Did you know that only here in Benningen am Neckar you can literally walk in the footsteps of the Romans? While it’s true that there are many Roman ruins, watchtowers, and what-not all over Germany — it is only here that a real Roman street can be found?

Hey, I didn’t say it, the folks in this town make that claim.

An actual Roman street isn’t the only Roman thing around here, ya know. Many years back a Jupiter column was found while doing construction on a new town building. With much love (and the work of local historians), the Jupitergigantensäule (Giant Jupiter Column, giant word…) was again standing tall over the town.

It’s not as if Benningen was just some jump-off point for the Romans, it was a town located on the Neckar-Odenwald Limes; the end of the Roman Empire. It took a lot to defend their territory, which might be why they built the Römerkastell in 85 A.D. A few centuries later the Roman “castle” was no more; not until parts of it were discovered in the 16th century. That’s a mighty long time.

FYI, if you go to Benningen’s Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) some Roman artifacts are on permanent exhibition.

Somehow every time I think of Romans, wine comes to mind. But, it doesn’t hurt that Benningen is known for its viticulture — pretty vineyards that criss-cross the landscape, and why the town falls along the Württemberg Wine Road. Ahh, a delectable scenic route, if ever there was one.

I’m guessing the Romans would appreciate a good time, and I know you will too. Every two years Benningen holds its lively Street Festival (even numbered years); but every year there’s an Christmas Market, a Kirbe (always held the Sunday before November 11th), and the Fleckalauf where mountain runners vie for the fastest time.

That’s good for me. After that I’ll hit up one of the taverns. Prost to the Romans here in Benningen!

It’d be a good guess to ask the average resident of Sickte in Lower Saxony about their town, they might say it’s a “bedroom community” to both Wolfenbüttel and Brunswick.

For anyone who doesn’t know what that means, it’s a way of saying it’s a place where many live, but commute to work in these bigger cities.

Fine and dandy, but just because it sits between two cultural giants, doesn’t mean nothing goes on here. This is a collective municipality, so you’re pretty much assured to find something to do among its four districts.

Apelnstedt is the place to be for its annual Maypole celebrations, and its Summer Festival every July.

Hötzum is the village with its own Folk Festival, an event so much fun it takes two days to do.

And Sickte proper? It holds its own Summer Festival in June, so not to conflict with Apelnstedt. And what’s really nice about Sickte is how the community comes together for other things, like wood collecting for the town’s Easter bonfire. Sickte also hosts things like choral concerts and flea markets, to just name a few.

Like windmills? Good, you’ll find one in Dettum — it’s its landmark, by the way. Prefer something a bit more rural? Ok, Sickte can do that, too. You’ll just want to be in Mönchevahlberg, or in Neuerkerode to see all the farms. Neuerkerode is the town that hosts the town’s annual Christmas Market, BTW.

Want something really old? Then it’s Evessen (its English name is Evesham), whose landmark is a Tumulus (a prehistoric grave mound) that’s topped by a shady tree.

Not nearly as old, but still lovely, is the village of Veltheim. Veltheim, by the way, is more than 850 years old; and has a moated castle and the St. Remigius Church to see. And in the village of Erkerode, you’ll find a magnificent Monastic Church.

Wolfenbüttel and Brunswick might be big cities where people work, but folks know to come to Sickte to live. ;-)

If you did a literal translation of the name Speichersdorf, an Upper Franconian town of 31 districts, no less, you’d get Memory Village.

What’s remarkable is that somehow the folks that gave it its moniker somehow knew the place would be, well, memorable.

Duh, tell me you didn’t see that word coming. ;-)

It’ll take a while to get through all of Speichersdorf’s villages — with an area just short of 53 square kilometers. Good thing you’ve still got me around to tell you all about some of the best of Speichersdorf’s best.

Do you like castles? That’s great, because Speichersdorf has a few. Pardon me, only the castle wall remains of the 12th century Castle Frankenberg though. There’s an old castle at Haidenaab 15 from the 18th century, and also there’s Castle Göppmannsbühl and the 18th century Castle Guttenthau.

With so many villages you’ll find about just as many village churches. The frescoes at the Pfarrkirche (Parish Church) in Kirchenlaibach are great to see, as is the 19th century St. Giles Church, and the same-century church over in Plössen.

Because this is Franconia, any time you’re spending in the great outdoors is time well spent. Which is why I think that hiking along Speichersdorf’s Nature Trail is just dandy. It’s known for its wetland and orchids, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The Nature Trail is located near the Tauritzmühle, an early 20th century mill. Even better that there’s a beer garden close to it.

And let’s suppose it’s winter… Should that stop you from enjoying Speichersdorf? Heck no, that’s when everyone’s out on the cross-country ski trails.

