I consider it lucky that it was so close to Christmas when coming around to the town of Geithain in Saxony. This was high time for lots of Advent activities, small old-time trains rumbling around the town square, and a community Christmas tree lit up for everyone to see over the course of two weeks in December.

If Geithain could be this pretty in the dead of winter, it has to be equally as beautiful when the mercury jumps up a few degrees. How could it not, Geithain lies within the Sächsisches Lössgefilde — a natural area that reaches out to places like the Oberlausitz.

Anyone willing to hike around the countryside will no doubt enjoy seeing it, but you might get distracted if you’re traveling along the Via Porphyria.

This is a totally new scenic route with a religious theme that goes on for some 200 km, by the way. It is further enhanced by the Lutheran music concerts Geithain hosts, as well.

Lovers of the great outdoors can learn all sorts of new things at the nearby Geo-park, and plenty about animals at the Tierpark. That’s a zoo, if you didn’t know. Anyone want to have a go on trying to lift the 15-ton granite boulder?

How about scoping out Geithain’s historical side instead? Good idea, right?

I’m not sure if I can actually do it in order, but I’ll try…

Back during the Neolithic ages some unique pottery was found around here. It’s called Stichbandkeramik in German, or Stroked Pottery in English, known to be found in this region of Central Europe.

You can always count on the Middle Ages for a good church (or two), like the St. Nicholas Church. The artwork inside the old chapel part of the church is quite famous. Quite breathtaking, if you ask me.

But the Middle Ages were a rough time in history, so defense fortifications were often necessary. Parts of the original defense system still exist, which you’re looking at parts of the old town wall, or even the Pulverturm — a Powder Tower that’s been here for like nine centuries.

Heck, if I had like 900 years on Earth I think I could spend it all in Geithain.

The whole point of writing about German towns and cities is to give you the highlights that each place offers. So, as I get to know each and every one, I usually look for its Sehenswürdigkeiten, the German word for “attractions”.

Not in the case of the Upper Bavarian town of Au in der Hallertau.

Let me explain why, OK? As its name implies, you can see Au lies within the Hallertau region — a specific area in Germany known for its hops. Might not sound like much, but the teeny-tiny hop is partially responsible for why German beer tastes so damn good. In fact, hops were only one of the few ingredients allowed after the German Purity Law, known as Reinheitsgebot, was enacted in 1516.

No, this isn’t a lesson in beer making — but at least you’ll understand a little more when you’re buying libations made from the Castle Brewery. Yup, Schloss Au is responsible for making some of the best stuff on earth.

Even if there’s no Queen being crowned during your visit, at least you can take consolation in visiting the “hunting trophies” found in the Hall of said Schlossbrauerei.

Forget hunting, there are other real treasures found within its walls — like the Schlosskapelle (Castle Chapel), beer, its intricate architecture, and more beer.

Hard as it is to pull yourself away, there is other stuff to do in Au. Like party, for starters. No one can say they don’t know how to party the day away here. Come see for yourself at the Village Festival (June), Summer Festival (August), or even the Autumn Market in October.

One of the best of Au’s festivals is the 5-day Hops Fest at the end of July — with any luck you’ll see the Hops Queen crowned.

Please let me be the Hops King then… ;-)

I kid, of course, I don’t have time to serve as Hops King — there’s still too much to see and do. But, if I was crowned and needed a break from my official duties, I’d bike or hike around the Bockerlradweg. I’d also stroll through town visiting the many chapels and old churches — like St. Stephan’s, a Gothic church from the 15th century, and the Pilgrimage Church in the village of Osterwaal.

Oh, who am I kidding — if I was Hops King, I’d be at my castle drinking that great beer made with Au’s hops. ;-)

Back in 2002 Germany decided to “establish” the town of Falkenstein (Harz), which is located along the northeastern part of the Harz Mountain Range in Saxony-Anhalt. What’s amazing to me is the fact that the seven villages that is now Falkenstein have been around for quite a number of centuries.

