I’d bet a million, bazillion dollars that if I mentioned the word Bavaria, chances are the image coming to mind would be the Alps jutting up high above green fields and crystal blue lakes.

Heck, I know that’s what comes to my mind when thinking about it. So what if it sounds stereotypical — I can’t help it when that’s what you find in towns like Rottach-Egern. ;-)

For many towns in Germany it’s all about the castles, and what-not, but here in Rottach-Egern, all that kind of stuff kind of falls away after you’ve caught a glimpse of the surrounding countryside. And there are a million-bazillion ways to experience it, too, which probably is why this place attracts rich and famous people from all over the world.

You can get an eagle’s eye view by taking a hot-air balloon ride or ride on the Mount Wallenberg Cable Car; and if you’re adventurous enough to go mountain hiking, you’ll be richly rewarded by stopping at one of Rottach-Egern’s Mountain Huts — nice places to rest and refresh.

That’s a whole lot of work to climb a mountain, so treat yourself to services at the spa by the lake, OK? That lake, by the way, is Lake Tegernsee; and the Tegernsee Lake Path is a good way travel around it by bicycle.

With scenery so beautiful, it doesn’t take much to figure how writers like Ludwig Thoma and Ludwig Ganghofer were inspired to write. These two guys made a lasting impression on Rottach-Egern, so much there are sculptures of them in town — along with their pal, Leo Slezak, a famous German singer.

Anyone wishing to do more traditional sightseeing, Rottach-Egern offers that, too. One place in town that is a must-see is the St. Lawrence Church, a medieval church that had a Baroque makeover in 1670; looking like ever nook & cranny was touched by an angel. Stunning doesn’t even begin to cover it.

You’ll also find the Kutschen- und Schlittenmuseum (Carriage & Sleigh Museum), open pretty much all year round.

And scattered throughout its 23 districts are old farmhouses, cottages, and chapels. When you’re all done, you can experience what’s known as Bavarian Beer Culture. Just so you know, there’s nothing wrong with sitting in a beer garden (so long as it’s after 10 am) drinking Weissbier and eating Weisswurst with pretzels and sweet mustard.

I take that back about the first thing coming to mind about Bavaria are the Alps — I think its going to be beer. ;-)

Why, oh, why, does this keep happening to me? It’s off for quick jaunt to the beautiful town of Rohrbach, or so I thought.

No, it isn’t as if Rohrbach isn’t beautiful — well, I’m pretty sure it is — if I could first figure out which Rohrbach it’s supposed to be. There are six of them in Germany: three in the Rhineland-Palatinate, two in Thuringia, and one in Bavaria, on the Ilm River — which is the one where I’m headed right now.

Good thing it’s all about the wine here in Rohrbach (Ilm), I need a glass after all that. Plenty of glasses are available if you’re lucky enough to come for Rohrbach’s Wine Festival in July.

Even if the wine festival isn’t taking place there are ample opportunities to try some at the many pubs, restaurants, bars, and cafes found all over town.

However, it is beer that reigns supreme during June’s Festival of Beer. Actually, I’m quite surprised about the wine thing — Rohrbach lies within the Hallertau, the largest hops growing region worldwide; and you can’t have a fine German beer without them.

A discussion of both wine and beer’s finer points could be had at one of Rohrbach’s other festivals. A beer sounds like the right drink for the October Autumn Market, while wine seems to be just right for the annual Christmas Market in December. You could go either way for the Village Festival, though. ;-)

All of this is distracting me, I planned on seeing the sites around town; you know, places like Rohrbach Castle. While it’s modern day look belies its medieval origins, the Rohrbacher Schloss is a great place to start. From here you should see the St. Johannis Church, a blend of Baroque, Gothic, and Romanesque architecture.

This isn’t the only old church around, mind you. Saints Peter & Paul is another church with three different types of architecture under one roof, while a handful of the others date over the course of 400 years.

Aren’t I glad I found the right Rohrbach, although I do look forward to getting to the others. Well, that is if I can tear myself away from this one, and all its wine & beer goodness. ;-)

Right on the edge of the Westerwald and Lahn Valley, is the Hessian town of Beselich.

To put it simply, Beselich is a place where old meets new, and history meets some fun festivals.

One of its biggest attractions are the ruins of the Kloster Beselich. The monastery was founded in 1163 (that’s almost 900 years ago), built upon a church that was even older. Around the middle of July, the monastery holds its annual fair.

Beselich Monastery is probably the oldest in town, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go see any of the town’s other churches. The Evangelical Pfarrkirche Schupbach is also from the 12th century — a blend of Romanesque and Baroque architecture.

