If winning a mere Silver Medal in the German “Our Village is Beautiful” contest brings us to towns like Sulzbach an der Murr, imagine how grand a Gold Winner must be.

Ah, no time to think about that now, too much to do right here.

Located just forty kilometers northeast of Stuttgart, you’d never know you’re this close to a hustlin’, bustlin’ city. Sulzbach has more of a forest feel to it — and no wonder as its located right in the heart of the Swabian-Franconian Forest, and along the Löwenstein Mountains.

No wonder Sulzbach lies along the Idyllische Straße, also known as the Idyllic Route, a scenic route that’s best explored by hiking or cycling. You’ll most certainly fall in love with the countryside as you pass along forested trails, ponds, and waterfalls. Bike lovers might appreciate the Bitzer Bike Path, while the truly adventurous are sure to love the numerous caves that crave exploration.

While a bit more tame, but still pretty awesome, is the Barfußpark (Barefoot Park). This is 170 meters of experiences totally designed to be done, well, barefoot. And it won’t take too long, 10 to 15 minutes out of your day is well worth the mental/physical health benefits — so long as you do it from May to October (i.e., when it’s open).

Don’t worry, the cooler weather can keep you busy here. There’s a big Carnival Parade (usually in February), and the Nussknackermarkt (Nutcracker Market) is held at the end of November. And some of those fantastic hiking trails give way to a couple of cross-country ski trails.

Inasmuch as Sulzbach an der Murr is an outdoor lovers paradise, it even has a whole bunch of history to it. The Lautereck Castle you see today comes from the 16th century, although the place is technically some three hundred years older.

And long before the castle booming business of the Middle Ages came along, Sulzbach was once the edge of the Roman Empire. A trip to its Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) is chock full of information about all this, so be sure to stop on by.

Sulzbach might not have won that coveted Gold Medal, but I know this town will always be a winner in my heart.

Welcome to Borkum, an island and municipality in Lower Saxony — where you can’t go any further north or west, and still remain in Germany.

Know where you are yet? Right, you’re on one of the East Frisian islands — the largest inhabited one, to be exact.

The first thing you might notice about Borkum are its cars, or should I say, lack thereof? Yeah, plenty of ferries will bring you to this grand seaside resort island, but your car isn’t all that welcome in the height of “High Season.”

When is that? Oh, the last weekend of April kicks off bathing season. Better hurry to grab yourself a Strandkorb, or beach chair while you still can.

Sunning yourself on the beaches of the North Sea isn’t the only activity to enjoy. Heck no, you’re right on the Wadden Sea, so get yourself a guide (or a tide schedule) so you can go mudflat hiking. No big skills are involved, just moving one foot in front of the other, making it back to shore before the tide rolls back in.

What you could do after the tide comes back in is to visit Borkum’s lighthouses. What’s an island without one of those? The Alte Leuchtturm (Old Lighthous, built 1576) didn’t always have that designation, but the New Lighthouse was a feat of modern late-19th century engineering. And close to the Old Lighthouse is a local museum, if you’re interested.

I know some of you are more interested in many of Borkum’s super-fun events. One of the biggest is the Borkumer Meilenlauf, or Mile Run, always held on the first weekend of September.

And I’m pretty sure the history lovers will want to hear about pirates who once sailed these waters, tales of the German Navy, and the story of the island’s long-gone whaling days.

These days tourism is what fuels Borkum’s economy — and it’s a perfect place to enjoy a cuppa tea with Klutjes, the rock candy sweetener so popular up here.

Sorry, if you don’t mind, I’ll enjoy a coffee while taking in the views from my striped beach chair; that is until the tide goes back out. ;-)

I’ve said before that I often look at a town’s attractions (known as Sehenswürdigkeiten in German) to figure a game plan, as to what to see or do first. Tarp here up in the North didn’t make it so easy for me — I had to really work for my dinner.

Oh, I’m not complaining, Tarp’s location kept me quite happy. And it’s all right that this town isn’t overrun with a bazillion churches, a slew of castles, or too much of anything — except tall trees, wide open spaces, and friendly faces.

See, I’m no way complaining. ;-)

The first place to go is the Eulenwanderpfad, a six kilometer trail full of sculptures, known as the Owl Trail. Its starting point is at the local cemetery, making it easy enough to find.

And while you’re outside, come see the Arnkielpark — an outdoor archaeological site of megalithic graves that are more than 5,000 years old. There’s also a Boulder Garden, a unique variation of a personal rock garden, with some 72-stones.

Sounds good so far, yes? As nice as all this is, it is the Dutch Gallery Windmill (from the 1880s) that gets the honor of being Tarp’s landmark.

This town is part of Amt Oeversee, a collective municipality that lies along the Oxen Trail — a scenic route these days detailing an old cattle drive route dating back to Viking days.

