There are days when you can’t get me to shut-up about a particular town in Germany. I’m sure you’ve noticed, just droning on and on about the wonderful (fantastic, terrific, outstanding) town that I just so happen to be writing about.

Sometimes, however, I’m at a loss and struggle to find the right things to tell you. The Lower Saxony town of Lathen falls into the latter category.

Don’t get me wrong, Lathen is nice. It’s just there isn’t a whole lot going on. You and I aren’t going to hold that against it — oh no, Lathen’s just small, that’s all. It’s a typical hard-working German town where people go to work, go to church, and every once and while, go to party.

Where is this typical German town? Just one town over from the border of the Netherlands, at the Ems River. It takes up only 38 square kilometers, and a good bit of that is the Transrapid Test Facility.

Oh yeah, a fast track where we Germans learn to make things go even faster. The track itself is over 31km long — and it’s big business to this unassuming town.

You’re probably not here for all that, so instead how about going to see some of Lathen’s villages. Fresenburg’s got an old chapel; and it’s known for its Equestrian Events.

Oberlangen is another party hamlet — the one not to miss is held on the last weekend of June.

If you like the whole windmill scene, look no further than the one built here in town back in 1818.

What’s great about Lathen is it’s centrally located to enjoy some of the best of Lower Saxony. Stay at one of the town’s Bed & Breakfasts (like the Lathener Marsch that’s built from a 900 year old farmhouse), then flit off to any number of museums in the Emsland District.

You’re awfully close to the Emsland Archaeological Exhibition Center, the Moor Museum, Maritime Museum, and even Clemswerth Castle.

Oh, it appears that I haven’t struggled to tell you about Lathen — and all it’s wonderful (terrific, outstanding, etc.) things. ;-)

If you walked due north from the city of Aalen, the next town over would be Hüttlingen. Don’t go wondering why I’d suggest walking, you see, Hüttlingen lies right along the eastern part of the Swabian Alb.

You know what that means, right? It means that even if you had to walk that kind of distance, for sure, you’ll fall in love with the town’s great outdoors. One of its outdoor attractions is its Skulpturenweg.

This isn’t your average, contemporary kinda art. Nope, most of the 31 pieces in the collection have a whimsical theme to them. You know, like Cinderella (#26), Rapunzel (#22), Hansel & Gretel (#18), and Puss in Boots (#13).

Another way to experience Hüttlingen’s outdoors is to follow along the footsteps of the Romans. The German Limes Road is a 550km scenic route when the Roman Empire stretched between the mighty Danube and romantic Rhine.

What’s cool about this scenic route is a mosaic street, and a replica of a first century A.D. stove. Wow, we’ve come a long way in the cooking department, huh?

Don’t even think about cooking, grab a picnic basket of already-made goodies — then head to the Filgenbachwasserfall. This natural area is a quiet place to enjoy the scenery.

The Naturerlebnisbad in Niederalfingen is a little more lively. Open from May to September, this outdoor pool has a cool pebble beach.

When you’re done there, you must (like totally have-to) go see Burg Niederalfingen. Which is also known as the Marienburg, by the way. Call it whatever the heck you feel like — I just call it a marvelous 11th century castle that used to belong to the Hohenstaufens; now housing a Museum and Youth Center.

Hüttlingen’s got a couple of old churches, too. While technically not a church, the Schächergruppe is where folks would go to pray for a safe passage along a dangerous river crossing nearby.

But, as far as the old churches go — about two hundred years ago, people built the Andresles Käpelle. And if you think that’s old, a whopping six hundred years ago, folks around here built the Marienkapelle — and it’s still standing.

You won’t be after sightseeing around this place. Someone find me a chair. ;-)

I feel kinda bad for Hohenlockstedt. You see, it used to be part of a Collective Municipality with so five other towns, but back in 2008 it was disbanded.

Oh, the town itself on the Schleswig-Holstein Cheese Route still exists — however, the other villages belong to other Collective Municipalities nowadays.

