First impressions mean a lot, but often they’re not always accurate. Such was my dilemma about the town of Löchgau; where my first thought was it was best to move on.

Had I done that, I would’ve missed out on a swell town with castle ruins, fun festivals, and the pretty Stromberg countryside.

The first thing you might notice about Löchgau is its historic Town Center. The old St. Peter’s Church has been here for the better part of eight hundred years, although the oldest parts you’re staring at are just seven hundred years old.

Not nearly as old as the church, is Löchgau’s Rathaus (Town Hall). You can’t miss it with its half-timbered construction, its dainty flowerboxes, and its elegant arches.

Just a couple more things to take in before flitting off to see all the nearby castle ruins. First, you must come see the Alte Keller, a stately building that was built over five centuries ago.

Nor, should you miss a visit to the Nagelmuseum, or Nail Museum. Once an integral part of Löchgau’s economy, you’re able to learn all about it — so long as it’s on the first Sunday of the month. ;-)

And you shouldn’t miss the amazing sculptures found throughout town. The horse & rider is a stunning work of someone’s skill and imagination — and if you’ve already visited the Church of St. Peter, then you’ve already seen the Crucifixion sculpture.

All right, now you’re free to roam around the Stromberg to see all the castle ruins you can handle. Burg Bönnigheim (in, um, Bönnigheim) is a goodie, a lowland castle destroyed during the 16th century Peasants’ War.

The Grävenitzsches Schloss (over in Freudental) is a grand castle from the early 18th century; having been used as everything from a nursing home to a sanatorium. And let’s not leave out a trek to the Ruins Altsachsenheim (in Sachsenheim), built way back in the 1200s but didn’t survive past the 17th century.

Now that I think about it, all of this sound just so old, but it’s really not when considering the real history of Löchgau (and its mighty neighbors) dates back to the Romans. Right next door is the Römerhaus in Walheim, a 2nd century A.D. Roman house that’s now a museum. You probably won’t notice it on first sight as it’s encapsulated by a wooden “coat.”

Want to know a good place to talk about everything you’ve experienced so far? That’s right, one of Löchgau’s festivals. The most famous is its Hasenropferfest, a festival 2-years in the making, held over two days in July on odd-numbered years.

At least no one has to wait that long for its Krämermarkt, or its Spring Festival (both held in May).

Whew, what I thought was going to be nothing, sure turned out to be really something. I’m just totally loving Löchgau, aren’t you?

Aww, what a view! Forget the next door neighbor of Austria, I think it’s possible to see clear to Italy.

All right, that’s a bit (OK, a lot) of an exaggeration, but you really can see pretty far from atop the Kampenwand mountain here in the town of Aschau im Chiemgau in the Bavarian Alps.

The best part of getting to the top of this mountain that’s 1669 meters above sea level is, you don’t have to actually hike it. A gondola will bring you skywards, at a rate of about 300 people an hour (the trip itself takes less than 15 minutes).

That’s not to say if you’re so inclined to actually hike that kind of terrain, but that’ll take a while and there’s too much other stuff to do on, and around, the mountain.

While public access is sort of limited to Schloss Hohenaschau, you can still see some of it. (Yes, it’s that strikingly beautiful massive white building.) Every Tuesday, usually from mid-March, there are falconry demonstrations. There’s a museum inside the 12th century castle, but honestly, it’s the Baroque Chapel that truly stands in your mind. It seems every nook is brightly decorated in every color between here and Heaven.

To see some other amazing artwork, look no further than the 9th century Carolingian frescoes found on the Fraueninsel, or Frauenchiemsee, which is usually open from around Pentecost to September. So sorry, winter visitors, you’re out of luck here.

You aren’t, however, if you’re looking to do some winter sports activities — because a ski resort opens up when the snow comes to the Kampenwand. During Aschau’s three other seasons, you can try mountainbiking, paragliding, or attempt anyone of the various grades of climbing routes.

Wait, didn’t I mention that before? ;-)

Anyway, back to winter for a minute… you have got to see Aschau’s St. Michael Church (in the village of Sachrang) after a freshly fallen snow. Somehow this white Baroque building only looks more divine all covered in the frozen stuff.