How do you begin to just make up a town?

Whatever their reasoning may be, it just wraps them all up in one tidy package. And the fact that you can get a handful of castles all in close proximity. Sweet.

However, it is only the Burg Falkenstein that give the town that bears its name a spot on the Romanesque Route (Straße der Romanik in German). That’s because Falkenstein Castle is one hell of an outstanding medieval castle built in the Romanesque style back in 1120. This massive stories-high stone & half-timbered castle is now a museum.

Don’t confuse Burg Falkenstein with the Burg Alter Falkenstein. Oh wait, you can’t. That’s because the Old Falkenstein Castle doesn’t exist anymore — too bad this 11th century one was destroyed back in 1115.

The same fate befell the Ackeburg in Pansfelde, a 13th century castle that was leveled sometime around the year 1400. Today this castle lies along the European Long Distance Hiking Route E11.

Hiking around a destroyed castle is something to do around the ruins of Anhalt Castle. You’ll know you’ve found it when you stumble upon its old stump wall. Wait, since this sits along another hiking route — maybe stumble isn’t the right word to use. ;-)

The Konradsburg is another castle (was another castle), whose monastery crypt goes back to the early years to around 1021.

Hey, at least Schloss Meisdorf is still around. Since it’s now a hotel you can stay here — if not, you’re still welcome to walk around its Schlosspark.

A walk around the Harz Nature Park is good to do, too. And so is partying at Falkenstein’s annual Whit Monday events (at Pentecost), and the annual Harz Agricultural Festival every June.

In between the partying and castle visiting, the villages of Falkenstein offer some great medieval and later-year churches. The Village Church (known as the Patronatskirche) is one, and it wouldn’t be right to leave out St. Laurentii either.

As you’re exploring you’ll also see the Endorf Windmill, an old Jewish Cemetery, and a couple of War Memorials.

There certainly is enough to do here in Falkenstein, good thing Germany did decide to make it happen all in one place — that’s German efficiency for you. ;-)

Wow, the town of Lohsa is big. I mean, like 135 square miles big. Ok, Ok, the (deep breath) Biosphärenreservat Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft takes up a good portion of that — but who’s splitting hairs.

And who’s splitting hairs about Germans’ affection for names that are way too long for the rest of the world… ;-)

Either way, the truly remarkable thing about Lohsa’s Biosphere is all the wildlife you’ll find. You’ll find everything from wolves to otters, right down to rare birds in this nature area.

Also in the Biosphere region is the village of Dreiwitz, or Drěwcy as its Sorbian name is known. It’s all about the Sorbian culture here, and a good place to learn about it.

FYI, Lohsa’s Sorbian name is Łaz, in case you were wondering.

What else is there to know about Lohsa? For starters, many of its villages aren’t very populated. Even Groß Särchen (or, Wulke Ždźary) has less than 1200 residents, and that’s one of it biggest hamlets.

While you’re here, make sure you see the Krabat Statue, an important figure in Sorbian culture.

This is a nice place if you’d like to see a castle. You just need to call ahead to see if the 14th century medieval Mortka Castle is open to the public.

And it’s a good museum town, too. The Zejler Smoler House has permanent exhibits on Sorbian culture and information.

Were you aware that Lohsa was the site of a battle between Napoleon’s troops against Prussia? Yeah, me either.

I know that Lohsa has a super-cool labyrinth to conquer. And I know that Lohsa has a Geological Trail that fits in nicely with the Upper Lusatian countryside. Plus, there are other little bits and bobs of stuff to see and do.

Look for the stone crosses in the cemetery wall, that’s German engineering for you. And maybe you’ll get lucky and find some dinosaur bones — hey, it happened before. The Findlingspark Nochten can explain it much better than I ever could.

Some of you might rather party at one of Lohsa’s cultural events. Let’s see… there’s an annual Beach Volleyball Tournament, some Pentecostal events, and an annual Autumn Market held in September.

