If you’ve clicked on this webpage about Am Mellensee, a town of around 6,500 people in Brandenburg, chances are you know how this works by now.

I tell you about the historical sites, the nature areas, the castles, even a bit of scandalous behavior from past residents… Not this time.

Yes, I’m going to tell you about Am Mellensee — I’m just going to do it differently, breaking it down into Am Mellensee’s eight villages.

Sometimes you just gotta shake things up a bit, right? Too bad I couldn’t find any bad behavior from any aristocrat — that’s the only thing missing. ;-)

There’s a good chance there was some, I just couldn’t find any. What I did find was Gadsdorf, a village of around 192 people with city center that’s got a medieval feel. It’s also got a nature area with a peat bog if you want to go exploring, and prehistoric graves.

Klausdorf’s got Bronze Age graves as well, and Stone Age sites too. This village has a School Museum, and was once a happenin’ area for the East Germans during the Cold War.

Kummersdorf-Alexanderdorf used to be two villages. Alexanderdorf’s got the Bronze Age settlement, while Kummersdorf has a medieval town center. This is where you’ll find the Benedictine Abbey of St. Gertrude.

Don’t get all excited thinking you’re gonna see a medieval abbey — this is the only one of its kind in Brandenburg that was created after the Reformation.

They do have a guesthouse here at the Abbey — a single room is like 30 Euro a night. It’s not lavish, but its clean and affordable.

Kummersdorf-Gut is another village, and it’s home to the Technical Museum.

Mellensee proper is the fishing village of the lot. Every summer there’s a Fishing Festival and some lucky gal is crowned Fish Queen. Even if you’re not chosen you can still rent a rowboat out on the lake.

Rehagen is so small it didn’t even have its own church — a rarity.

Only two villages left — what do they got going on? Let’s see…

Saalow has a Barn Windmill (called Scheunenwindmühle), a regular looking windmill, and it’s where you can see a German Settlement from the Middle Ages.

Sperenberg, along the Krummer See, is the where you’ll find Am Mellensee’s Local History Museum, and an 18th century Baroque Protestant Church. Oh, and an armless windmill.

I found so much in Am Mellensee that I’m afraid I missed something. Better go back and do it all over again. Maybe this time I’ll find some good gossip on an ill-behaved noble. ;-)

Take note the rest of Germany, I’m only going to say this once. You really don’t need to have a whole helluva lot to see and do when you’re a simple, tiny town like Arnstorf in Lower Bavaria.

The name Lower Bavaria isn’t enough for you? Of course it isn’t, but you can’t blame someone for trying. ;-)

Really, Arnstorf doesn’t have too much to see and do. Amazing since the town is made up of over 150 (!) villages and hamlets.

Yeah, you look just as surprised as I was. ;-)

And I’ll be honest, I didn’t have the time to visit every shire, hamlet, farm, and whatnot. What I did find was pretty awesome. Too bad the Medieval Festival only takes place every four years. I missed the one in 2011, drats!

I guess it’ll have to be the annual Village Festival for everyone to enjoy in the mean time. When is it? Usually late July or early August.

You’ll have to go see the Pfarrkirche (Parish Church) of St. George too. You can’t really tell it was built in 1253 from its Gothic and Baroque architecture and art — but it was.

The Schneekapelle (Snow Chapel) is younger, as it had to be rebuilt after being destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. It only took them 7 years to do it.

In Mariakirchen (that’s one of the villages) there’s a Baroque church (Maria Himmelfahrt) and lots of biking paths.

Mitterhausen has yet another church, this one being a Gothic one dedicated to St. Stephen. Neukirchen’s got to get in on the church thing too — the Church of the Virgin Name built in 1440.

Even tiny Ruppertskirchen, a village of merely 20 people, has a 13th century Romanesque church. It’s also got a tavern, so drink up while you’re here.

The last village has (had actually) a castle. The Burgstall is found in the village of Jägerndorf, as is the Church of St. Michael; and the 19th century Gasthof zum Bräu.

Oops, that’s not the only castle. There’s the Untere Schloss (Lower Castle) and the Obere Schloss, a 15th century diddy with awesome frescoes in its Chapel of St. Catherine.

I wish I had more time to see what else Arnstorf’s got hidden. You know what? This place might be small, but it certainly isn’t simple — it’s lovely.

Up to this point I’ve had it pretty gosh-darn good. I’ve managed to find something stunning, spectacular, or even sordid about every single German town or city. But, between you and me, I had to work at it a bit in the town of Mainleus.

How so? I thought to myself, this is Franconia, how could I not find something that you’d all be interested in? Despite having some 40 villages (and 2 “farms”), and located right on the shores of the Main River — there wasn’t a lot to do in Mainleus.