Sachrang, by the way, is where you’ll find the Müllner Peter Museum, dedicated to a local man who was both a farmer and musician — and a deeply religious man.

Religion plays a dominating role here in Aschau im Chiemgau; and you’ll even find a 12 meter high cross right at the top of the Kampenwand. It is the largest cross of its kind in the Alps, just so you know.

Forget seeing Italy… I think you can see Heaven from here.

Bavaria is always a treat, and with its wide open spaces and charming villages, it is an extra sweet treat to be here. And if you are here in Bavaria, more specifically near the town of Neustadt an der Aisch, remember to come by Markt Erlbach; I think you’ll just love it.

As with many towns and villages in Bavaria, you’re sure to find quite a number of old village churches. Markt Erlbach is quite proud of theirs, and rightfully so. The Church of St. Kilian has been part of village life since the 1300s; while it oversaw a renovation in the 19th century, it still qualifies as a medieval church, mind you. ;-)

Long before anyone thought to build St. Kilian’s, the Church of St. Leonhard was already here (1278); as was the Evangelical Church of St. Jobst — except that it was an Evangelical one when it was built in 1250; neither was it when it was renovated in 1431.

It was a long time after that the town of Markt Erlbach’s Handwerkmuseum was built; a half-timbered building with green shutters. It is open every year on Sundays from Easter to November 1st, if you’re interested in visiting. How could you not be? It has all sorts of exhibits besides beautifully made crafts, displaying prehistoric artifacts and exhibits on tailoring, carpentry, and butchering. Is that even the right word? ;-)

I know the right word to describe all of Markt Erlbach’s many cultural events — lively. Doesn’t matter if you’re here for the Heimatfest in July, or the two traditional Kirchweih festivals in May — you’ll have a good time.

Germany’s known for its Christmas Markets, and it’s because of the ones you’ll find in Markt Erlbach. And the Wine Festival (July) is always a popular one to come to.

Of course, if you want to give shopping a go, come to the village of Rimbach, that’s known for its antique shops. Shopping not your thing? It’s all right, the carriage rides, horseback riding, and all the bike and hiking trails will keep you busy enough.

Didn’t I tell ya Markt Erlbach’s a real sweet treat? Yeah, and I know you’re gonna love it as much as I do.

At this point in the game of highlighting the best and brightest of Germany’s cities, towns and villages, I like to play games. When it came to the Thuringian town of Grabfeld, I pretended I was a traveler from the medieval and then another one of the 18th century — and would I recognize the town that it is today.

The answer is a resounding… well…

First off, the town of Grabfeld as we know it now changed its political history back in 2007 — when some 10 villages were combined to make the place you see today. Plus, if I just talked about being from the past or future, they’d have burned me at the stake.

No joke, they took witchcraft very seriously here in the 17th century. Countless people were terrorized and tortured over the course of some seventy years — but that’s just a drop in the bucket of time here in Grabfeld. One of the oldest sites to see are the Bronze Age tombs.

I know, it makes the old churches from the 19th century seem, well, young.

As for its even more modern history, Grabfeld used to lie along the East/West German border. Today the town falls on Das Grüne Band, or Green Belt, a scenic route along what was once a divided Germany. The folks at the German Outdoor Museum can give you a much better explanation of the Cold War than I ever could.

The town also falls along the Main-Werra Cycle Route, which is a lovely way to see the countryside. While you’re off exploring, you might want to come to Berkach, where you’ll meet up with the town’s charming village church, and its old synagogue and mikveh (ritual bath).

There’s more Jewish history to be found in Bibra, where the former synagogue (built 1846) is located at Hauptstraße 10, and is close to Oscar Meyer Square — named for the town’s last Jewish resident, not the hot dog people.

As for me being a medieval traveler of Grabfeld, I might remember a castle once being here — which its former walls still are, but sadly the castle is long gone. And for the 18th century traveler coming back to visit, they sure would remember the many half-timbered houses found through all of Grabfeld’s villages.