Lohsa’s big on size, big on Sorbian culture, big on nature, and big on sightseeing. Forget what I said about good things come in small packages — in this case, bigger is definitely better. ;-)

If anyone ever asks, it’s quite all right to do nothing but bum around Hesse all day, every day. I mean, how else are you supposed to see everything — places like Mengerskirchen?

What’s really great out Mengerskirchen are all the nearby castles. Burg Mengerkirchen is now used as the town’s Rathaus (Town Hall), and Greifenstein Castle is really close by.

OK, so what if that technically is in the town of Greifenstein — but it’s only the next town over, so close enough. ;-)

Mengerskirchen lies claim to the Ruins Maienburg, though. Oh, it’s really pretty around here, mind you. The ruins lie around a densely wooded area, great for hiking, but the real highlight is the castle itself. Parts of its walls are still standing (not bad since the castle has been abandoned for four hundred years), and it’s an active archaeological site.

As with many towns throughout Germany, a good medieval town is most likely going to have a medieval church. Again, a technicality, because only the tower over in the village of Dillhausen’s 10th century church comes from the Middle Ages.

The beauty of the countryside here is equally as stunning as its architecture. The area is surrounded by basalt hills, including a basalt quarry. And the village of Waldernbach (which borders the Rhineland-Palatinate, BTW) lies along the Westerwald — an excellent place to hike the day away.

You’ll probably want to stick around Waldernbach for just a while longer. In addition to all those hiking areas, there are chapel ruins, a fishing pond, and even a War Memorial. Come the first weekend of September, Waldernbuch holds its annual village Fair.

On the off chance you’d have any energy after that, you could always head out to Winkels, where even more hiking and biking trails await; and it doesn’t end there. Mengerskirchen has camping sites along the Seeweiher, and the 18th century Backhaus (Bake House), and then you’ve got the St. Michael Church in Probbach.

Drats, I know I’m missing something. Oh, yes, the cross-country ski trails — perfect for winter fun.

As you can see, Mengerskirchen has something for just about everyone in any season — wouldn’t it be nice to stay here forever?

Ten kilometers from Dachau is the 18 district town of Erdweg, the hometown of a notorious Bavarian folk hero.

That’s not all you’ll find in this Upper Bavarian town; heck no, you’ve got medieval churches, fabulous festivals, and even some castles.

Now, I’ll be honest, I didn’t have the time to explore all eighteen villages. And even though this is the abridged version, I think you’ll really like it here.

Since I mentioned a Bavarian folk hero, I’ll start in the village of Unterweikertshofen — birthplace of Mathias Kneißl. He was born here in 1875, and was known the authorities as a poacher and murderer. His fight for the “common” man kind made him legendary, but he was sent to the guillotine in 1902, at the tender age of 27.

Long before Mr. Kneißl was born in Unterweikertshofen, the village had its very own castle — a medieval one, no less, from the 12th century.

There isn’t a castle in the village of Petersberg, but it was once on an old Roman Road. The Romans are gone, and in their place is the former monastic church, known as the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul.

But of all of Erweg’s churches, I’d have to say the St. Martin Church in Kleinberghofen is my favorite. It might have started out as a medieval church from the 12th century, but its striking Baroque frescoes are what really stand out.

Too bad the Schloss Eisenhofen is privately owned, I’m sure sightseeing around an old castle would have stood out, too.

At least they’ll let you in the St. Alban Church. Thanks to the Thirty Years’ War, St. Alban’s had to be rebuilt — so you might never guess that it was a medieval original.

All sorts of good things about Erdweg can be found out at the Hutter-Museum, the Local History Museum in the hamlet of Großberghofen.

Just as I’m sure you’ll love all the wonderful festivals, like the Maibaumfest (May), Weinfest (October), Kirchweih (a 2-day event in October), and the Christkindlmarkt in December.

Ugh, how could I ever forget to tell you about the Starkbierfest every March?