That didn’t stop me from trying. And find it I did. ;-)

For starters, you’ll find three castles in Mainleus. The town is quite proud to be home to Schloss Buchau and Schloss Schmeilsdorf. However, Schloss Weinstein is the real winner. It was built in 1376, and belonged to the same family for more than six centuries. Its inner courtyard, and outer & inner gates are particularly noteworthy.

If you’re willing to travel the countryside a bit, Plassenburg is another wonderful castle nearby. This one’s a museum (all about pewter) if you’re interested.

When visiting between May and September the solar heated outdoor pool is one of Mainleus’ most popular spots. Not bad for less than 3 Euros a day.

All that swimming and sun can make you tired, so a night at the Bio Nichtraucherhaus Öhrlein is just what the environmentalists ordered. It’s a totally 4-star organic, non-smoking experience — serving organic breakfast too. And because they love the environment, they’re totally biker friendly.

Another thing to see while you’re out biking through Northern Franconia is Schloss Steinhausen. Again, who couldn’t (wouldn’t) love a Baroque castle?

As with many of Germany’s towns, if there’s a castle, chances are there are old churches as well.

The most popular is the St. Vitus Church, but I wouldn’t miss seeing the St. John Church in the village of Schwarzach bei Kulmbach. Not only is it near a whole bunch of 16th century framework houses, it’s also deadsmack in the Franconian Forest.

I guess I didn’t have to try as hard as I thought in Mainleus — and hopefully I made your time here easier too. :-)

With less than nine square kilometers, did you know that Mutlangen is the smallest wine growing area in Baden-Württemberg? Yeah, I didn’t either until now. Still, viticulture is viticulture — so bring on the drink of the gods!

You can buy yourself some, or you can peruse all the fresh fruits and veg at Mutlangen’s Weekly Market that takes place every Thursday at 7am. Come winter, folks like to sleep a bit later — so it doesn’t start until 8am.

The wine does keep flowing at Mutlangen’s Dorffest (Village Festival), which happens every year in June. It’s full of dancing, eating (everything from crepes to pizza), and shopping (handmade crafts and a flea market).

Too crowded for you? I understand, we Germans love peace & quiet too, so head to the Mutlanger Heide. This nature area was once stomped upon by the Romans — and today it’s visitors and locals all looking to be one with nature.

It isn’t the only nature spot to be, ya know. This is the Swabian Alb and the Welzheimer Wald, so you can’t go wrong if you’ve taken any one of the many marked hiking (you can jog or Nordic Walk) or biking trails.

For a good rest, visit the Freizeitbad Mutlantis, which is a great indoor pool and sauna. Then go visit the village of Pfersbach to see the 19th century church.

Maybe just letting the kids run around one of Mutlangen’s playgrounds, ordering pizza delivery from Pizza King (I’m not making this up — they really deliver) for a quick bite.

Do you think I could find someone to deliver me a glass of Riesling? No, of course not. Oh well, can’t have everything — but Mutlangen gives it a damn good try. ;-)

To the English reading crowd the name Michelau i. OFr. might look funny. Believe it or not, it tells you a lot about the place. It means, Michelau in Oberfranken. Better yet, Michelau is in Upper Franconia — a region in Franconia, which is (primarily) in Bavaria.

Doesn’t look so funny anymore, does it? Nope, it looks wonderful — especially when the half-timbered Fischerhof buildings are all covered with snow.

Yes, snow. Germany’s not a tropical palm tree paradise, so there’s bound to be a good bit of the white powdery stuff. ;-)

The only bad thing is you can’t swim in the Rudufersee when the weather’s cold. That’s why it doesn’t open up for swimming until May 1st, and closes by the middle of September.

Perhaps this is why Michelau crams so many festivals and markets into the warmer seasons. The Frühjahrsmarkt (Spring Market) isn’t held until the end of April, followed by the May Pole on May 1st, the Zunftbaumfest (also in May), and the Fisherman’s Festival that’s also a May event.

And with Michelau made up of four villages, there are other festivals and Church Fairs throughout the rest of the Spring, Summer, and Fall. There’s one at the end of June, a Community & Folk Festival that are both in June, followed by two Church Fairs in August, a Village Festival in August, and one Fall Festival in October, followed by another in November.

Only the Christmas Market falls in December, but that’s rounded out with Advent Concerts and other Christmas events.

I’m pretty sure I missed a few — so let me know if I did.

It’s so easy to lose track of time when you’re following along Michelau’s many marked hiking trails. One of the shortest is a mere 6.5km, taking you along the Neuensee lake, passing orchards, and even a pond.

