 kilometers of marked walkways to explore at your leisure.

And while you’re out and about in town, you can go explore the town’s castle, having been around since the 14th century. Horn-Bad Meinberg’s church has been around even longer than the old castle, it’s been around since the 12th century built in the Roman style. Though, Late-Gothic elements were added on the 1400s.

Just southwest of the town church on Kirchstraße, you’ll see plenty of well kept half-timbered houses that Germany is so famous for. The Malzdarre City Tower, once a watchtower built in 1550, was also once used as Horn’s office for local brewers.

You’ll be lucky if you’re in Horn-Bad Meinberg the week before Pentecost for the town’s annual May festival where you’ll be treated to a splendid time with lots of food and fun! Even if you visit any other time, you’ll still be treated to great local wines and fantastic local fare.

All in all, I’m sure you’ll be impressed by Horn-Bad Meinberg — from its baths and history, to its market and festivals.

Swisttal, located in close proximity to Bonn, is comprised of ten other municipalities within the area. Each municipality gives the area of Swisttal its local flavor and history.

The villages of Swisttal are: Heimerzheim, Buschhoven, Duenstekoven, Essig, Ludendorf, Miel, Ollheim, Odendorf, Morenhoven, and Strassfeld. There are also the hamlets of Hohn, Vershoven, Moemerzheim, and Muettinghoven completing the area.

Make sure you take the time to explore each village, getting to know each one individually as each will give you something to savor.

Most are small farming villages with not more than 1000 residents respectively, although, the area itself as we know it has been around since mid 11th century. One of the oldest sites to see has been around since Roman Times; the Eifel Aquaduct, in the Buschhoven village, was built in 80 A.D.

Used by the Romans for 180 years, you can see remnants of one of the longest aquaducts made in the Roman Empire, stretching for 150 km. The original aquaduct ran from the Eifel Region to what is the modern day city of Cologne, supplying some 4.4 million gallons of water daily. So ingenious was the design that it was even built underground to protect the precious waterflow from damage and freezing temperatures.

The aquaduct in Buschhoven was destroyed in 260 A.D. by Germanic tribes and remained mostly buried for some 500 years. Buschhoven is also home to quite a few beautiful half-timbered homes and the Parish Church St. Catharina. Don’t forget to visit the Local History Museum with 600 exhibits of the local area.

The village of Heimerzheim has two castles for you to visit as well as the historic Jewish Cemetery and the Honor Cemetery with 193 graves of locals buried here from the time of the Second World War.

Morenhoven is home to one the unique “water castles.”

Also visit the 12th century chapel in Dünstekoven, once along the Pilgrimage Route; and Odendorf is home to a 12th century church.

Bear in mind… the area’s not all history, churches, and Romans, Swisttal is home to the Rhineland Nature Park.

No matter if you only stroll around all or only a few of the villages of Swisttal, you’ll just be really glad you did!

Marktoberdorf, a quaint town in the scenic Allgäu region near the famous Neuschwanstein Castle (the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella’s Castle), has been around since at least Roman times.

Since it is also a state-approved health resort, you’ll find Roman Baths there dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

If you appreciate old historic churches, Marktoberdorf would be a dream town for you! There are at least seven churches worth visiting.

The Parish Church Spiral Chapel only dates back to the turn of the 20th century, but will give you a great bird’s-eye view of Marktoberdorf. The Parish Churches Michael and Joseph, respectively date back to to 18th century, while the Kindle Chapel was built in 1971 and the traditional chapel for mothers praying for their ill children. The Parish Church Johannes dates back to the 17th century.

Older still is the Women’s Chapel built in 1475 and the Parish Church and Monastery Alban, dates back to 1465. The City Parish Church St. Martin dates back to 750 A.D. In 1200 a new church was built in its spot, changed to a gothic style in 1430, and a Rococo style in 1730.

As you will see, there’s plenty of gorgeous art and architecture in these grand old buildings for you to see.

This historical city makes wonderful use of all its old buildings. Even what is now the Bavarian Music Academy dates back to the 18th century and was once known as the Fürstbischöfliches Schloss. While you’re there, take a visit to the Kurfürstenallee and stroll along 200 year old trees.

You can also visit the Plague Cemetery, used for the town’s plague victims in 1634 and 1635. There’s even a memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers in World War I and World War II.

Though it’s not all history in Marktoberdorf, the town is host to a special Chamber Choir competition held every two years and the town has it’s own private brewery. What better way to end a day in Marktoberdorf than with a great beer; it’s Germany, after all! ;-)

The town of Torgau on the banks of the Elbe River forever will be known where the Red Army met up with the United States Army on April 25, 1945 during the Second World War invasion of Germany. It was at first occupied by American troops, then became under the control of the Soviets.

There’s a plaque commemorating the historic event on the banks of the Elbe.

But, Torgau’s history dates back much further than the 20th century, dating back at least another 1000 years. It is believed that there was once a castle made of wood. When it fell in the 10th century, it had fallen to the Holy Roman Emperors who built a castle made of stone (the current Hartenstein Castle).

Not quite as old as the castle is the town’s market, dating back to the early 12th century. Surrounding the market, you’ll be able to visit the 13th century St. Nicholas Church, and see some of the historic Burgher’s homes.