Maybe one day I’ll get to see the rest of Erdweg, and maybe become a Bavarian folk hero myself — albeit a law-abiding one, of course. ;-)

Hello, Haiterbach — thank you for bringing me back to the Schwarzwald. It’s been a while, and I’ve missed you.

This lovely slice of Heaven is found in the Black Forest, right next door to the town of Nagold.

What really surprised me the most was Haiterbach has an indoor swimming pool. Weird, right? It’s all about being outdoors here, and trust me, the place has bunches of things to do in the fresh air.

It doesn’t matter the season, either, because you’ll find everything from cross-country skiing trails, to miniature golf courses. A super awesome way to see this region is to take a flashlight hike — that’s right, night hiking.

You might want to save visits to some of Haiterbach’s sites for the daylight, though. You won’t want to miss all the detail at Unterschwandorf Castle (the balcony overlooking the courtyard is totally romantic looking); nor would you want to skimp on seeing the thousand year old chapel in Oberschwandorf.

Beihingen’s one of the best villages to visit, its Heritage Museum is right on the Dorfplatz (only open May to October); and the 12th century Church of St. Lawrence is not to be missed either. And get this… Beihingen’s old bakery offers courses to teach you baking. Yummy, Black Forest Cake… can I have coffee with that?

Sorry, got distracted there for a minute. ;-)

What was I about to tell you? Yes, about the lovely half-timbered houses and the Mary Chapel in the village of Unterschwandorf. For a chance to see a totally small village, come visit Altnuifra — it’s mostly farms with only about 50 people living here.

Whether you visit one or all of Haiterbach’s villages, you’ll want to be here for some of their cultural events. The Martinimarkt is nice in November, the Kuckucksmarkt takes place in June, and then there are the Spring Concerts. Right, can’t forget about the Straßenfest (a 2-day affair, no less), and the Waldachfest in July.

While I was happy to say hello to Haiterbach — I’m sorry to say goodbye, just as I know you will be too.

From the mid-20th century through the late 20th century, the town and Collective Municipality of Büchen was located on what was known as the Innerdeutsche Grenze, or Inner German Border, separating East and West Germany. (A stop over to the Local History Museum has information on Germany’s former “Inner Border”.)

Today the separation is gone, making Büchen easily accessible for everyone from any federal state in the country.

That’s good, because everyone deserves a chance to enjoy the town along the Elbe-Lübeck Canal. Water is an important “attraction” here in Büchen, with quite a few of its villages along the Naturpark Lauenburgische Seen, or Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park.

Take Besenthal, for example, it lies along the Lauenburg Lakes, and more than a quarter of the place is totally forested. You know that means Besenthal is perfect for hiking under the canopy of tall trees, as well as enjoying the relaxing properties of its water.

Güster is also along the Lauenburg Lakes, a town that’s been around since 777 A.D. — making it more than 1200 years old. If I could live that long, I’d make sure to spend a few decades living here, that’s for sure.

That way I know I’d have all the time in the world to take in a few performances of Low German theater in the village of Müssen, as well as swim the days away at its swimming areas. And I’d have time to shop at the Antique Fair and Christmas Market; and drink at a few of the local taverns in Roseburg. And the town is often the host for concerts during the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival.

With a few decades to kill in Büchen, it would leave time to party at May Day Celebrations, drink at the Wine Festival, and enjoy the outdoor concerts at the outdoor pool, known as “Rock the Pool.”

As you’re wandering around going from place to place, keep your eyes peeled for the Kunst- und Kulturlehrpfad, or Art & Culture Trail; and you’re bound to find a cycle path that’ll have you marveling at the wonders of nature.

When you’re tired, rest up at one of Büchen’s many campsites, Bed & Breakfasts, or guesthouses.

Then again, if you’re gonna spend a few decades, you might want to consider something more permanent. ;-)

Oh yeah, time to hit up the German wine again — this time in the town of Nackenheim in wonderful Rhenish Hesse; which, coincidentally is part of the Collective Municipality of Bodenheim.