The longest is around 11km, with the highlight being the 16th century gamekeeper’s house and a small fortress. A middle range 9km hike takes a religious theme — going by a 13th century chapel, a medieval cross, and a Baroque church.

One last stop: the Deutsche Korbmuseum, a museum dedicated to the basket and basket making. Don’t knock it… you gotta be able to carry around all the stuff you bought at one of Michelau’s markets, don’t you? ;-)

Did you ever think to yourself when you’ve seen some massive castle that the duke or baron that built it had any idea that it would one day be a museum? I’m guessing that the original owners of Burg Parsberg in the Upper Palatinate town of Parsberg didn’t have a clue.

Bad for them. Good for us. Now we get to see what an early 13th century medieval castle looks like on the inside. Sorta, ’cause the Swedes destroyed the original back in the mid-1600’s during the Thirty Years’ War — so what you’re about to visit didn’t come along until after 1648.

Ah, doesn’t matter, because you’re here to see the Folk & Ethnographic Museum housed within the Parsberg Castle.

Inasmuch as this is Bavaria, you don’t want to spend all your time indoors. You could spend some time underground, by the way. The Caves Trail is a hiking trail that runs from the King Otto Cave to the Pilgrimage Church of St. Wolfgang in neighboring Velburg.

Please, it’s not a big trail — only about 7km long. It won’t take you but three hours to finish. Plenty of time to hike the Schlachtschüssel Weg, or bike the 30km Vier-Bacherl-Weg.

Pay attention to the scenery, this is the Schwarze Laber as well as the Franconian Jura region.

Try not to do any of this until later in the day on Wednesdays, since that’s when the Weekly Market runs from 8am – noon. On Friday afternoons is the Farmer’s Market where they sell the freshest cheeses, sausages, honey, and even eggs. Heck, that’s not even the half of it. ;-)

Now that you’ve got some more energy, you can go see the old church in the village of Darshofen; or the St. George Church in Kerschhofen. Even though Kerschhofen only has 44 residents, St. George’s holds a couple of fairs a year — and you’re always welcome.

Just as you’re welcome to swim at the Wellenbad Jura Mare — a Waves Pool where you better know how to swim since the waves can get up to two meters high.

Hmm, I wonder if the ruling aristocracy of Parsberg ever thought they’d have one of those?

Great. Here we go again arguing over the length of yet another river in Germany. We Gemans are a literal bunch, so the official length of the Ruhr River has been marked at 219.3 kilometers, or 136 miles.

You might hear 217, or 218 kilometer; but it doesn’t change the fact that the Ruhr River starts at 666.5 meters or 2,200 feet above sea level, dropping down some 349 meters or 1,144 feet (and more) before it empties into the Rhine with the help of thirteen tributaries (the Lenne being the biggest).

Being the namegiver for the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr Area), the source of the Ruhr starts in the former Prussian town of Winterberg in what is now North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Sauerland Region. Winterberg is appropriately named since it’s a haven for winter sports (bobsledding, luge, that kind of thing), and home to the West German Sports Museum.

Yeah, from the days when there was an East and West Germany. Now every year there’s a huge dog-sledding event, and lots of hiking trails around the Rhine-Weser Watershed.

They also eat a lot of eggs around here, so expect to see them all over the menu.

As the Ruhr River starts its downward slope in elevation, it brings us to Meschede along the southern edge of the Arnsberg Nature Park — and the Hennesee, one of the five lakes along the way.

Meschede even has the ruins of an ancient city and a yearly Wine Festival.

The other town in the Arnsberg Nature Park is Arnsberg itself. The town is heavily forested, but that doesn’t stop it from having a castle (Schloss Arnsberg), the Sauerland Museum (appropriate since this is the Sauerland), and lots of churches — although the Stadtkapelle is the prettiest of them all.

So what if that’s biased — I’m writing this ditty. ;-)

Time for a Damn Attitude Beer. I apologize — I mean a DAB (Dortmund Actien Brauerei) beer — in Dortmund, no less.

They got more than that here though. This is a vibrant former Hanseatic League city with a casino (c’mon triple 7’s), another Ruhr River lake, a zoo, and a bunch of museums (like the Art Museum and Natural History Museum).

I don’t wanna leave. And you can’t make me. ;-)

Guess I have to, I suppose. We still have more towns left. Like Witten in the industrial Ruhr Area. Here’s one of the River Ruhr’s power plants that supply many of the half-timbered houses (among other) with electricity.

The Ruhr also supplies a good deal of drinking water, although not too many people are known to swim in the river — it’s mainly canoeing, sailing, and rowing that goes on along the way.

