Since the 1970’s the independent communities of Alhausen, Erpentrup, Herste, Langeland, Pömbsen, Dringenberg, Kühlsen, and Neuenheerse came together and became the modern day Bad Driburg in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The area of Bad Driburg as we know it, technically dates back to the Middle Ages, but archeological finds have been found from as far back as the Stone and Bronze Ages. Those Ancient Roman rascals were even here, having left evidence of trade within the spa town.

The Romans weren’t the only visitors, though… Charlemagne came here in the 8th century during his campaign against the Saxons. While in Bad Driburg, you’ll see the Iburg Castle, that he managed to leave in ruins in 775.

Almost as old as the Iburg Ruins, is the convent of Neuenheerse, built in 868. The Convent Church of St. Saturnina was added there some 300 years later. For close to almost a millennia, the pious nuns of the convent lived and prayed here, finally having been disbanded in 1810. For the last few years, it had been opened to needy noblewomen, no matter their religious affiliation.

Not too many of the half-timbered homes, that were so popular of their time, remain in Bad Driburg as two fires in 1680 and 1683 leveled most of the town. But, some still remain in the center core of the town.

At the least, however, the town was spared from too much damage during the Second World War, when American troops took the town over.

Although there were healing springs founded as far back as the 8th century, it wasn’t until the 1782 when the Driburg Spa opened that the town became became a popular summer resort up until the war. When the British Occupation ended in 1951, Bad Driburg returned to their summer spa season, even opening another thermal bath in 1994.

It’s hard to talk about Puchheim, in the Fürstenfeldbruck District of Bavaria, without mentioning its close proximity to Munich. It’s a small suburb of some 19,000 residents located only about 18 km or 10 miles away.

The area of Puchheim dates back to at least the Bronze Age, circa 4000-3000 B.C., though the town’s name was only first mentioned in the year 948. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1422 and a large part of the population was killed in the plague of 1634.

Sadder still, the town of Puchheim was once the home to a WWI prison camp, where some 24,000 soldiers, mostly Russian and French, were held in 1914 alone. These prisoners were used to dry and clear the land for future housing, making the town pretty much what you see today.

Puchheim today, is now famous for its Gymnasium, one of the most difficult and prestigious schools in all of Bavaria.

While staying here, you’ll be perfectly located to see some of Bavaria’s most historical sites, not to mention that you’ll have the chance to enjoy some of the area’s local cuisine, including Weißwurst (white sausage) and without a doubt, some really great bier!

When you’re all done the eating and the sightseeing, you’ll be able to just spend the day relaxing at the Puchheim’s local pool. For only a few Euros you’ll be able to enjoy the warm water pool all day long.

You also won’t have to go too far to join in on one of the town’s cultural association meetings or meet some of the local artists; just head on over to the town’s Central Cent Rum.

The question is not what is there to see in Schifferstadt, but what will you see first?

It seems that at every turn, at the end of every street, there’s something to delight and surprise you. In other words, Schifferstadt is a beautiful town for everyone to enjoy.

There are small chapels scattered throughout the town, like the tiny Lorenz Chapel at the corner of Baker Lane 1 and Small Chapel Road, dating all the way back to the year 1428. Or, the Maria Peace Chapel (Maria-Frieden-Kapelle), though over 500 years younger than the Lorenz it’s still a tranquil oasis dedicated to faithful, fitting into the natural landscape.

On a more grand scale, the St Jacobus Church dates from 1101, the tower from the early 12th century, but much of what you see today dates from the 1800s. No matter what century it’s from, it really shouldn’t be missed!

The local town hall is a snapshot in time from 1558 when it rebuilt after being destroyed in 1552, as well as the half-timbered houses from the 1700s. What better a way to learn about local history than the Local History Museum, a former Bierbrauerei (yes, that’s a beer brewery) from 1715.

In 1835, a Bronze Age headdress made of gold from approximately 1300 B.C. was found here. It’s now known as the Golden Hat of Schifferstadt and is housed in the History Museum of Speyer. The town has even erected a stone plaque in honor of the Schifferstadt Synagogue that was completely ruined on Kristallnacht in November 1938.