I know, that doesn’t really matter too much — get to the good stuff, right? ;-)

The good stuff of Nackenheim is much more than just its sprawling vineyards. This is a town with Stone Age beginnings, where Hallstatt Culture thrived, the Romans fiercely defended, and the Franks buried their dead; a seriously long history, no?

Nackenheim is also the hometown of German writer, Carl Zuckmayer; a handsome fellow so extremely anti-Nazi his works were banned during the years of the Third Reich, and forced to flee his homeland. To honor its famous resident a bust of him is found at the Village Administration Center.

Here’s a great opportunity to discuss his various works over a glass of wine at one of the local wineries, like the Weingut Gunderloch, which has been around since 1890 — that’s more than a 100 years of wine making goodness.

You better wait to do that if you’re going to visit the Baroque St. Gereon Church. Much older than this early 18th century church are the ruins of Burg Schwabsburg, a proper medieval castle from the 13th century that was destroyed some 400 years later during the Thirty Years’ War; it’s 22 meter high tower makes for a wonderful lookout to see those fantastic vineyards and orchards though.

Another great way to see the Rhenish Hesse countryside is to travel along the RheinTerassenWeg, a 60 km bicycle route running between Mainz and Worms along the Rhine. Just don’t go too far, you’ll want to see the Local History Museum that’s full of exhibits on everything from the Neolithic period, to the works of Mr. Zuckmayer, and even gravestones from the 17th and 18th centuries.

What’s great about Nackenheim is its ability to mix history with great parties. The town hosts a wonderful Wine Festival every July, plus its own Corpus Christi Parish Festival, another Kirchweihfest in September, a Christmas Market on the second Sunday of Advent, and honors its nature conservation area islands with an Island Festival. Consider these more chances to sample the wines of the region.

Ain’t that reason enough to stay for a while? ;-)

Darn it, there’s a castle here in the town of Ludwigsau — and it isn’t open to the public. Would you believe they won’t let me in?

Oh well, we’ll just have to admire this 15th century castle from the outside; then find something else to do. ;-)

It’s not hard to find something to keep you entertained, as Ludwigsau lies on the Fulda River, right between Bad Hersfeld (to its south) and Rotenburg an der Fulda (to its north); and its sheer size alone (112 square kilometers) means there’s loads of space to spread out over its 13 districts.

You even got a choice if you want to hike or bike this beauty of a town. Ludwigsau falls on the D Route #9, a seriously long distance biking route (1197 km, no less) that runs from the Allgäu up to the North Sea; and hits along the Weser-Romantic Road.

Yeah, sure you can run off to see Kloster Blankenheim in neighboring Bebra, but you’ll miss out on seeing the mountainous countryside in the village of Beenhausen, or to sit with your loved ones in the very family-friendly Town Commons in Biedebach. Besides mountain biking and hiking around Ersrode, you can enjoy the nature reserve area and/or go horseback riding.

Gerterode is good for hiking too — and even better that you’ll be doing it in a village that’s more than a thousand years old. Meckbach is a winner of the Our Village is Beautiful Award; rightfully earned, I might add. And canoeing is added to the list of activities once you’ve reach Mecklar.

Anyone wishing to see a few of Germany’s famous half-timbered houses, have to look no further than the villages of Niederthalhausen or Oberthalhausen. The latter’s got its own medieval church, by the way.

Want to go where there aren’t a whole lot of people? Between you and me, you’ll want to see the village of Hainrode; population 82.

Friedlos, by the way, is where people come to pay their respects to both German and American Airmen who lost their lives in an air battle over the town in 1944. Interestingly enough, the name of this hamlet translates to “peaceless”…

Folks in these parts know for a (really) good time you got to visit Rohrbach, a village that’s not even 4 square kilometers, for their super huge Village Festival.

Some of Ludwigsau’s bike and hike routes might take you off somewhere else, but I strongly suggest you stick around for a while; even if no one will let you in its castle. ;-)