I don’t think it’s possible to miss the Church of St. Ägidius, its tower juts 47 meters into the Heavens — as it’s done from sometime in the 1200s. Much of its medieval beginnings are gone (replaced with Baroque art), but we won’t hold that against it. ;-)

The Evangelical Pfarrkirche Heckholzhausen is quite old, too. It’s been overseeing Sunday services for more than 700 years (wow, that’s a lot of sermons). You’ll even find an old synagogue in Beselich — having survived because the building was “sold”.

You’ll enjoy Beselich just about anytime of year, but if you come during on of the town’s festivals — all the better. The Wine Festival (in August) is always a good one, as is the Harvest Festival (also in August). That’s a popular month, because that’s when the church in Heckholzhausen (and the one in Obertiefenbach) hold their Kirmes events. Niedertiefenbach holds theirs in October.

Speaking of October, that’s the month for Beselich’s Oktoberfest. The month before is when Beselich holds its Pfarrfest, so you September visitors know what to look forward to. Shoppers might like the Advent Bazaar (in December) a bit better.

See, I told you Beselich is where old meets new — and it’s where you’re bound to have a grand time no matter the time of year.

After a straight week of scoping out towns in another state, it sure is nice to find myself in Hesse again. And not just any Hessian town, but along the Bergstrasse, in the town of Bickenbach.

Just the thought of the Bergstrasse was enough to get me motivated. I mean, really, who couldn’t be moved by grand mountain views along a 68 km scenic route, right at the feet of the Odenwald? Call me silly, but I surely couldn’t — so I knew me and Bickenbach were gonna get along just fine.

Add in a little history about how the Romans once stomped all over the place, and I was even more excited to see the place.

The Romans might be gone, but some of Bickenbach’s other historical sites are still there. The oldest building in town is the Kolb’sches House, built in 1584. Another site people come to see is the Judenbrunnen, a replica 18th century fountain on the spot where a Jewish school once stood.

Bickenbach’s landmark is the town’s Evangelical Church, and its Rathaus (Town Hall) was once used as a Jagdschloss, or Hunting Lodge. Some digs to use only when some Duke or Count wanted to go hunting — but today it’s also a venue for Chamber Music concerts.

As great as this all is, the funny thing was the great outdoors, more than anything else, that seems to have stuck in my head the most. And if you’re lucky enough to be here when they close the Bergstraßsse to traffic, where you can hike or cycle or even inline skate without worry, then even better — don’t ya think?

At least you don’t have to worry about cars when swimming in the Erlensee, your biggest worry is a fish getting into your bathing suit. As for those frisky fish, you’re free to fish for them — so long as you have the proper license.

Bickenbach’s got history, a scenic route, a great lake for recreational fun, and even an Oktoberfest (in October). Not too shabby for a town that’s not even ten square kilometers.

See, I just knew Bickenbach and I would be fast friends.

So, you’re in Stuttgart looking to get away from the big city, right? So you think to yourself, hey, I’m gonna go see the Schurwald — get back to nature, or something like that.

Well, tucked entirely within the “Shear Forest” is the town of Baltmannsweiler — a tiny town (and I really do mean small as it’s less than 19 square kilometers) that’s just perfect for visiting when you’ve got the urge to get away from the urban jungle.

What’s really wonderful about Baltmannsweiler is more than two-third of it is totally forested, so you really will get back to nature here.

There are about six marked hiking trails, ranging in length from a mere five kilometers to ten kilometers. Maps are available from the town’s Municipal Office, as are maps of the town’s bike paths.

Trust me, no one has ever said they didn’t like walking or cycling around the nearby Swabian Alb; and I hardly think you’ll be the first. ;-)

FYI, if you’ve got the urge to try some wonderful wines from the Württemberg region, the town of Plochingen along the Württemberg Wine Route literally borders Baltmannsweiler to the south. Grab yourself a drink, and come right back, OK?

As for the historical, Baltmannsweiler can accommodate that, too. The Jagdschloss Hohengehren was once a hunting lodge for some Duke, a base of sorts when he decided it was time to hunt. The Duke is gone, but the lakes are still there though.

The second half of the year would have to be my favorite. Starting at the end of June, Baltmannsweiler hosts its Summer Festival, followed by the Village Festival and the Gartenfest — both in July. October’s the month when the leaves all start to change to pretty oranges and reds, making it the perfect backdrop for the annual Fall Festival. And come early December, the town plays host to the Waldmarkt.

If it’s too cold for you then, come to the Cultural Center to see what they’ve got going on — chances are you’ll find something to pique your interest.

Not me in this case, those fall foliage colors in the Schurwald have managed to pique mine.

Ahhh, this is it for me, my last town in Germany for a little while; and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have chosen a better place to end my travels than right here in the Middle Franconian town of Thalmässing. Besides, with everything you could possibly dream up can be found here — so I’ll be busy enough before starting my travels all over again.

