Someone once wrote to me in regard to travel writing “…that not every view is a vista,” or something to that effect. Um, excuse me, this is my beloved Germany — so I beg to differ; and places like Nattheim in Baden-Württemberg are the reason why.

Here’s a chance to hike the Swabian Alb. Vista views for everyone. :-)

The love of the outdoors is felt just about everywhere in Nattheim; doesn’t matter the season, either. There are certainly lovely enough cycle routes, going all the way to some 43km through Demmingen and Katzenstein (both part of Dischingen); to a 35km route that runs through Nattheim and its village of Fleinheim.

Can’t ride a bike? No big deal, take the hiking trails instead — some with names like the Shepards Trail. And Old Man Winter doesn’t keep people away — winter sports are popular, mostly cross-country skiing.

As pretty as Nattheim is, you can’t live by outdoors alone; so go visit the Coral Museum (open Sundays 2pm-5pm), where one piece is over 130 million years old.

It’s hard to think that Nattheim’s medieval Martinskirche as old after that, but it is. As is the yellow painted Evangelical Petruskirche in Fleinheim, and the onion-domed St. George Church.

Just so you know, Nattheim isn’t all old buildings and outdoor stuff. This is a good party town, too, offering two Wine Festivals (both in September); an Oktoberfest that’s really in October; an Autumn Celebration (also in October); and a Gemeindefest & Parish Festival — also in October.

Wow, Nattheim really comes alive in the Autumn, don’t you think? Maybe that’s because during the Summer everyone’s at the Ramsteinbad, the local swimming pool (naturism included) with a beach volleyball and picnic area.

Family fun for everyone, right? Even better that Nattheim’s got those vista views, too…

My first sight of the town of Nortorf was of its St. Martin Church, with its steep clock tower all covered with snow in the fading winter light. I could have stared at this 19th century church for hours, despite the cold northern German air.

I got spoiled that day, so my thought was: if Nortorf could be beautiful in the bleak days of winter, what was it going to be like in full summer bloom?

That, my Friends, would have to wait for another day. I was only too glad when it did.

Winter, Summer, it really doesn’t matter when you come to Noorddörp (as its called in Low German), so long as you do.

Hold on a sec, I take that back… If you’re walking along Emkendorfer Allee you might want to see it when all its trees are in bloom. You can also see 19th century ladies in their bustle skirts, men in top hats, and horse drawn carriages clopping along the avenue.

Whoa, where did all these romantic notions come from? Who cares — I’m loving it here.

More trees wait for you at the Keltischer Baumkreis Gnutz, or Celtic Tree Circle. Maybe this is where those romantic thoughts came from, hmm…. ;-)

No, it’s possible they came from the lovely Emkendorfer Herrenhaus, a mansion that’s a popular venue for the very famous Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

There isn’t anything romantic about the Animal Park, but it’s really fun for the whole family with over 125 species. The Steinpark Warder isn’t as romantic as it is fun, open to anyone interested on the first Saturday of the month from June to October.

Nortorf’s Village Museum is also educational, offering exhibits from its Stone Age days; and some artifacts are over 12,000 years old.

I wonder what you can find out there in the Nortorfer Hochzeitswald, full of hiking paths. Can’t worry about it now, gotta go party at the Forest Festival — held every July. If you can’t make this one, try for the Summer Festival in August.

If only I could just hang around here until winter again — just to get another look of the place blanketed in snow. Oh well, I guess I’ll use it as an excuse to come back again. ;-)

Germany is a country with a very long history, and sometimes that’s hard to put into perspective. Sure, I could sit here and tell you that the town of Pilsting in Lower Bavaria has been around from 4,000 B.C. — but that doesn’t mean much, does it?

That is, until, you’ve managed to see some of the archaeological finds. Pilsting’s Historical Society is full of information on the 177 graves that offered up bronze combs, belts, and buckles. In one Alemannic grave, from around the 7th century A.D., a lance, shield, and sword were found.

Today mostly everyone looks above ground, as opposed to what’s beneath. Actually, people look skyward because you’ll find quite a number of churches throughout Pilsting’s 13 districts.

One of the most popular to visit is Pilsting proper’s Gothic church from the 15th century. Yea, doesn’t sound very old when parts of Pilsting go back to the prehistoric; but in all fairness — the church is a few hundred years older than the building you’re looking at.

Let’s see… Another church in Pilsting that’s a must-see is St. Nicholas in Gosselding, a medieval church with Baroque finishings. St. George in Großköllnbach is in a medieval Romanesque design with Baroque embellishments. Leonberg’s church is a chance to see how a medieval tower and onion dome work well together.