Come to think of it, so does Hohenlockstedt — it belongs to Amt Kellinghusen. Actually a whole lot of name changing has been going on over the years. Hohenlockstedt used to be called Lockstedter Lager — and it wasn’t named for a type of beer. ;-)

Lockstedter Lager, by the way, was once a gigantic military training area prior to World War I.

A detail of Lockstedter Lager, I mean Hohenlockstedt’s, history can be learned at the Pumpenhaus that’s now the local Heritage Museum. You just gotta do it on a Sunday afternoon.

Also open on the weekends is the contemporary art Exhibition House, a place full of sculptures, photography, painting, and more. It’s free for everyone, and open Saturdays and Sundays afternoons (too).

Every year the local art foundation at the museum offer prizes to local artists. And it’s not hard to figure out how easily inspired they can be in this part of North Germany.

Maybe it’s all the local wildlife found within the Aukrug Nature Park? If I knew how to draw, paint, or sculpt — I know I would be. ;-)

I’ll stick to what I do best, writing about towns and festivals in Germany. It’s good because there are a number of them here in Hohenlockstedt. The town has three Summer Festivals, two in June, one in August.

There’s more, too. In addition to that, there are Organ Concerts at the local church, Theater Nights, Chess Club events, senior trips, a Lichterfest (Festival of Lights) in November, an Oktoberfest in October, a Christmas Bazaar, and Christmas Concerts to name just a few.

It only goes to show you that a good time doesn’t care what name you go by — it’ll always find you. ;-)

There’s always something that strikes me about each and every town and city in Germany.

In the case of Eppertshausen, it’s the fact that this whole area was once covered by an ocean, its 10th century name was Ecgiharteshuson (yeah, trying saying that fast a few times), and it’s got a cool American Sports Bar.

That’s it, nothing more. Just a couple of interesting facts, huh? ;-)

Thankfully Eppertshausen isn’t at the bottom of an ocean anymore (and a whole lot easier to pronounce), we get to enjoy its pretty Hessian countryside, located just north of the Odenwald, within the larger Upper Rhine Valley.

Its water days aren’t totally over, though. It has a lake, which is a nature reserve area — just perfect for leisurely strolls or more intense hikes.

The question is, how does anyone have any time to do anything in Eppertshausen, considering that every time you turn around there’s a festival or cultural event going on?

I’m not even exaggerating this time (I swear), they’ve got the Spring Festival in April; May Day (May 1st); the Summer Festival (also in May); the Corpus Christi Procession; and both a Summer Festival and Champagne Festival in August; ending the year with the Christmas Market in December.

Wait a second… it doesn’t end there. I forgot about the Fisherman’s Festival in July, events like “Italian Evenings,” and all the garden parties.

Isn’t it idyllic here? Yeah, I think so, too.

And if you like some history thrown in with your nature adventures and party-going, Eppertshausen has that covered.

The youngest of its churches is its Evangelical Church, because the region was predominantly Catholic until the 20th century. The town’s Pfarrkirche (Parish Church) is a pretty Baroque Roman Catholic one; while its oldest one is the Valentinuskapelle — a chapel built in 1440 that used to be a popular pilgrimage site.

Still, that’s not the oldest thing in town. That’s probably the nearby Castle Babenhausen, a 12th century Hohenstaufen Castle. Told ya there was some history thrown into the mix.

If you’re willing to travel just a few minutes further, you’ll find something even older than a medieval castle. Eppertshausen is real close to the Messel Fossils and Folk Museum. The building itself isn’t that old (built 1785), it’s what you’ll find inside that’s older than the Middle Ages.

That’s a whole lot of stuff to find within thirteen square kilometers, isn’t it? So, if you find yourself in neighboring Darmstadt, remember Eppertshausen. I truly believe you’ll like it here.

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the old adage, change is good, have you not?