It’s kinda nice some things never change — although I’m really glad no one’s gonna accuse anyone of witchcraft these days anymore. ;-)

You know that saying about never forgetting how to ride a bike? Well, my friends, even if it’s been years — you’d best try to remember how to ride, because it’s probably the best way to see the Upper Palatinate town of Bernhardswald; especially if you’re gonna try to see all 91 districts of it.

I bring up biking in Bernhardswald, because it lies along the Falkensteinradweg, a scenic route through the Bavarian Forest, which meets up with the Way of St. James at some point. Better bring protective gear (and a whole lot of bike riding practice), as the Falkensteinradweg can be unpaved at times.

Don’t let that deter you — or you might prefer to use your own two feet to take in sites like the Schloss Kürm, a graceful yellow castle from the 1820s. The original medieval castle might be gone, but its original walls from the 12th century are still around.

Schloss Kürm isn’t to be confused with Schloss Bernhardswald, another castle in town from the 19th century, and in yellow too. This one too was rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire.

When you’ve got old castles, you’re going to have old churches, too. The Pfarrkirche St. Lambert has been the site of many a sermon since the 14th century — even though it doesn’t look that old. And the St. Leonhard Church in the village of Parleithen has been tending to spiritual needs since 1525.

This is all fine and dandy, but it is Bernhardswald’s many festivals and cultural events that’ll really stand out in your mind. You’ll find everything from community hiking events to a super fun Oktoberfest, that’s held in October — believe it, or not.

The Summer Festival in July is a good one to attend, as is the Fischerfest at the end of July; and June’s good for the Summer Night Festival.

You just better be careful while you’re out here bike riding — you want to attend all this in perfect health. ;-)

What struck me as odd, was the town of Riedenburg isn’t on one of the Nibelung Routes — scenic routes dedicated to the medieval tale.

I don’t know who makes these decisions, but if it were up to me — I’d have thrown in the town as, at least, an honorable mention.

Before I go spouting off any more, let me explain… The unknown author’s tale of Siegfried, and his wife, Kriemhild, is told time and time again at Burg Prunn — a medieval castle from the mid-11th century, perched high up on a steep cliff; even better that admission to this menacing castle is free from April to September.

As with the Nibelungenlied, many of Germany’s castles come from the Middle Ages, and Schloss Rosenburg is no different. This castle has seen a lot over the last 900 years — some not so good-like being destroyed during the Peasants’ War, and being plundered again during the Thirty Years’ War. Today it’s open from March to October, where you can learn all about the art of falconry.

Long before the Middle Ages made their mark on German society, the Celts were here. A trip over to the Archaeological Park Altmühl is where you’ll learn how these prehistoric folks ate, slept, and worked. More Celtic exhibits can be found at Schloss Eggersberg, too; and old graves from around 600 B.C. were found in these parts, known as the Grabhügel von Riedenburg Haidorf.

Riedenburg’s got a lot of history to take in, so it might benefit you to get in on one of the town’s guided history tours. They meet at the Marktplatz on Mondays at 6 pm from April to October. And if it’s food you love, take a Culinary City Tour on Saturdays — also meeting up at the Marktplatz.

Want another good way to eat your way around Riedenburg? How about at one of its many festivals — like the Fisherman’s Festival, the Medieval Children’s Festival, or the Volksfest — each multi-day affairs. Oooh, and think of all the goodies you’re able to get at the Farmer’s Market.

When you’ve totally satisfied your hunger, you’ve got energy to visit some old churches. Make sure you see the St. John the Baptist Church, a Baroque one from 1739. And the Church of Our Lady — while it might look like a proper Baroque church now, it is a medieval one at heart from the 12th century.

Speaking of hearts, Riedenburg, and its love of the Nibelungenlied, have managed to steal mine — and I truly believe it’ll take yours as well.

I have to tell you if it wasn’t for this compulsive quest to write about all these towns in Germany, I’d have missed out on some inviting places. Towns like Gadebusch up in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Because of that dedication to all thing German (make that an obsession) I learn something new every single day; and today it was the Battle of Gadebusch during the Great Northern War.