The Vikings didn’t have all the creature comforts Tarp has today, places like the outdoor Community swimming pool. Day passes are available for only a few Euro, and it’s another way of enjoying northern Germany from May to September. Hey, it gets cold up here near Denmark, ya know?

Speaking of Denmark, in the 1860s the German-Danish War was being waged on these lands — and a memorial marks the spot of a battle fought here in 1864. Hard to imagine in this quiet nature reserve area, isn’t it?

What’s great about Tarp is guided tours are available at specific times, so you’ll get someone who’s really “in the know” to explain all of the town’s remarkable places much better than I ever could.

I might’ve had to work for my dinner here in Tarp, but it was truly worth it.

Ahh, it’s happened again — I don’t know where I am. I mean, I know I’m in the right place, the town of Sundhagen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but no one told me it belongs to the Collective Municipality of Amt Miltzow.

Now that I think about it, the modern day Sundhagen didn’t even exist until 2009, when some seven villages were combined to make what we see now.

Oh, you can tell the place is much older than its 21st century borders. How do I know? That’s an easy one, there seems to be one medieval village church after another.

This is what I love about this part of Germany, so may beautiful brick churches to visit. It’s not even possible to pick my favorite, I’ll just have to tell you a bit about them so you can decide which one is yours, OK?

The Village Church in Reinberg isn’t one of the oldest, having been built only in the 15th century. Kirchdorf’s church is from the 13th century, as is the St. Mary Church in the village of Brandshagen.

No, now that I think about it, it’s got to be the 13th century village church in Reinkenhagen that I love so much. There’s something special about its brick, stone, and slate design.

However, people can’t live by going to churches alone — which is why I’m glad to follow along the Küstenwanderweg, a coastal hiking trail where you can breathe in the salty air of the Baltic Sea. And if you really like the water, come see Port Stahlbrode, with ferries, fishing boats, and even a restaurant serving up the freshest of what the sea offers.

Not for you? I understand. Well, how about partying at Sundhagen’s Christmas Party & Nicholas Festival? I’ll warn ya, it gets cold up here in northern Germany, so it’s best to bring along some warm clothes.

Come when the weather’s more comfortable, this way you can hike all around the nature reserve area in the village of Brandshagen. They’re quite proud to boast they’ve got Great Cormorants. Not bad, considering this pretty bird was almost hunted to extinction.

So what if I don’t know if I’m in Sundhagen, or Amt Miltzow, or whatever. I’m just glad to be here — now to find those Great Cormorants. Here, birdie, birdie, birdie. ;-)

Strasburg (Uckermark) is truly one of a kind up here in the North. It can boast it is the only town in the entire federal state that can say it belongs to the Uckermark Region.

What’s the Uckermark, and where did the rest of it go? I’ll try to explain it, but I was a little confused myself.

The Uckermark is a historical region of northern Germany on teeming with Slavs and Prussians and Saxons, mainly divided after Germany’s reunification.

Sounds funny to say that, considering it was once all under East German rule — but when East and West met again, Strasburg was the only town to align itself with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the rest of the Uckermark becoming part of Brandenburg.

None of this, by the way, changes the fact that some of Strasburg’s sites have been around a lot longer than the Cold War lasted.

Take the church of St. Mary’s, for example. It’s quite obvious from its tower the church is quite old, built in 1250. And the town’s Rathaus (Town Hall) might be quite modern since it was built in 1849, but it sits on foundations going back to the year 1599.

Other historical sites in Strasburg would include its Jewish Cemetery, and the 8 meter high Stadtmauer. Yes, its old fortification wall counts as a historical site. I also love the old stone village churches, like the ones in Gehren and Neuensund.

As for history, you know the local history museums are a treasure trove of information, so hit up the City Museum, too.

When all this gets to be too much, you’re always welcome to relax and swim at the Stadtsee. After a refreshing dip, head out to the Brohmer Berge, a mountain area with all sorts of wonderful flora and fauna.

Ahh, I wish I could spend more time here — no doubt Vorpommern would become my new favorite place. Or, I guess had they chosen to go with Brandenburg, I’d have said that would’ve been my new favorite place. ;-)

Your turn to call it, “heads” you get a history lesson first; “tails” I’m going for telling you all about Laufach’s outdoorsy and cultural stuff first. Wait for it… ah, it’s “heads.”

Sorry, sometimes I have to flip a coin — maybe next time I’ll throw darts. ;-)

Anyway, history it is; and it might not be what you might think. Plus, once you’ve seen the modern day town of Laufach, you’ll find it much different from when the Gefecht bei Frohnhofen (Battle of Frohnhofen), a major battle between Prussia and Hesse, was waging here in 1866.