The hardest part of experiencing Thalmässing (as always) is where should you start?

For me it’ll be the Altmühltal Nature Park, followed by a whole lot of hiking through the countryside. There are eight trails of them, and that’s not even counting the “themed” trails like the Way of St. James, Kulturwanderweg, Frankenweg, and Archäologischer Wanderweg.

Now this last one might sound like one trail, but it really isn’t. It comprises the Keltenweg, a 5 km route where you’ll learn about Celtic history — including a chance to visit a historical village. The Vorgeschichtsweg is a tad longer (12 km) taking you through the Jura landscape to Stone and Iron Age burial fields.

The Mittelalterweg is great for anyone who loves all things medieval. The route starts at the Archaeological Museum (or the historical village in Landersdorf), eventually ending at the Burgstall Landeck. Hey, what are the Middle Ages without a castle?

Forget one castle, Thalmässing has a few. Or, should I say, a few castle ruins? After hiking up to Castle Landeck, you should venture over to the Burgstall Altenburg and Burg Stauf. A totally intact castle worth seeing is Schloß Eysölden, whose Gothic architecture is worth the trip. Too bad it’s privately owned — and all you get to do is enjoy its restaurant.

Thalmässing’s castles and Celtic origins aren’t its only historical claims to fame. Please, I haven’t even gotten to its numerous village churches — and with 38 villages there are plenty. Let’s see…

For starters there’s St. Ottilia’s, a Gothic church from the 14th century; and you’ve got medieval St. Thomas & Giles Church.

There was even a synagogue here at one time, but all that’s left from the town’s once thriving Jewish community is its Jewish cemetery — whose oldest grave dates back almost 200 years ago.

My only regret is I’m not here for one of Thalmässing’s festivals; ain’t that always the way? Oh well, next time I’ll plan on being here for its Ostermarkt (Easter Market), or its Michaelimarkt (the 3rd Sunday in September). Ohh, maybe Carnival or during Pentecost (there’s a Pentecostal Market) would be better.

Oh wait, I forgot I was going to be here for a while… perhaps some other cultural event will pop up. I’ll keep you posted. ;-)

Holy macaroni, the words in German keep getting longer and longer. Turns out the town of Dußlingen belongs to the (deep breath) Gemeindeverwaltsungsverband Steinlach-Wiesaz.

Whew, I’m tired after typing that — can’t imagine if I had to pronounce it all the time. Either way, it means Dußlingen is part of a collective municipality of sorts with neighboring Gomaringen and Nehren.

Call it whatever, it doesn’t change the fact that Dußlingen is a typical German town where kids play soccer in the fields, friends and family have picnics in the BBQ areas, and you’re treated to outdoor concerts during the warm summer months.

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Yea, it sure does.

Because of Gomaringen’s tie to German writer, Gustav Schwab, it seems perfectly natural to have a literature theme to the area. The Geschichtspfad (Historical Trail) can be done through the region, highlighting 12 stations of historically important buildings.

Oh, did I mention the region is part of the Steinlachtal in the Swabian Alb? And hidden within the Alb are Halstatt grave mounds, although the stele that’s here now is a reproduction, the original sits in a museum.

Yikes, I almost left out an important piece of Dußlingen’s history, its castle. Well, it used to be a castle back in the 13th century — now it’s a ruin after no one wanted to use it as a Town Hall any longer. Still, you can’t help but love a medieval castle ruin.

Just as you can’t help but love a proper German festival. Come July, the Summer Festival is a sure-bet way to enjoy the season; but for you cooler weather lovers, it might be the Autumn Festival that has you singing. Plus, Dußlingen also has an annual Krämermarkt at the Hindenburgplatz every September.

The collective municipality that Dußlingen belongs to might have a kind of complicated name, but it is simply a great area for seeing a typically wonderful German town.

Sure, Ingelfingen’s next door neighbor of Schöntal might have its own medieval Abbey (it’s now a grand Baroque one), but this charming town here sits on a scenic route, as well as having its own castle ruin.

Ha, take that, famous neighbor. ;-)

I make jokes, but sightseeing in Ingelfingen is a serious matter. Ah, no it isn’t. Any place that’s got a Wine Museum housed in a huge wine barrel is loads of fun, don’t ya think? Wine making, or viticulture if you will, is serious business though.

Either way, wine is important to things around here; and the reason Ingelfingen is on the Württemberger Weinstraße, or Württemberg Wine Route.

Along Ingelfingen’s Weinbau-Lehrpfad (Viticulture Trail, which shouldn’t be confused with the aforementioned Wine Route) are 25 information boards detailing a whole bunch of information on the libation.

Sounds like a good enough place to have a Wine Festival, right? Of course there is one — every August. And Ingelfingen doesn’t just limit itself to the one festival, either. They also host an annual Maibaumfestival, a Bake House Festival, a Dorfplatzfest (Village Square Festival), as well as other cultural events like Pentecost concerts.