Well, as of nowadays, things have changed in the town of Eschede. It’s not as if the town changed federal states, or anything like that. Nope, it changed from the Collective Municipality Eschede to just the “town” of the same name.

What’s the big deal? Nothing too much, really. The place is still located in the Südheide Nature Park, which is part of the larger Lüneburg Heath, so it’s just wonderfully located to rent a bicycle or grab your most comfortable pair of walking to enjoy the greenery.

In fact, the Lutter Radwanderweg is a great route to learn all of Eschede’s finer points along its 21 “stops.”

Ambitious types might prefer to tackle the 51km cycling route through the nature park and heath region, or see if you can handle the longer 62km route.

Not for me, if you don’t mind, I’d rather take a leisurely stroll along the pretty ponds — a hiking route that’s only a mere 11km long. The Jakobusweg, or the Way of St. James, also comes through Eschede — so make sure you bring your Pilgrimage passport along for the ride (I mean walk) as you come by the Johanniskirche (rebuilt in 1713) to see its destroyed bells in the graveyard. ;-)

Horse back riding on the Jakobusweg might be considered cheating, but it’s perfectly OK if you’re just riding around the region. Many of the horse trails bring you along picturesque farms and old manor houses.

Be sure not to miss the old manor in the village of Habighorst. The house itself dates to the 1700s, while the whole estate’s been operational since the late 1600s.

And what’s being outdoors without seeing any local wildlife? Um, wait a second… leopards aren’t indigenous to Germany are they?

Ah, who cares, you can see some 60+ species of animals at the Filmtier-Park Eschede; and the Nature Park Information Center is full of exhibits on the local landscape and the animals that really are indigenous to this region.

Speaking of indigenous, painter Albert King was born here in the late 19th century. To celebrate a local boy done good, the town has a museum of his works, open Tuesdays to Sundays. Sorry, if you’re here from November to April, the museum’s only open on the weekends.

Whatever you choose to do and see in Eschede, you’re sure to work up a hearty appetite. So, good thing you’ll find all kinds of cafes, restaurants, bistros, and everything in between for a nosh — then go work it off at one of the swimming pools or miniature golf course.

While change might be good, you don’t want to see the scale changing to a higher number, do you? ;-)

As a kid growing up I only knew of an East and West Germany, a divided Germany. Hidden within the Easter Bloc of East Germany was the federal state of Thuringia, and towns like Kölleda, were closed off to those of us in the West.

Now there’s one Germany, giving us the opportunity to see wonderful towns like this.

Wow, who knew what treasure awaited beyond the Inner German border.

The five districts of Kölleda are really special, each with their own village church and history.

I think my favorite is the Dorfkirche in the hamlet of Backleben, whose new-looking spiked steeple contrasts nicely with the crumbly stone of the tower itself. The church in the village of Burgwenden has these awesome stone reliefs — they just don’t build ’em like that anymore, do they?

Dermsdorf’s Village Church of St. John the Baptist looks more like a quaint cottage than a house of worship, but that’s part of its charm. It’s really old, by the way, built in 1266. That’s much older than the St. Wippertikirche, that didn’t come along until 1404.

You didn’t come all this way to spend it indoors, so take in the terrific Thuringian air at the Burg Rabenswalde. Don’t expect a whopping intact castle, this medieval fortress (that once had walls 1.5 meters thick) has been a ruin for more than 600 years.

Although the camera hasn’t been around that long, you can see a lot the old Kölleda at the Backleber Tor — a local history museum with hundreds of pictures depicting the town over the years. There isn’t anything in Kölleda as old as the prehistoric grave mound, believed to go back to 3,000 B.C., in what is now the village of Battgendorf.

The Market Fountain from 1584 (found at the Marktplatz) doesn’t seem all that old compared to that. Nonetheless, it is, and you might as well see the St. Wigbert Monument while you’re there, too.