What’s also nice about this part of Franconia is it likes to celebrate with MayPole Events. Two days of fun on April 30th and May 1st with men in lederhosen, drinking, and listening to music.

You’ll have to wait for the second weekend of October to join in the festivities of the town’s Kirwa, or church festival.

All of this does make Speichersdorf memorable, doesn’t it?

Ahh, Hesse, the land of the Brothers Grimm. How many of your fanciful tales have been made into movies? How many small German villages like Aarbergen pay you homage?

Right now I don’t care about them, I’m only thinking about Aarbergen at the moment. ;-)

In all fairness, it isn’t all about the Grimm brothers here — but this town does have “Reading Festivals” for the kids about the Brothers Grimm Fairytales.

What a nice way to start off, don’t you think?

Kids at heart like that kind of thing, but if you don’t — don’t worry, here’s something for you. Like a whole bunch of other festivals. The Apfelweinfest (Appel Wine Festival) is a good one every August, followed by the Community Festival.

July’s got the Street Festival, and June’s the month for the König-Ludig-Tanz-Festival. Oops, that’s the King Ludig Dance Festival.

The cooler months are a real hopping good time here in Aarbergen. Get this (deep breath), the Harvest Festival’s in September, the historical Rückershäuser Markt (an Oktoberfest of sorts) in October, another Harvest Festival in October, the official start of the Carnival Season in November, followed by two Christmas Markets (there are six districts, after all), and quite a number of Christmas concerts.

Yikes, I forgot to add in the various traditional Kerb Festivals (Church Festivals) in the Fall, each district with its own.

A year in the life of Aarbergen in two breaths. ;-)

Please, as if you got time now to go see the 17th century half-timbered church in Daisbach, or the Dorfkirche in Rückershausen built in 1326. Michelbach’s got this totally cool medieval fortress church that’s pushing like 900 years old.

Making the 450 year old tree over at the local cemetery seem downright young, huh? But the old church still isn’t as old as the Altschloss, an old castle (what’s left of it anyway) from around the 8th century.

Don’t fret if you get a bit achy after doing all that partying and sightseeing — just head to the Sauerbrunnen, a fountain’s that been said to help with all kinds of ailments.

Can it make me 10 years younger — I still got a whole lot more of Germany to cover! ;-)

Welcome to Dunningen, a town right on the edge of both the Swabian Alb and the Black Forest. Or, should I say, welcome to Donnelay — its French name for three years in the early 1900s.

whatever it’s called now, or what it was called, doesn’t change the fact that you couldn’t be more centrally located in Baden-Württemberg than you are right now. You’re just about an hour from Switzerland, Lake Constance, and Stuttgart; and just about twice that time from Austria.

Good deal, no wonder lots of folks just show up to see the place.

A fantastic place to start off is at the Local History Museum, where you’ll find exhibits on everything from 19th century industry to its location near the Imperial City of Rottweil (only 10km southeast), and how the Alemanni were Christianized in the region.

Speaking of Christians, Dunningen is well-known for its annual Christmas Concerts during Advent. There are also a couple of very pretty churches within the town’s villages.

Take Seedorf, for example. You can see its Village Church steeple off in the distance amidst the surrounding green fields and red-roofed houses. This is also a village where you’ll find old half-timbered houses right along modern city streets.

What you’ll also find right near modern roads are castle ruins. Five of them to be precise. It’s hard to pick which one you’ll like best — I’m still trying to decide…

Start with what little remains of Burg Dunningen, a lowland castle that’s been reduced to rubble. A sad end for a castle that goes back more than a thousand years.

Hohenschramberg is another ruin; a 15th century castle that’s been set ablaze by French troops in 1689, and under siege during the Thirty Years’ War. One of the best parts that still stands is the Chapel Tower.

From here it’s on to the ruins of Castle Falkenstein, built in the 12th century with its own moat. Right in the shadow of it lies the former pilgrimage Falkenstein Chapel.

The ruins of Castle Schilteck await — but they’re not going anywhere. At least for now that is, since they stopped its stones from being used as a quarry.

Last, but certainly not least, are the ruins of Castle Ramstein. The view from its 688 meters above sea level is astounding, and enhanced by its medieval moat and wall.

You know what, this one is my favorite — even if it has been a ruin longer than it stood.

In case you’re wondering, Castle Ramstein was built in the early 1100s, and destroyed back in 1451.

None of these are as old as the Roman Villa Rustica found nearby — a good find if you’re a history lover.

Whether you’re a history, nature, or cultural lover — you’ll be more than happy here in and around Dunningen. I’m not so sure about Donnelay, though. ;-)

Jutting up against the towns of Butzbach and Friedberg is the two-district Hessian town of Ober-Mörlen.

This isn’t a town of wild nights and all-out partying like nearby Frankfurt (only 29km south). Nope, it’s a simple place of quiet half-timbered houses and old churches.