I don’t even begin to understand this 19th century war, but what I do know is many of the fallen soldiers are buried here. You’ll find monuments to each side in the local cemetery. One such memorial is found right near the Herz-Jesu-Kapelle (Sacred Heart Chapel), a neo-Gothic design from the turn of the 20th century.

Interestingly enough, it isn’t just the Prussian/Austrian Civil War that puts Laufach on the map along the Europäischer Kulturweg — this scenic route is geared towards Europe’s “artistic, cultural, and social interests” of the 19th century. I’m not that smart to figure all that out, but I do know the route kicks off right at the Old Brewery.

While not scenic routes, per se, Laufach has a whole bunch of marked hiking and cycling trails. You’ll most definitely want to take at least one, since you’re right in the heart of the Spessart. Many of the hiking trails are circular, making it easy enough to find your way back. Plus, with the information boards you’ll find along the way, you’ll learn a thing or two, as well.

When you want something a bit more strenuous, then it’ll be the mountain biking trails you want. Whether you hike or cycle, you’ll find all sorts of charming chapels and shrines dotting the landscape.

Anyone wishing for something more “urban,” come to the village of Hain im Spessart. You’ll find quite a number of 18th century half-timbered houses, and its Dorfplatz (Village Square), a center for village life and activities.

Yeah, I might not understand what the Prussian/Austrian Civil War was all about, but I do understand that Laufach is a brilliant little town, and I think you will too.

When thinking about the Bavarian town of Giebelstadt, there aren’t just thoughts of its old churches (for which there are quite a few), nor do my thoughts just wander to its castles (ruined or otherwise).

Nope, as I said before, sometimes it’s about the people who lived here that make it memorable.

The town’s most famous resident wasn’t involved in some sordid sex scandal (nothing of the sort), but don’t let that keep you from learning about Florian Geyer — and his not so peaceful death in 1525.

Mr. Geyer was not only a 16th century knight, but a consummate diplomat during the days of the Peasants’ War (and a visitor to England’s King Henry VIII’s Royal Court). In the beginning of the Peasants’ War, Florian was known to have sided with Martin Luther’s Reformation, but then fought against his ecclesiastical revolution when Mr. Luther only wanted religious reform, not a political one.

A lot of political mumbo-jumbo was going on through the war, but ultimately in the end, Geyer’s undoing came from his very own brother-in-law, who had him killed in an unknown area of the surrounding forest — and no one to this very day knows where he’s buried.

What I do know, is Giebelstadt is the location for the annual Florian Geyer Festspiele, an event that does much better in telling Florian’s story, but also has jousting and a medieval market at the ruins of the 14th century Geyerschloss.

Another of Giebelstadt’s 14th century castles is the Zobelschloss, although the one you’re staring at right now is from the 16th century. Don’t get any ideas about getting inside to look around, no visitors allowed.

At least you can get inside the Friesenhäuser Schloss, a wonderful example of Baroque architecture that’s now the local Rathaus (Town Hall).

Speaking of Town Hall, this is the location to meet for a guided Cultural/History Tour, given in four different languages — German, French, English, and Italian. See, now there’s no excuse not to participate.

No tour (guided, or not) is ever finished around Giebelstadt without visiting some of its magnificent churches. The Church of Sts. Peter & Paul is a blend of medieval Romanesque and neo-Gothic architecture, located at Dr. Amrhern Straße 6. Nor should you miss stopping by the tiny Chapel of St. Nicholas (18th century), the Church of Sts. George & Walburg (built 1618), and the old Jewish Cemetery, the final resting place of the town’s Jewish community since 1665.

When a hankerin’ for a good time outweighs your quest for the historical, Giebelstadt can deliver. July’s Summer Festival is a goodie, as is its Oktoberfest (in September), and the Castle Christmas (weekend before 1st Advent) is a charming way to spend a chilly day. As if that’s not enough, the Allersheimer Pärlesmarkt, held the 1st Sunday of May, is where folks from all over come to buy and sell all kinds of wares, eat, drink, and be all around social.

I think Florian would approve, don’t you?

Happy birthday, Pliening, I understand you’re officially 1200 years old. Let me tell you, you don’t look a day over a thousand.

Ha-ha, just cracking myself up with corny jokes, if you don’t mind. In all seriousness though, this Upper Bavarian town (that’s a mere 21km east of Munich) is no laughing matter.

Oh, who am I kidding, Pliening might be old in years, but it most certainly is young at heart — and quite fun. However, if you are here to see its more sedated side, then I’d say you’ll have to visit the 12th century Church of the Holy Cross; and with three other districts comprising the whole town — there are a couple of other village churches to visit too.

Like the Rococo? Good, then it’s the Church of St. Stephen (complete with one of those cool looking “onion” domes), while the Church of the Assumption is a Baroque one.