Thanks to a reunified Germany, everyone can now see the delightful treats of places like Kölleda — imagine what else there’s left to discover… ;-)

Exactly to the west of Bamberg in Upper Franconia lies Bischberg, a town that many might say lost its importance with the advent of the railway and the modern automobile.

Gasp, how dare anyone say such a thing about Bischberg. So what if no one uses its location along the Rivers Main and Regnitz for logging anymore. This doesn’t make it any less important, does it?

No, it just means that Bischberg is no longer a medieval powerhouse of industry.

One of the best things to come out of the Middle Ages in (and around) Bischberg is Lisberg Castle, whose origins go all the way back to sometime in the 8th century. It’s been said that Lisberg Castle is one of the oldest in the Steigerwald (um, it’s over 1100 years old — do ya think) — and one of the few to never having been destroyed.

Oh, it’s been damaged and beaten up a bit, especially during the Peasants‘ and Thirty Years’ Wars. You can’t tell too much though when you’re looking at its round dungeon or its 15th century chapel.

If you want to see it, you got to call ahead to arrange a visit to the privately owned castle.

Excuse me, I’m going to one of the town’s five breweries to drown out the sorrow of not owning a one. ;-)

I’m joking — but only on the drowning out my sorrow part; there really are five breweries. Oh, don’t be shocked, this is Bavaria and a neighbor to Bamberg that has like a gazillion breweries.

In between brewery visits, come see Bischberg’s Franconian Fishing Museum, and stop at some of its local churches. St. Wendelin’s awaits in the village of Tütschengereuth; and in Bischberg proper — come see the 15th century St. Mark Church.

Save the sightseeing for another weekend if you’re here over the first weekend in September. This is when the 5-day Bischberger Fair takes place from Thursday to Monday.

As good of a time as any to try some of the local fish specialties, right?

I would never say that Bischberg isn’t important — it is if you’re looking for a good time, or some good eats.

It’s hard to fathom looking over at your neighbor, not being able to talk or visit with them, isn’t it?

Such was the case of the people of Braunlage in Lower Saxony — a town that once sat on the Inner German Border, divided from its East German neighbors from the middle to the end of the 20th century.

At the dawn of the 21st century, Germany was reunified so the folks in the former East Germany got to see first hand the wonders of what makes Braunlage one of the best towns in all of northern Germany.

To commemorate Germany’s reunification, you’ll find a Memorial Stone marking the former borders, BTW.

To keep with the whole historical thing, a visit to the Heritage Museum (a.k.a. Heimatmuseum) in the village of Hohegeiß is a fantastic place to start — most especially since the museum itself is the village’s oldest fairy tale half-timbered house (located at Lange Straße 54).

Braunlage has another museum to add to your list of things to do. The Heimat- und FIS-Skimuseum, where the museum details much of what life was once like here, and the German love of skiing all in one convenient place.

Between you and me, I don’t really ski, but that’s not to say I’m not fascinated with careening down the mountainside with the wind in my hair, so good thing I can go mountain biking instead.

Then again, if you’re into more leisurely activities, I’d say the guided hikes through the Harz National Park would be a grand idea. Or, you could just hang out at the Kurpark Hohegeiß, where you can BBQ or take quiet walks along little trails. You also got the Kurgastzentrum, an outdoorsy garden area with an outdoor theater.

Some other fun outdoor things to do could also include canoeing, swimming, or when the weather’s a tad colder there’s always sleigh rides or ice skating. The most ambitious of you can even hike along the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg, a 100km long hiking route known as the Witch’s Trail. Oooh, spooky, sounds perfect for Halloween.

As for other “holidays,” I can’t think of anything better than Braunlage’s Advent Market, or its Walpurgis Night events. In case you weren’t aware, the Walpurgis Night festivities are particularly fun in the Harz Mountain region — so plan to be here on April 30th.

And thankfully these days everyone can enjoy the best of Braunlage.

What a wonderful week. Mengkofen in the heart of Lower Bavaria, means more like a religious journey because of all the churches.