Ever heard of it? Yeah, I didn’t either. ;-)

Turns out there was an epic battle between the forces of Peter the Great (of Russia), Augustus the Strong (of Poland & Saxony) and Frederick IV (of Denmark) versus the Swedish & Ottoman Empires (as well as England) just days before Christmas in 1712. I mention this because there’s a diorama of the “battlefield” that you can see today.

At the risk of sounding glum, this isn’t the only dark spot on Gadebusch’s long history. I also learned that over the course of two decades, some eight people lost their lives during the town’s Witch Trials. Wow, that’s really interesting because today Gadebusch is on the Sagen und Märchenstraße (a scenic route known as the Legends and Fairytale Road).

And do you see that really pretty brick Renaissance style castle? That’s Schloss Gadebusch, once an 8th century Slavic castle that was once occupied (i.e., he took it by force) by Henry the Lion.

Honestly, I like the fact that a few hundred years later I can enjoy my goat cheese in peace here with having to defend it with a battle ax or worry about being called a witch.

Anyway, have you ever tried goat cheese? It’s quite yummy, and you can try some of the local goat cheese factory’s products at the local Farmers Market, as well as other places around town.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of opportunities to eat around here. All sorts of local goodies are served at all of Gadebusch’s events — like the Flea Market (March); the Münzfest (July) that’s also got amusements and art and music; and the very enjoyable Christmas Market.

Anyone wishing for some peace & quiet might be best served by taking on Gadebusch’s hiking trails (one is a total nature trail), or biking routes (one is 34 km going past castles, churches, and lakes). To see what a simpler life would’ve been like, go see the Rauchhaus in the district of Möllin — a farmstead of life in the 1800.

With everything going on, I almost forgot about the medieval Saints James & Dionysius Church, built in 1220. And I almost left out to tell you about the city tours that’ll take you to many of these places.

You go on ahead, I’ve got more goat cheese to eat in peace. ;-)

Just about every hour trains leave Munich, Tegernsee, and Holzkirchen for the Upper Bavarian town of Waakirchen. And it’s worth the wait if you’ve just missed one.

You’ll find delightful churches and chapels throughout its seven villages — as well as an interesting piece of German history.

Three hundred years ago it wasn’t so pleasant to be around these parts — and the Sendlinger Mordweihnacht Memorial is a testament to that.

On December 25, 1705, Bavarian troops (called insurgents in this case) led by Bavarian folk hero, the Schmied von Kochel against Habsburg Emperor Joseph I’s Imperial Army who occupied these lands. Two hundred years later, King Ludwig III (Mad King Ludwig’s cousin and last Bavarian king) dedicated this monument to the 1,100 who died fighting for their homeland.

A sad tale, but don’t let that keep you from enjoying the rest of Waakirchen. One particular place that should be seen is the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, or Church of the Holy Cross. This is a pilgrimage church built in 1315, whose said to have a cross that was made in the 10th century.

Many of Waakirchen’s other churches and chapels aren’t anywhere near as old as that — but that doesn’t make them any less wonderful. The Allgaukapelle is small, but quite charming; and the St. James Church is a blend of both Gothic and Baroque.

Waakirchen might be old, but it’s youthful at heart — which is seen by its super fun festivals. The Village Festival (Dorffest) is a 2-day event in June, and there are two Wine Festivals (one September, one in October). August is the month for the Waldfest (Forest Festival), and the town’s Erntedankfest is another October event.

All of the town’s events and sites are surrounded by the wonderful Bavarian Alps, and a stone’s throw from Lake Tegernsee itself — so any street, road, hiking trail, or bike path is a delight taking in the natural scenery.

Yeah, it’s worth the wait for a train to bring you to Waakirchen — heck, I’d wait two hours if I had to. ;-)

Your first question might be: where in the world is Eutingen im Gäu?

To clear things up, Eutingen is located within the Gäu region of Baden-Württemberg. Not to mention, that it still lies within the Metropolitan region of Stuttgart; and easily reached from the city by Regional Express trains.

This part of the Neckar Valley is quite a splendid place to be, where you’re able to do everything from taking a hot air balloon ride, to hiking and biking.