The ones to really see are the Meadow Chapel (built 1648), the Heimkehrerkapelle zur Mutter Gottes im Moos (another chapel), and the Cemetery Chapel.

Not to discount them, but the rest of Pilsting’s churches are delights of Baroque and medieval, where Gothic meets gold. You could continue to see the rest of them, or you can take a guided hike through the region.

There are a few cycling trails for the truly adventurous (read: cycle trails not good for kids), but they’ll no doubt love the outdoor swimming pool that’s open May to September.

Kids might also like to see the medieval castle ruins, where they can pretend to be a Knight of the Round Table. Wait… isn’t that English history? And another website, altogether. ;-)

For some people trekking off to the big city is just fine and dandy. And I wouldn’t dream of taking away anything from Germany’s big cities. However, the nuts and bolts of Germany lies in its small towns and villages — places like Pleidelsheim.

Which, by the way, is located just 21km north of Stuttgart.

Ahh, all the easier to get here, huh? And if you think because of its small size (just 10 square kilometers) that you won’t be here long; you got another thing coming.

You could spend all day just staring at the Romanesque Mauritiuskirche, from the 1300s — whose medieval defense tower has survived many centuries.

The church is but one stop along Pleidelsheim’s “History Tour” that’ll take you along some 20 other hot spots. Actually, I kinda went out of order — the tour starts at the Alte Rathaus (Old Town Hall), built back in 1613. Right outside is the Pigeon Monument, one of six monuments and fountains.

From there you can choose to do the whole tour, or pick what you want to see. I wouldn’t, however, skip over the Schorndorfer Court; a building from the 15th century.

Nor would I skip out before seeing the Hasenhof (built 1452), Friedhofstürmle, and Lutheran Parsonage (built 1625) — all the while passing along the Dorfmauer, or village wall.

I like the huge half-timbered house at Hindenburg Platz 2, and the Gasthaus Ochsen (built 1611). These framework buildings give Pleidelsheim an Old World feel, with modern conveniences, of course.

There are just about as many festivals going on in Pleidelsheim as there are “historical monuments.” The Krämermarkt is a Springtime event, held right before Easter; while the Maypole events go off on the last weekend of April.

The Waldfest (Forest Festival) goes off on Whit Weekend (think Pentecost), and on Ascension Day there’s the Fisherman’s Festival. On even-numbered years, Pleidelsheim holds the Marktplatz Festival (in September), while the Straßenfest goes off in July of odd-numbered years.

The Christmas Market is one of the best, an event visited by Santa himself — and offering the chance to climb the Mauritiuskirche’s famed tower.

Maybe a walk around either the Nature Reserve Altneckar or Nature Reserve Eastheath Wiesenthal will calm the mind to keep all this straight. And the views are just as wonderful as the one from atop the church’s tower.

Yeah, I might love Germany’s big cities; but my heart belongs to towns like Pleidelsheim. Doesn’t yours? :-)

The town of Wathlingen can be a bit confusing. There’s the town of Wathlingen, and then there’s the Collective Municipality of Wathlingen, the latter of which more than triples the size of the first Wathlingen in terms of area.

Great… now I just confused everyone (don’t you just hate when that happens?). Which Wathlingen was I talking about? ;-)

Doesn’t matter, it’s all the same anyhow. The town of Wathlingen is made up of the three villages of Wath, Nienhagen, and Adelsheidsdorf. This latter one has been called the “green oasis” of Wathlingen, made up mostly of forests and meadows. Horses are big business here, where you’ll find everything from riding schools to stud farms.

Nienhagen is the party animal of the bunch, home to Wathlingen’s Easter and Christmas Markets, plus the annual Wine Festival and Hagenmarkt. It’s got its historical stuff going on too, with a Local History Museum (only open on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month). But, mostly everyone comes for Nienhagen’s sports — everything from hiking to watersports to football.

A charming spot in Nienhagen is at the Village Center along Herzogin-Agnes-Platz, framed by tall trees and quaint shops. That’s if you can tear yourself away from the outdoor pool and tennis courts.

Wath, or as they say in Low German Wateln, is the spot to be for the annual Music Festival in July (Nienhagen isn’t the only place that knows how to have a good time). No wonder its motto is Wath, klingt gut! That’s “Wath, sounds good” for the non-German speakers out there.

Ahh, some things don’t need any translation — and Wathlingen can be enjoyed no matter what your mother tongue is. And if you’ve managed to find a quiet hiking trail along the neighboring Lüneburg Heath, no talking is even necessary.

Still, you’ll manage to find someone who’ll talk to you about the St. Mary Church (1322) and the old Potash Mining area if you want. Take the Potash Train & Trolley for that.

You know, there’s no need to be confused about Wathlingen after all this — and it sure does sound very good!