So, if you’re looking for a quiet place to learn what it’s like in a typical German town, you’ve found it right here. Sometimes that’s all anyone is looking for, to walk along places like Frankfurter Straße, imagining what it must’ve been like around here a few centuries ago.

Honestly, it was tough around here a few centuries back. Once lorded over by the Lords of Falkenstein, Schloss Ziegenberg (which funny enough translates to Mountain Goat Castle, ha ha!) was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War conflict. It suffered again during the last days of World War II, when American bombers hit it.

Ziegenberg is also where you’ll find a very pretty Evangelical Church, right next to the old vicarage on Fauerbacher Straße. Along Hauptstraße are more half-timbered houses, and at Hauptstraße 27 is a local museum.

Another must-see church is the Gustavus Adolphus Chapel, a simple white building with long rectangular windows from the 19th century. The St. Mary Chapel is worth seeing, too.

The real show-stopper though is the Church of St. Remigius, a medieval church from the very early 13th century that too bad burned down in 1591. They rebuilt it though, all the way back in 1607.

All this history is great, but it isn’t anywhere nearly as old as the reconstructed Gaulskopf from the Roman era. Even better that it’s a UNESCO area in the High Taunus Nature Park.

The countryside surrounding Ober-Mörlen is fantastic, and one of the best viewpoints is the Winterstein mountain. The whole area is a just splendid for hiking, biking, or whatever else you can think of doing outdoors.

Hey, keep it clean — this is a family friendly place. ;-)

Great family fun can be had at Ober-Mörlen’s annual Pfarrfest and Pumpkin Festival, both of which are held in September. And Carnival’s a big production around here — since 1753.

What do you know, maybe Ober-Mörlen isn’t as quiet as it first appears…

You know what’s really remarkable about Germany? The fact that you can actually be part of a “Metropolitan Region” and right in a nature area at the same time (half the town is still farmland). Well, at least Oedheim in northern Baden-Württemberg is.

There wasn’t any Stuttgart Metro Region when the Celts were here back a few thousand years ago. Nor was it a Metro Region when the Romans came along later on.

That’s not to say that Oedheim wasn’t important — there were Roman estates (like the one in the village of Falkenstein) and other Roman buildings here. In fact, Oedheim’s Trinity Chapel is thought to have been built on original Roman foundations.

Oedheim’s Roman days seem like such a long time ago, but the Stone Age grave mounds found in the village of Lautenbach are even older.

Drats — I was going back in history. Now telling you about the Teutonic Knights’ Coat of Arms from the 18th century in the village of Degmarn just doesn’t seem that old.

Who cares — there’s a castle! That’s right, the Schloß Hofgut Lautenbach. And it isn’t the only one in Oedheim. You’ll just have to be content seeing Schloss Oedheim (a.k.a. Bautzen Castle) from the outside since it’s privately owned.

You’re more than welcome to see some of Oedheim’s many churches. The Christ Church is the youngest of them all, built only in the mid-20th century; but the St. Mauritius Church has been around for more than six centuries.

Do you mind if we go back to Degmarn for a minute? Great — this way I can tell you this village of around 800 people has its own village church worth seeing, as well as two chapels, and an old Backhaus (Bake House).

What’s just as nice about the town’s historical sites are its festivals. The Kochfest is one of the most popular, held at the end of June. March has the Josefsmarkt, while on April 30th is the Maifest, followed by the Maibaumfest in early May.

We haven’t even gotten to the cycling trails and hiking paths through the Swabian-Franconian Forest yet — and I’m already tired.

Oh well, guess it’s best to find a place to stay the night — you didn’t really think you’d be able to do this all in one day, did you?

Ask a thousand people who either live in, or have been to, Bavaria, and almost the entire percentage would probably tell you that October is probably one of the best months to visit.

I’d probably have to agree with them, mostly because of the weather’s a bit crisper. And probably because a whole lotta festivals are going on.

Such is the case of the Swabian town of Thannhausen, located along the Mindel River.

That’s right, I’m starting this whole thing off on Thannhausen’s festivals. There’s not a whole lot, but that doesn’t matter, because what it doesn’t have in quantity — it’s got in quality.

October’s Wine Festival is as good of a place to start as any; and if you’re hungry for some locally grown goodies, checkout the Farmers Market.

Throughout the rest of the year Thannhausen’s got everything from Advent festivities to Chamber Music concerts. Simple, yet effective, in giving you a glimpse into the cultural life in a simple Swabian town.