As pretty as the place is from the air, I preferred to keep my feet on terra firma — choosing to following along the Natur-historischer Wanderweg Eutinger Tal, a Nature Historic Trail of 12 stations.

That was until I heard about the bats.

For those of you who aren’t freaked out from too many horror movies, this trail takes you along old beer cellars (Station #3 of the route), which were carved right into the rock. Today we have fridges to keep our beer cold, so the bats took up residence in former beer coolers.

Station #2 of the hiking route is about butterflies, a less creepy portion of the route, wouldn’t you say? What’s amazing is some thirty different species of the butterfly have been found here, so get your butterfly bingo card ready — and start crossing off the ones you find.

The Romans even have their own place, Station #12. Back in the 19th century they found what’s known today as the Villa Rustica, built here by the Romans around 100 A.D.

Darn, that makes the ruins of Burg Eutingertal seem quite young — this particular castle wasn’t built for like another 1100 years.

With all these hiking trails I didn’t have time for the bike trail, but there’s an extensive network of them — and you’ll also find all sorts of information on camping in the region, too.

You might not get too much time to bike or hike if you’re here for one of Eutingen’s festivals. I’ll say the Bockfierfest & Parade is one of the best, as is the Christmas Market and its Krämermarkt (held the 4th Tuesday of February and the first Tuesday of October).

Yeah, who knew what the Gäu region is and where it lies — but once you locate the town you’ll be forever pleased you got here in the first place.

As much as I stare at this white page wishing the words to somehow miraculously appear — sadly, they do not. What is it about Isen that makes me draw a blank? Maybe I’m just overwhelmed at the thought of its 3-dozen plus villages? Could it be that I’m somehow afraid that I’d never do this Upper Bavarian town justice?

One thing’s for sure, it isn’t because there’s nothing to do here. In fact, quite the opposite. Perhaps that’s it, I’m trying to jam-pack so many things onto one little page. No time to ponder the thought, this evidently isn’t going to write itself.

Isen’s history is as long as it is varied. The Middle Ages were good to it, as it saw a building boom of its 8th century Kloster — or monastery in English. Kloster St. Zeno at one point used to be of the Benedictine Order, but thanks to the secularization of the region in the early 19th century, the monastery was dissolved. These days the old monastery church acts as the town’s Pfarrkirche, or Parish Church.

A good start, wouldn’t you say?

Much later in the medieval period, Schloss Burgrain was built. I’m all goo-goo for a proper castle of the Middle Ages, and this certainly qualifies since it was built in the 12th century. The Castle Church of St. George even has a Gothic crypt.

Creepy, but cool, at the same time. ;-)

Many of Isen’s other churches have Gothic beginnings, so if you’re interested I’d say to leave time to see the St. Margaret Church, the Church of St. John the Baptist (now Baroque), and the Church of St. Urban (built 1475).

I’m not really sure if this is true, or not, but the water spring near the Chapel of St. Leonhard is said to have curative effects (against diseases of the digestive organs and eye disorders). Oh wait… maybe it does work, my writer’s block is long-gone. ;-)

And it seems Isen has just as many festivals and cultural events as it does churches. Strong beer lovers will appreciate the Starkbierfest (and the 6-day Volksfest in June), shoppers will love the Nikolausmarkt in December, and nature lovers can rejoice at one of the two Forest Festivals (Waldfest) in July and August.

Oh history buffs, I haven’t forgotten about you — the Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum, located in the Old Town Hall) makes a great first stop, and you’re free to take all the pictures you want of an old 18th century landmark between what was once the Electorate of Bavaria and the Bishopric of Freising.

All that’s left for me to do is pick which hiking trail to take — each has its own color (Ocher, Blue, Red, and Yellow), taking you to the best of Isen — like visits to the St. Joseph Chapel and Lourdes Grotto; or pass along by the old Brewery (the yellow route); and to the Kneipp area and spots where you can see clear to the Bavarian Forest (the red route, if you’re interested).

There really isn’t any way I could paint a picture as to how lovely and charming the town of Isen really is — I guess you’ll have to come see for yourself.