Luckily I’m a “glass half-full” kinda guy. You see, I don’t need a huge laundry list of things to do in a town to think that it’s a hit; fully appreciating the town of Weisendorf for what it truly is.

What is that? That’s simple enough to answer, really. Weisendorf is a Middle Franconian town of just over 6,000 people, barely 40 square kilometers. It’s a place of some fourteen villages, some with just over 30 residents (Sauerheim, 32; Sintmann, 38).

With so many hiking trails and bike paths criss-crossing the Weisendorf countryside you can see much of what’s around in the area.

A couple of Weisendorf’s village churches date back to the 12th century. The black roof and squat tower of Kairlindach’s Village Church is really pretty; and the place is still used for services all these hundreds of years later.

Speaking of churches, while not technically within the borders of Weisendorf, it’ll still be good to go see the church of the (former) Monastery Münchaurach. St. Peter’s Church was built almost 900 years ago, with services still going on — albeit Evangelical ones these days.

Weisendorf’s churches aren’t just for Sunday Services, either; they’re into the whole partying thing, too. Come July when you can look forward to the Kirchweih in Rezelsdorf, as well as the Chapel Fair. Folks look forward to the two (yes, 2) Summer Festivals that are hosted by Weisendorf’s villages.

Prefer something a tad more quiet? Again, hit up one of the many hiking trails. This time towards the even smaller town of Gremsdorf, where you’ll find woodlands and ponds — perfect for clearing your head of everyday stresses.

Consider it a wonderful headache remedy — better than any over-the-counter pain reliever, that’s for sure. ;-)

And Weisendorf is close to the ADIDAS Factory Outlet in nearby Herzogenaurach, making it the best home-base for shopping through the Franconian countryside.

You couldn’t ask for a more typical (yet unique) town to delight and excite you than Weisendorf. Hmm, no need to think of Weisendorf as a glass half-full — it’s cup runneth over. :-)

Did you know there are over a hundred scenic routes in Germany? Yeah, that’s a lot, right? However, I have yet to find one that’s totally dedicated to Brandenburg’s village churches.

Wait, is this a webpage on village churches or on the town of Wusterhausen (Dosse)? A little of both, considering you’ll find a bunch of these little architectural gems here.

You know what? Forget petitioning some government agency to create some sort of Dorfkirche scenic route — I’ll make my own. How about we call it the Brandenburg Village Church Route, or something like that?

I’m watching — no better steal my idea. ;-)

Whatever its “name,” I’d make sure the Dorfkirche Bantikow would be on it — mostly because of its stained glass windows. The ruins of the Dorfkirche Ganzer would be on the route, too. Ruins are great, because they force you to use your imagination.

And I’d save the half-timbered Dorfkirche Kantow to see late in the day. That’s because the setting sun reflecting off the dark dome is flattering to this old girl.

My Village Church route would have to give us two days in Wusterhausen, because you’d have to get in visits to the Kirche Brunn; 13th century Kirche Nachel; and the yellow-sided Kirche Lögow.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised by stained glass windows over at the Kirche Dessow, an unassuming building along a car-lined street.

It’s two for one in the village of Metzelthin, a 13th century church (that had to be rebuilt in 1698 thanks to the Thirty Years’ War); and a castle: Schloss Metzelthin.

But, of all the churches in Wusterhausen, it is the Evangelical Church of Saints Peter & Paul that’s the most famous. Come to think of it, it’s the tower of the church that’s famous. No, make that the famous Wagner Organ that’s famous.

FYI, not Richard Wagner the famous German composer, but Joachim Wagner — one of the best German organ makers of his (or any other) day.

Because even I know you can’t live by church visits alone, I’d make sure to add in on my personal scenic route a stop to Wusterhausen’s Local History Museum, housed in a half-timbered building from the 1760s. And I would leave time for everyone to take a walk around the Klempowsee, the picturesque lake in the north.

Hopefully we could make it for the annual Dorffest in Barsikow, the 2-day Village Festival in Bückwitz (in August), or the September Harvest Festiva in Läsikow.

Ahh, nevermind my “created” church scenic route — there’s too much to do in Wusterhausen alone… we’d never get any further than right here. ;-)

With any luck if you’re visiting the northern town of Schönkirchen you won’t be as confused as I was. I knew that Schönkirchen was located in the Plön District, but what I didn’t know was the place was part of a bigger town made up of two other villages.

Would you look at that, three for the bargain basement price of one.

Schönkirchen itself is your average North German town with thatched roof cottages, only a stone’s throw from the Baltic Sea. Ahh, the salt air will do you good while you’re celebrating Sunday Services outdoors.

Services are also held in Schönkirchen’s Marienkirche, originally built back in the 1200s. Today its simple interior with its white walls and blue pews make it just as pretty on the inside as its outside.