If you still have energy after all the sightseeing, there are about 83 km of walking and biking trails around the forest in the south (with 18 km of sign posted horse riding trails).

If you’re not all that motivated, then a stroll along the Schillerplatz, the town square and market or the Bird Park, home to plenty of native species, will make it. The town even holds a four day radish festival, the Rettichfest, every summer since 1936; plus six more festivals throughout the year.

The town of Gauting in Upper Bavaria has been around for centuries, dating back to 753 A.D.

The southern edge of Gauting is considered to be the traditional birthplace of none other than Charlemagne (though historical records are none too accurate and Gauting is one of the FIVE cities thought to be his birthplace).

It wasn’t until the arrival of the railroads though that this small town that’s been inhabited since the Bronze Age, became a popular suburb of the wealthy residents of Munich.

Even though Gauting is only approximately 20 km southwest of Munich, the town itself has historical significance.

You’ll be able to travel, hike, or bike on part of the 280 kilometer road, the Via Julia, the ancient Roman Road that traveled from Günzburg, Germany to Salzburg, Austria. Maybe you’ll feel like an ancient gladiator while you’re traveling on a the 2000 year-old road.

You’ll see the years of history of Gauting through the magnificent buildings throughout the town. Though not as old as the Roman Road, the Schloss Fußberg was built in 1342, an impressive sight and shouldn’t be missed.

The Frauenkirche is a beautiful old church built in the 15th century. It was later rebuilt again, this time in a Nazi style in 1934; while the Villa Junkers was the home to Hugo Junkers, the German engineer who produced the world’s first practical all-metal aircraft.

Did you know that this town is the final resting place of many who were forced on the Dachau Death March? So many of the dead were Jewish, that the town had built a Jewish cemetery next to the town’s main one. The town somehow managed to survive the war pretty much unscathed by the Allied bombings, and some of the town’s buildings were used by U.S. forces as a TB hospital to treat some of the survivors of the Death March.

Today, Gauting is an active city of almost 20,000 people with a long history, unique culture, lively nightlife, animated cafes, and a definite flavor all its own.

Wilnsdorf is a fascinating town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age.

For you history buffs, you’re sure to get a kick out of seeing the Obersdorf Iron Age Smelting Furnace, the blast furnace known as Silberquelle, was once used as far back as 500 B.C.

Mining was big to the economy for centuries, with the last mine closing in 1957, the Heimststube Rinsdorf was originally a chapel built in the late 18th century — it now houses a museum with documents and equipment from the towns long mining days.

In a more modern time, if you consider the Middle Ages modern, the Rödgen Parish Church was built on a Romanesque foundation (there’s something for you to get excited about too, Art Historians) back in the 1300s. Even though the old church was torn down and rebuilt in 1778 the church carillon has three bells with the oldest dating back to 1515.

Since the chuch is home to both Catholics and Protestants, the tall imposing tower was rebuilt in the center so both denominations could use it. (BTW, the Evangelical part houses an organ from 1680, so lots of history in this old building.)

The Eremitage, one of the oldest half-timbered structures in Wilnsdorf, with its arched doorway and white walls, was built in 1684 and has a forest alter, a chapel, a Saint’s cottage, and even a hermit’s grave.

The forum kultur wilnsdorf (it’s usually spelled with lower case letters, but not quite sure why) near the Municipal Hall is a local folklore museum and cultural meeting place. The museum has two floors of a realistic look into life in the Siegerland at the turn of the last century. A nature exhibit explains the area’s plant and insect life, while you can “make a trip through time” with an exhibit that takes you from the Stone Age, onto the Middle Ages, then to Modern Times of the area.

As you can see, Wilnsdorf is a town where the history of the ages comes alive.

Not more than 20 minutes from the hustle and bustle of the busy city life of Frankfurt am Main, you’ll find refuge in the healing springs of Bad Soden am Taunus.