That’s not to say that’s all there is to Mengkofen; that’s hardly the case. But, let’s start there, all right?

Mengkofen is proud of its churches, and rightfully so. The Church of St. George (built 1886) is famous for its gorgeous stained glass, but the church is painted so prettily that it should be known for that too. The Church of the Annunciation is a Baroque gem (b. 1722); which shouldn’t be confused with the Church of the Assumption (b. 1852) at Klausenweg 2.

Even Mengkofen’s castle has gotten in on the religious theme. It used to be a stunning Schloss back when it was built in 1842, and now it’s a killer looking convent for retired nuns.

There’s still another castle to see, Tunzenberg Castle — located right at Schloßberg 1. You’d never guess from its 18th century makeover that it was a 16th century original.

And we’re still not done with the churches yet, by the way. You really should see the Gothic St. Leonhard Church (at Haguenau 37), and all the terrific 16th century artwork found at the Church of St. Catherine.

Have I missed any? Ah, yes, the formerly medieval Church of St. Peter, the Pilgrimage Church of St. Redemptor (b. 1785), and the neo-Romanesque church of St. Margaret.

A great way of getting around in Mengkofen to see all its churches and what-not is by bicycle. And with over 25km of hiking and biking trails, you’re not likely to see the same thing twice. In my humble opinion, one of the best places to ride to see is the Weilerkapelle; a tiny chapel with nothing around but a wide open field.

For anyone who doesn’t mind a crowd, come to Mengkofen’s Volksfest. It’s a multi-day event that starts with a beer tapping.

Need I say any more than that? I guess a good German beer could be a Heavenly experience, too. ;-)

Since the Saxon town of Mügeln is just about equal distance between both Leipzig and Dresden, I’d say it’s quite easy enough to make the trip here from either one.

The real question really is, why would you want to come to the two dozen-plus villages of Mügeln from these grand cities?

Easy enough to ask, not so simple to answer…

The biggest reason for me would be the Luther Trail. Religion aside, the Lutherweg is a historical route touting the importance of Luther’s Reformation throughout Germany five centuries ago. The three churches that are a “must-see” would be the Martin Luther Church in the village of Sornzig, the Church of St. Andrew in Schweta, and the former medieval pilgrimage Church of St. Mary’s.

I would be remiss in my writing if I didn’t tell you to come see the Johanniskirche either. Who wouldn’t love to see a medieval church from the 13th century, although it did have to be rebuilt a couple hundred years later.

Plus, you’re not too far from the Kloster Marienthal, a proper medieval Cistercian monastery from the 13th century — which is also another stop along the Luther Trail, come to think of it.

All right, it’s time to wrap up the Luther-related sites, time to head out into the Wermsdorf Forest, located just north of town. The forest is full of treats to explore, including Bronze Age burial mounds, castles, and even archaeological sites, if you’re so inclined.

Then again, if you’re not all that keen on trekking through a forest on your own, there are some marked hiking trails to help you. They’re not all that long (the longest being only 14km), but if you’re planning on cycling these routes — keep in mind, not all are easily passable by bike.

Besides biking and hiking, I was excited to find out all I could about what else Mügeln had to offer. There are some 23 information boards found throughout town, each detailing the highlights of what you’re looking at. Wouldn’t you like to learn more about the old City Brewery and its medieval Meat Market? Of course you would, so a trip to the Local History Museum can certainly help with all that.

As if Mügeln isn’t great enough, the many festivals held here every year make it even better. The Blütenfest in May is one of the most popular — maybe everyone want to cheer for the Flower Queen? The flowery festival is followed by the Schützenfest and Quarry Festival, with the Park Festival and Summer Festival keeping you busy in June and July. The Altstadtfest (Old Town Festival) is always held on the third weekend of July, and come Advent & Christmas when there are two Christmas Markets.

From all this, the question I should’ve asked in the beginning was, why wouldn’t you want to come to Mügeln? ;-)