The castle is open for tours and the B Wing houses works of art, the Castle Chapel (consecrated by Martin Luther in 1544), and the District Museum with medieval arms and armor. There are great views of the Elbe from the castle’s towers (the Südturm, Hasenturm, Jagdtor, and Flaschenturm). While some castles are surrounded by a moat filled with water, the castle moat in Torgau is filled with brown bear. It was at Court in 1627, that the first German Opera, Dafne, by Heinrich Schütz was performed.

The period of the Reformation were turbulent times in Torgau. By the year 1523, the entire town’s cloisters were closed and the townspeople destroyed priceless works of art, including paintings and statues of saints. Katarina von Bora, Martin Luther’s wife, is buried in St. Mary’s Church Cemetery. There’s also a plaque at Katharinenstraße 11, the house where she died.

Though the past has been quite tumultuous, the medieval town of Torgau shouldn’t be missed as it’s filled with so much history and such beautiful architecture.

Heusenstamm, dating back to the early 13th century, was a small town and of its 250 residents in the early 17th century, most succumbed to the Thirty Years’ War and the Plague. The town was also once run by mayors from the Nazi Party from 1933 to 1945.

Now, with a population of ~18,000 and its close proximity to Frankfurt am Main, it’s seen a great deal more population and economic growth.

There’s great shopping to be done on Frankfurter Straße, the main shopping street. But for a modern town it still looks like something straight out of a storybook, right down to its very castle and half-timbered houses.

Heusenstamm has a Catholic majority and there are two beautiful churches to see here, as well as an Evangelical church. Maria Himmelskron, the Catholic Parish Church built in 1956, is quite a bit younger than St. Cecilia’s Church built in 1739 with its wonderful ceiling frescoes. The town’s Evangelical church is the Gustav Adolf Kirche that was built in 1923 with its onion dome, costing an estimated 73 trillion Marks to build.

There’s plenty more places of interest to visit in this town. The Heimatmuseum (Homeland Museum); the Old Town and the Old Town Hall; the Old Jewish Graveyard in the woods; and the Torbau, an 18th century arched gatehouse.

By the way, Heusenstamm is known as the Stadt im Grünen, the town in the green. A visit to the nature conservation areas of See am Goldberg and Nachweide von Patershausen is home to rare plants and animals.

Heusenstamm is hosting an annual Bahnhofsfest (Railway Station Festival). The Kultursommer has been held yearly since 1987 at the Hinteres Schlösschen (Little Castle in the Back) and the Weinfest (Wine festival) has been held yearly since 1996. Try not to drink too much, though, as there’s more to see here.

Finnentrop once had an identity problem. It was known by at least three different names (Habbecke, Neubrüke, and Bahnhof Finnentrop) until sometime at turn of the last century, now it#s just simply Finnentrop.

The town today was created by connecting pieces of different areas such as Schlipruethen, Oedingen, Atterdorn-Land, and Helden.

Not to say that the area known today as Finnentrop doesn’t have a long history. In fact, at least three locks, or manor houses, are great places to visit. The Schloss Ahausen and Schloss Lenhausen are 14th century water castles and House Bamenohl is a wonderful Baroque water castle.

There are great half-timbered houses in the area as well.

The two Catholic Churches in the area are worth a visit. The Maria Himmelfahrt dates back to the 1700s and the small St. George Church dates back to the turn of the 19th century.

There’s always a chance to see the Old Person’s Mill in Frettermühle, once a corn mill for 600 years, and get a chance to see some older technology. Why not head over to the Homeland Room for the exhibits on daily life “back in the day.” There are exhibits on the town’s processing of flax and beekeeping.

For something completely different, take a bike tour of the Bat Tunnels, linking Finnetrop and Eslohe. The bat tunnels are closed seasonally, so the town’s bats can hunker down for the winter completely unbothered.

Maybe you’d rather head on over to the Finto? It’s a great spa with a wonderful pool, sauna and fun for the entire family. The Finto offers many special parties throughout the season, has a children’s pool and opportunities for kid parties.

After all the sightseeing that the area of Finnentrop has to offer, maybe one of the massages offered at the Finto will relax all of your tired muscles. ;-)

The town known today as Lauchhammer in Brandenburg didn’t come into existence as we know it until the 1950’s, when the areas like Green Forest and Mosquito Mountain were united. The historical area of town, however, has been around since at least 1267 but settlements in the area have dated back some 3000 years.

Lauchhammer is a relatively industrial. That tradition goes back to the 19th century when Germany’s first steam engine was built here in 1803; and when six railway lines opened in the 1870’s, the area was connected with all of Germany. You can even see how important the coal coking industry was to the area when you visit the Bio Towers that stand 22 meters high (approximately 99 feet).

The town flourished during other periods of history as well, such as during the First World War, when increased production came to be an economical boom. Be sure to visit the Yard Settlement where 5,000 little cottage type houses were built for the area’s coal miners.

Though, they seem to be much prettier today than they were some 50 years ago. ;-)

You’ll learn plenty about village life in Lauchhammer at the Local History Museum (Heimatmuseum) with exhibits, photos, and maps of the area. The Green Forest also has a cultural history museum. Church life was important in the area; the 18th century Rococo-style Protestant Castle Church has a lovely art gallery, reliefs, and wall paintings.

Lauchhammer isn’t all industry and history, though. This town of some 19,000 residents takes also its sports and leisure seriously! There’s a cute miniature golf course, open-air swimming pool, and bicycling.

You can really enjoy some great outdoor fun and relaxation, when you try hiking and camping in the Green Forest or when you visit the area’s Nature Preserve. Also, the Schlosspark, or Castle Park, is great for getting outdoors and enjoying the fresh air.