Located on the southern end of the prosperous Taunus Mountains, you’ll enjoy 30 (!) thermal and mineral springs. For those of you who love a good dip, this is THE place for you!

The town itself dates back more than 800 years but the area dates back even further with archeological finds going back to 600 B.C.

From the time of at least the 15th century the local people knew of the “medicinal” properties of Bad Soden, having talked about a “fountain of health” known as the Milk Spring.

During the time of Germany’s Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) the farmers of the area covered up the milk spring with dirt and a millstone, so that the wouned wouldn’t make pilgrimages here. The spring was lost to war and time, thankfully rediscovered by a farmer some fifty years later.

Many of the famous have come to Bad Soden to relax and benefit from the warm salt water thermal pools. In its heyday, the likes of Kaiser Wilhelm, Wagner (who wrote the famous Wedding March), and Tschaikowsky (Swan Lake Composer) could be seen taking a therapeutic dip.

Bad Soden must have left some impression on Tolstoy since he mentions it in his famous book Anna Karenina.

The modern town of Bad Soden plays host to Wine Week every May and the Mid Summer’s Night Festival (Sommernachtsfest) on the 3rd weekend in August. Since this town is so close to the city of Frankfurt, many residents live in in this tidy little suburb and commute to the big city.

If you’re looking to fully appreciate the town, a stop at the Municipal Museum will help. The exhibits on display really give you an understanding of the history and life in Bad Soden. The restored Old Town Quarter has a Hundertwasserhaus, one of the homes of the famous German artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

There are a few parks (which are great for just a healthy walk), and you should see the “Fountain of Champagne” which is located in Wilhelmspark and is also where the Art in the Park (Kunst im Park) viewing starts.

What an illustrious history this town has had over the centuries. Romans, writers, composers, and even emperors have made the special journey to the extraordinary countryside of the Eichwald Forest, simply known as Bad Soden.

Sondershausen, once the capital of the principality of Schwarzberg, is now within the German State of Thuringia. In what was once a mining town in East Germany, it doesn’t seem to be too well-known for tourists, but is quite appealing nonetheless, situated within vast forests and a picture-perfect countryside.

The main attraction is the Schloss Sondershausen that sits right in the middle of town and was once the home of the princes of Schwarzberg-Sondershausen from the 17th century. It’s now a museum open to the public who can see the grand rooms, which are richly decorated and furnished. A notable room is the Am Wendelstein featuring stuccos from the 17th century.

The castle gardens are great for walking around while discussing this impressive castle built in the 16th century or the golden carriage made in France, or perhaps the natural history collection.

For something really different, take a 2 1/2 hour tour of the Erlebnisbergwerk, a former potash (potassium carbonate) mine. You’ll don a yellow hard-hat and blue overcoat and go some 2300 feet below the surface of the Earth and explore the mind that was opened in 1893.

The market Square is the main meeting place in Sondershausen. Besides finding tons of cafes (where they drink their coffee really strong), bars, and restaurants, you’ll find plenty of really old building to look at. Just like the Trinity Church (Trinitatiskirche), one of the oldest building in Sondershausen, dating back to the middle of the 13th century.

Sondershausen is a welcoming place where you’ll find great food, great people and an all around good time. Do yourself a favor and rent a bicycle to ride around this really remarkable town before everyone else finds out it’s here.

Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia, not to be confused with Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, is a delightful little town in North Germany.

Due to its location, Halle (Westphalia) has been lucky to enjoy moderately warm summers and mild winters, so a visit, no matter the season, is surely going to be just lovely in this storybook land.

This is one of those historical towns with its own castle located nearby. Tatenhausen is a lily-pond moated castle in the Tatenhausen Forest, built in the 1500s on foundations dating from the 1300s.

Strolling along the pleasant town of Halle, you can see the half-timbered houses that look like the English Tudor Style and popular from the 11th-18th centuries, the oldest one being Kirchplatz #3 built in 1512.

At Bahnnhofstraße 10, for example, is a half-timbered house that has bay windows dating back to the 1600. Someone would feel really bad if a baseball came flying through one of them! What a superb way of starting to see a city that dates back to the 1200s.