In between festivals and glasses of wine, you might want to trapeze around Ingelfingen’s countryside. It’s part of the Hohenloher Ebene, so I’m sure you’ll find a hiking trail that’ll strike your fancy.

You could always try Geo-caching, that “game” where you find little treats at certain GPS coordinates. And for less than a couple of Euro, you can play a game of miniature golf.

My favorite place is the Burgruine Lichteneck, even though there’s only a small corner of this medieval castle left. This magnificent castle has been destroyed longer than it stood intact (built 1250; destroyed in the 14th century), but it’s still pretty — maybe it’s all the surrounding vineyards.

Ahh, I got so distracted by the castle and wine that I almost forgot about the dinosaurs. Yeah, Ingelfingen’s got them too. Not live ones, mind you, but you’ll learn all about the Triassic Period over at the Muschelkalk Museum.

Ingelfingen is quite remarkable in its own right, a lovely place to enjoy the vino and learn some new things along the way. Yeah — take that, famous neighbor. ;-)

It’s been a good while since I’ve spent so much time in this federal state that I forgot how remarkable it really is, especially because of towns like Waibstadt. Which, coincidentally, is part of a Collective Municipality with the same name.

An important part of Waibstadt is where its located, just to the north of Sinsheim, and a mere 20 km from the grand city of Heidelberg.

Sure it’s nice to mention the nearby “big dogs,” but you’ll find Waibstadt surrounded by some smaller towns like Zuzenhausen. So, by staying here in Waibstadt you’re centrally located to the ruins of the 12th century Burg Zuzenhausen.

That’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?

For the record, Waibstadt has its own castle ruin — Schloss Daisbacher, a water castle that was totally destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. Too bad of an ending for a 14th century castle, wouldn’t you say?

I’ll just have to drown my sorrow for the castle in a Waibschder Käskurchen, a locally made cheesecake. Delicious! :-)

After you’ve gotten your cake fix, it’s time to go see the Pfarrkirche Unserer lieben Frau; or as it’s known in English — Church of Our Lady. You really can’t miss it, its tower juts 65 meters into the sky — the tallest building in town.

As you’re wandering around town, look for the many crucifixes that were placed here from the 18th to 19th centuries. And stop by the old Jewish Cemetery, as Waibstadt once had a thriving Jewish community as far back as 1648.

Believe it or not, none of these sights are the town’s landmark. That honor belongs to the Brunnenweible, the town’s fountain. There’s a scenic bicycle route, known as the Brunnentour (Fountain Tour), that’ll take you some 42 km along the regionally famed Brunnenregion (Fountain Region). Don’t worry, it’s an easy to moderate cycle route, so you can do it.

No big deal if you’re not that ambitious, come to Waibstadt’s BBQ grill areas, or just soak in either the indoor or outdoor swimming pool. And when you’re all relaxed you can think about how exceptional Waibstadt (or all of Baden-Württemberg, for that matter) really is.

You know how some places are forever burned into your memory forever? I’d have to say the town of Wernberg-Köblitz is one of them. How could it not, it sits right in the Upper Palatinate Forest — a mere 30 km from the Czech border.

But, better than that, it’s a place of old churches (with 26 villages, how could it not), a medieval castle, and proper German festivals.

A historical walking tour of Wernberg-Köblitz won’t take you but 2-to-4 hours, but I really think you need to allot more time than that. I counted seven old churches before I had to call it quits, yet the ones I did see were utterly fantastic (can’t imagine what I missed).

The architecture of Wernberg-Köblitz’s churches run the gamut from Romanesque to the Baroque, some often a blend of art through the centuries.

Take the Church of St. Anna, for example. It started out in the Middle Ages, had Gothic enhancements in the 1500s, underwent a remodel in the 18th century. Look hard and the the Church of Sts. Peter & Paul might still resemble its Gothic origins, but it, too, saw a Rococo overhaul in 1736.

For me, the best part of the Middle Ages were its castles; and you’ll find a proper medieval one here. The menacing looking Burg Wernberg has been a part of the town since the 1100s, but the Romans were here first — according to the artifacts found here. If the Romans had a chapel as stunning as the St. Georg Chapel in the castle, they probably wouldn’t have left.

Wernberg-Köblitz might be proud of its history, but it’s modern at the same time. I love the fact the Badebus will take you (free of charge, no less) to the nearby outdoor swimming pool. And every October everyone gets together for Oktoberfest, and in August for the Naabfest, also in July for the Wine Festival, and in June for the St. Josef Pfarrfest.

Two to four hours in Wernberg-Köblitz? I don’t think so — maybe two to four months might cover it. ;-)