I really shouldn’t say simple — super, stupendous, spectacular — they’re better words to use for Thannhausen since its on the Swabian Baroque Route. The former courthouse is one of those Baroque gems in town, which has been here since 1673. The Stadtpfarrkirche (City Parish Church) Mariä Himmelfahrt is all about the Baroque, and most famous for its frescoes. I’d have to say the St. Leonard Chapel (built 1600) on Augsburgerstraße would be good to see while you’re out here.

Many of Germany’s towns have lots of churches on their sightseeing itinerary, this town’s got a Mosque too; so added because of its decorative Turkish tiles — so add that to your must-do list.

Thannhausen’s outside is just as lovely as what you’ll find indoors. Look out for the Bierbrunnen (Beer Fountain), that doesn’t spring forth Broyhann, but water. And there are some 1,200 square kilometers of the Augsburg – Westliche Wälder Nature Park to conquer, ya know.

Anyone wishing for something more, ah, active — there’s swimming at either Thannhausen’s indoor or outdoor pools. Tennis at one of the town’s courts would work just as good for some exercise — as will trekking around the Naturerlebnispfad im Hansenhohl (that’s a hard word to type) and a cycle around any one of the town’s bike trails.

The majority of people might tell you that October’s an exciting month to spend in Bavaria, but I think anytime of year is great to be in Thannhausen — better yet that it’s in Bavaria. ;-)

There are days when you’re the pigeon — and there are days when you’re the statue, if you catch my meaning. Today is a day where I’m feeling like the statue. I’m not sure why. The afternoon started off easy enough, a trip to learn about the town of Schallstadt, not all that far from the Alsace.

I blinked, I was through it. Game Over. Thanks for coming, please come again. Yeah, it’s that small. Even smaller is its neighbor, Ebringen, half its size, a third of the population, and four times the sightseeing.

But, I’m not complaining. This is the Black Forest region, so no matter what — you’re not going to go wrong. ;-)

To put a positive spin on it all, look at it this way, you’re centrally located in Schallstadt to be close enough to Bad Krozingen and Freiburg (both border the town on the north and south respectively).

And if you’re here, you might as well hike around the region looking for some stork nests. Yup, these pretty birds that like to bring babies (ha-ha) also like to spend some time in town.

There are at least two castles to see while you’re here. I guess I should say, what used to be two castles. Nothing at all remains of Burg Mengen, a lowland castle.

But, you can see where the old donjon and courtyard used to be at the Schneeburg ruins atop the Schönberg. This castle was built in either the late 13th or early 14th century, but it is known that it was destroyed during the Peasants’ War in 1525.

Schallstadt sits in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald District, meaning you’re awfully close to an Alemannic Cemetery that was used by the Alemanni for around 400 years (300-700 A.D.).

The Alemannic name for Schallstadt is Schallsched, by the way.

I’m sorry there’s not much else going on in Schallstadt’s districts, but I don’t feel like the statue anymore — I’ve had a good enough time here in Schallstadt to make me feel like the pigeon again. Or should I say stork? ;-)

In northern Rhineland-Palatinate, close to the border of North Rhine-Westphalia, lies “The Colorful Town On the Rhine.”

Ordinary folks who live here call it, Linz am Rhein.

It doesn’t matter to me what you call it, but I do know it has all sorts of colorful half-timbered houses. Heck, even the Town Hall is a pretty timber framed gem of a building.

What’s even better is Linz, besides also being a collective municipality with six other villages, has a couple of castles. Burg Linz is found right in town, a medieval castle that doesn’t seem too scary these days. A few centuries ago you would be quaking in your boots at the thought of its torture chamber — but today you can just see & enjoy it for its historical value.

The other castle to see is Ockenfels Castle, a truly medieval castle that didn’t even survive the 1400s. Ruin, or not, Ockenfels is along the Rheinsteig, so it makes for a pretty backdrop while you’re hiking.

And the Rheinsteig isn’t the only scenic route. Nope, you’ll run right into a small section of the Rheinischer Sagenweg. The Linzer Strünzer is found at the Castle Square, a plaque that’s about the story of how the town was safe from a Swedish siege.

Hmm, you’d think the Rheintor (once part of the city gate) would’ve kept them somewhat safe. What do I know? ;-)

Oh yeah, I do know that the Rheintor was built around 1329, and that its funny “markings” were created by flood water.

C’mon, there’s no time to think about that kind of stuff — there’s celebrations to be had. Linz am Rhein is a wonderful place to party, as the town offers events like the Rhine in Flames (first Saturday in May), a Wine Festival (the second weekend in September), and the Christmas Markets throughout the Advent season.

This is in addition to the Altstadtfest (Old Town Festival) in March, the Kirmes in August, and the Kunsthandwerkermarkt (Art & Handicraft Market) in October. And if you want to do that too, you can — as there’s the Dance into May celebration.

Colorful doesn’t even begin to cover what you’ll find in Linz am Rhein, but whatever it is, you’ll be glad you came.