The Protestant Parish Church (and surrounded by the historical half-timbered houses) has been around since that time, built with a single-nave in the 1200s and had additions dating from the 15th, 16th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Truly a divine work in progress!

One of the regularly held events in Halle is the weekly market held on Fridays in the city center. Another great event is the Party im gelben See or party in the yellow pond — an annual folk festival held in a field of sunflowers. If you’re lucky enough to be in Halle before Christmas, the annual Christmas Market near the Protestant church is held on one of the Sundays of Advent (dates change yearly).

You’ll love this town because of its old-world charm and history. A picturesque town with all the modern day amenities, yet still a place of quiet elegance making you feel you’re in a land of an enchanted fairy-tale.

When is a city not a city? When it’s Riedstadt.

Well, it actually is a city located not more than a half hour from Frankfurt and a couple minutes from Darmstadt. It’s the combined independent communities of Crumstadt, Erfelden, Goddelau, Leeheim, and Wolfskehlen from ages long gone.

Much has happened to these communities through the years and each one has a story onto itself; Erfelden for example, dates back some 1200 years to 779 A.D. Leeheim goes back further to 766, while Wolfskehlen is the new kid on the block going back to 1022. Geddelau was small with less than 200 residents living there back in the 1500s.

Riedstadt is the birthplace of George Büchner, the famous writer and revolutionary, born in 1813 in a half-timbered house originally built in 1665. The house still stands to this very day.

Riedstadt has its own nature preserve, Kuhkopf-Knoblochsaue, where you can choose to bird watch or do something a bit more active, like canoeing if you’re the ambitious type. If you rather take a more leisurely approach, take a tour of the nearby Nierstein Winery. You can’t go wrong since Germany makes so many fine wines.

What makes Riedstadt so special besides its history is that it is so centrally located to so many sites throughout Hesse. A jaunt to see Mathildenhöhe with its exhibition halls and wedding tower. What a great way to spend an afternoon.

Located not too far from Riedstadt but definitely worth the trip is Frankenstein’s Castle. Yes, that Frankenstein Castle. It was originally built in the 10th century, but what you see today was mostly built in the 14th and 15th centuries.

With all there is to see and do around this town, maybe you might consider relaxing with a leisurely stroll or sitting for a refreshing cup of tea around the market square. And with all the history that surrounds Riedstadt and its most advantageous location, you may even wish to stay in this tiny suburb. ;-)

Where does one get all dressed in medieval costumes and reenact scenes from the Middle Ages all the way to the 18th century?

In Seesen, of course, as they put on the Sehusafest, the largest renactment parade in all of Northern Germany. It’s held the first weekend in September in the town that’s a 1,000 years young. (Seesen, sitting high in the Harz Mountains, was “created” by Otto II when he granted the land in 974 A.D.)

It’s great the town celebrates now since there wasn’t much to celebrate in Seesen during the Middle Ages. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) had ravaged so much of the town and time and time it was destroyed by fire. So much had been destroyed that not many of the baroque period buildings remain.

What does remain is the St. Vitus Tower built some time in the 13th or 14th century (no one is quite sure when it WAS built) while the original church was torn down in the 1800s. The Sehusa Castle also remains after standing in the center of town since 1592. It’s also where the Sehusafest takes place.

The Ratskeller is another building from the 16th century, originally owned by the Brewer’s Guild (more beer!) and used for marriages of its members.

At the end of the 17th century, the town’s Duke had St. Andreas Church built with his own funds, giving it to the town as a gift in 1702. The acoustics of the church are incredible and many classical music concerts are still held here.

A stop at the City Museum is a good idea since it will give you not only a geological history, but a cultural one as well. The museum has a piano construction exhibit since none other than Henry Steinway, of the fabulous and very famous Steinway Pianos, was born in Seesen as Henrich Steinweg.

It’s hard not to love a place with such a unique and interesting history, so come to Seesen, you’ll be really glad you did.