There are three other stunning buildings that you must see while you’re here. The Gildehaus is one; having been around since 1560. Today it’s used for all sorts of events — most notably the Guild Festival (in May) that’s been going on for more than 450 years.

The Hörn-Huus is almost as old — and a lovely little cottage that makes a wonderful wedding venue. Over at the Schmidt-Haus you can not only see what life in the 19th century was like, but also enjoy the Classical & Jazz concerts. It’s also the venue for Schönkirchen’s Easter, Autumn, and Christmas Markets.

As for the other two towns you’ll find a wonderful Museum Garden at the Artists’ House, home to some 200 different plant species. And the Naturlehrpfad and Streuobstwiesen are great for a day or two of family fun.

If it’s hiking you want, head to nearby Mönkeberg. The Fördewanderweg runs along the Kiel Fjord passing along the Navy Ammo Depot. Schönkirchen’s Sculpture Trail is also a picturesque walk — remember to look up ’cause one of the sculptures can be found in a tree.

It doesn’t matter that I was originally confused about the town of Schönkirchen — I do know a pretty town and good time when I experience it.

There’s no way I can pretend to know everything (despite trying my hardest); and one of those things that I don’t know about is Heavy Metal music. What I do know is there’s a Metal band called Deadlocked that comes from the Bavarian town of Schwarzenfeld.

While I might not care too much for the head banging and music blaring sounds of the band, I do love their hometown. And thankfully during the annual Music Festival in November the genre of music played is, ah, shall we say, more subdued.

So what if Schwarzenfeld is a one-Metal band town? It isn’t, however, a one festival town. You can join in all the festivities during the Josephie Market, always on the Sunday before March 19th; the Miesberg Kirchweih at the Baroque Church on the Sunday following Pentecost; the Aegidius Kirchweih on the first weekend of September; and the Dionysius Fair in early October along the Schlossstraße.

Oh, a Schlossstraße… does that mean there’s a castle? Sure does, and you can stay there too, since Schloss Schwarzenfeld is now a hotel. It’s come a long way from its medieval beginnings, and one previous owner was friends with none other than my buddy, Ludwig II.

Some former residents of the castle are now buried in the Mausoleum, the final resting place of some Bavarian Dukes — and the Baroness von Gumppenberg-Pöttmes.

I got so excited there for a minute that I forgot to mention Scharzenfeld’s semi-annual Bürgerfest. While the date could fall in either late June or early July, it’s always held on an even-numbered year. Simple enough to remember, right?

The best way to learn more about Deadlocked’s Schwarzenfeld is to take a guided tour of the place. So long as it’s on the second Saturday of the month from April to October.

Ah, this is why Germans plan, plan, and plan.

What I didn’t plan on was loving the place as much as I did. Heck, I even learned a thing or two about Heavy Metal… ;-)

When is a castle not really a castle? The answer: when it’s a church. Confusing? Perhaps, but once you’ve been to the cute lil’ town of Schwendi you’ll understand.

You see, the old Burgrest Schwendi used to be a castle, but some time in the 15th century the castle was torn down, and the Pfarrkirche St. Stephen was built on top in 1561. In 1724 the church itself was renovated in the Baroque style; so beautifully that it earned a stop on the Upper Swabian Baroque Route.

Burg Schwendi isn’t the only castle that’s gone. Burg Großschafhausen, came along around 1182, and by 1525 it was gone. Burg Weihungszell didn’t fare any better, nothing remains of this castle either.

What does remain is really pretty. The St. Anne Chapel’s interior is elegant and simple; and you’d never know the original is over 800 years old.

Schwendi’s old Schlossmühle (from 1406) wasn’t so lucky. While it might be dilapidated, there’s still something striking about the old building. I’m not the only one who must think so, it’s on the Mühlenstraße Oberschwaben, or Upper Swabian Mill Route.

Still, my heart belongs to Schwendi’s old churches. Over in the village of Sießen (one of Schwedi’s six) there’s the St. Maria Magdalena, a church that’s been here for more than 600 years.

One last church, I promise. The Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul over in the village of Weihungszell. Wait… one more. If you get a chance go see the Kloster Ochsenhausen, a wonderful old monastery in nearby Ochsenhausen.

Now that you’ve seen all that, you’ve earned the right to wander around Schwendi’s countryside. The Wurzacher Ried is a quiet bog area, but just about any hiking trail or sidewalk will do.

And you’ve earned the right to enjoy one of Schwendi’s festivals. Might I suggest the Gartenfest in June, the Musikfest in April, or the Weinfest in October?

Yeah, that last one will work for me — and I’ll raise my glass to salute Schwendi!