And before anyone gets all worked up, I’m not saying churches aren’t fun places to be — it’s just you’re not gonna run screaming with glee down a church aisle like you would if you’re outside playing around.

Which reminds me, by the way, about the Rodelhügel, a toboggan hill of laughing and playing kids and grown-ups sledding downhill in the snow.

Now I know not everyone’s into winter sports, so during the warm summer months I’d say you’ll want to visit the Ismaninger Speichersee. Now there’s no swimming in the artificial lake, but you are allowed to fish — with the proper license, of course. And the surrounding area of the lake is a bird sanctuary for Great White Egrets, Night Herons, and Reed Warblers.

Look, there’s no way I would know the difference between any of those birds — but I know a good party when I see one. Pliening’s a great place to party or shop, right down to its Fall Bazaar in September and its Artist Market at the end of November. You’ll even find a Christmas Market taking place in early December.

Not too shabby for a town that’s over twelve centuries old, is it? I’m pretty sure the Romans and Celts who once live here would agree — just as I know you would.

Wow, some things really get lost in translation from German to English. For example, if you were to literally translate the name Pommelsbrunn, a charming Middle Franconian town, it would show up as Grassington.

What? How does that happen?

I’m sorry to say I don’t have much time to think too deeply about it — but what I do know is Pommelsbrunn is a great place to enjoy both its historical side, and the fantastic countryside.

While Pommelsbrunn boasts the only medieval Bath House — you have to understand the history behind such a revolutionary building. Ok, maybe not totally revolutionary… because the Romans used to have communal bathrooms, but they were a social no-no in the Middle Ages. A tour is a good idea, and it’s worth the couple of Euro entrance fee.

Another of Pommelsbrunn’s museums is the Naturkundliches Heimatmuseum, or Natural History Museum, open Sundays (free admission, no less) that talks all about the, well, natural side of Middle Franconia.

For me, the best museum is the Vorgeschichtsmuseum Urzeitbahnhof, a prehistoric museum with exhibits on the Celts who once roamed these very lands. Although they were great hunters, you won’t have to hunt all that far for a beer — the museum’s got its own beer garden.

FYI, if you want to keep the Celtic theme going, come on over to the small Houbirg mountain (towards Happurg), once home to a Celtic settlement.

A bunch of Pommelbrunn’s other “attractions” came from much later on in history. Even though they’re not intact any longer, you won’t want to miss seeing the Kapellenruine Arzlohe, a chapel ruin surrounded by wonderful hiking trails.

If you want a castle, look nowhere else but the Burgruine Lichtenstein. Steeped in rumor and legend, this 12th century castle ruin still has magnificent carved windows/doorways.

It isn’t hard to imagine looking out over the Franconian countryside from the castle — and the best part is, you don’t have to be royalty to enjoy it.

Between you and me, travel along the Erzweg. I heard it’s one of the best hiking trails in Germany — no easy feat since there are some spectacular trails just about everywhere. And that, my friends, always translates perfectly!

The island of Rügen never ceases to amaze me. Today it’s the town of Binz, a town of just around 5,100 people who are lucky enough to live in this Baltic Sea resort town.

The town mostly gets by on tourism dollars (sorry, Euro), a long way away from its original start as a sleepy fishing and farming village from the Middle Ages.

The 19th and 20th centuries saw the biggest boom to its seaside resort growth; and many of its charming villas and churches come from that time period.

Probably the most famous would be the Jadgschloss Granitz, a hunting lodge built in the 1830s. Today almost a quarter of a million people visit this bright “castle,” whose circular stairs and grand entrance hall will have you marveling at the feats of German engineering.

Another feat of engineering is the Seebad Prora. Built as a Nazi propaganda building with their “Strength through Joy” program, this huge housing complex was designed to hold some 20,000 beach going people at one time. To say that it seems to go on forever is an understatement.

As massive as it is, nothing seems more formidable than the Baltic Sea itself. You don’t come to the beach to sit inside, do you? I didn’t think so — so it’s off to do some fishing, go surfing, try kayaking, or even taking a spin around on a catamaran. Land lubbers might prefer to do a Segway tour or play a game of beach football/soccer.

In case you didn’t know, the island of Rügen has an extensive network of hiking and biking trails. So rest assured that you’ll find plenty of pretty ones throughout Binz. Don’t feel like walking too far? Take a leisurely stroll along the Beach Promenade, OK?

I for one prefer to wander around looking at the dunes and the rippling waves of the Baltic (there’s plenty of places to see it, the beach is some five kilometers long). Oh please, I’m totally in love with the whole spa scene.

You’re welcome to join me there, that is, if you can tear yourself away from whatever strikes your fancy.