Yuck, who wants to swim where any one of 28 species of fish (including American Crayfish — hey, how’d you get here?) could find its way to your swimming trunks? Thanks, I’ll stick to the shoreline looking for Black Stork.

Where was I? Oh, yes, Witten. Not only is it industrial, it’s historical, too. The ruins of Burg Hardenstein, the intact Schloss Steinhausen, and the landmark St. John Church prove that.

While Witten is historical and industrial, Bochum is educational — home to a slew of universities. Bochum’s also home to like 20 theaters, an 8th century church (Sts. Peter & Paul), a Planetarium, a Railway Museum, and the German Mining Museum.

Tired isn’t the word for it after a few days here in Bochum.

No rest for the weary, because Essen is pretty active too. Once a target for bombings during World War II because of its industries (like the Krupp Factory), Essen now has a bustling art & culture scene.

The Krupps, BTW, built the stunning Villa Hügel. And they weren’t the only ones to build factories along the Ruhr — you could find everything from coking plants, to coal and iron production.

While here in Essen, come see the Essen Abbey, and the Golden Madonna at the Cathedral. Or, just shop til you run out of Euros at the gorgeous Christmas Market.

Did you shop til you dropped? If you got any Euros left over you can spend them at any one of the bars or cafes in Duisburg.

While the Ruhr River ends “in” Duisburg, it actually doesn’t officially until the water passes the Rheinorange, or Rhine Orange, a sculpture that marks the mouth of the Ruhr into the Rhine — and making it the fifth or sixth largest tributary of this mighty river. Again with the arguing?

At this point the Ruhr is “only” at 20 meter or 66 feet above sea level, having traveled from the Rothaargebirge to the town with the largest inland port on the continent.

Not a bad journey, I think. And Duisburg ain’t all that bad either, with a Dragon Boat Regatta every eyar and all sorts of Philharmonic performances throughout the year.

If experts would stop arguing over the length (or its ranking along the Rhine) they might come to realize the Ruhr is just wonderful — and there’s no arguing over that.

Time to put your science hats on, my friends. How many of you know that a coniferous tree gives off its seeds in cones; and deciduous trees are the ones that change colors?

Guess what? Does it matter? No, since you’ll find both in the Steigerwald Nature Park. But just think of how colorful it’ll be in the Fall. ;-)

About half of this 1280 square kilometer forest and nature park lies within the Middle Franconia region (with almost half of the forest region protected), but does meet up at what’s called the Dreifrankenstein.

No, it isn’t some mythological creature — it’s boundary stone where Lower, Middle, and Upper Franconia meet. If you’re wanting the towns, that’ll be Schlüsselfeld, Burghaslach, and Geiselwind.

The Steigerwald even has its own scenic route, the Steigerwald-Höhenstraße that runs for 70 kilometers from Eltmann to Neustadt an der Aisch.

I’ll be heading to both of these towns on my trip around the Steigerwald, but I’m not following the Steigerwald-Höhenstraße directly.

No need, the Steigerwald doens’t have distinct borders — but a general guideline is the Main River that runs along the north and western section, while the Regnitz is to the east, and the Aisch runs along the south.

That’s where I’m headed first, the south, at the town of Bad Windsheim to meet up with my 8 meter tall buddy, Roland. He overlooks this spa town with its Imperial City museum, its 10th century burial sites, and likes to party at the Altstadtfest on the first weekend of July.

No time for a massage, I’m heading towards the medieval town of Neustadt an der Aisch. Sure walking along its Stadtmauer and going to see its Old and New Castle sounds great, and the German/Italian Wine Festival is even better.

A small town awaits you in Scheinfeld, even though it has thirteen districts. Once you’ve seen the Kloster Schwarzenberg and the Schwazenberg Palace, you’re free to head to Höchstadt an der Aisch.

Höchstadt is just as awesome underground as it is above it. On the sunlit side of town are all sorts of fishing lakes, art festivals, a castle festival, a folk music festival, a medieval market, a medieval tower, and the Spixmuseum with the works of the German scientist Johann von Spix.

Höchstadt’s underbelly includes two kilometers of cellar trails — and that’s just what you can see. Wow.

We’ve finally reached Eltmann, which would be the first stop along the Steigerwald-Höhenstraße. Sure, with the Eltmann Beer Days you might want to make this your first stop — but I say no. This way there’s no having to rush off, and not finishing your beer. ;-)

Eltmann is an old medieval town, seen by its Wallburgturm (13th century). The Baroque period painted the town as well, which you can see if you visit the Pilgrimage Church (1751).

A stop to the Local History & Craft Museum does a lot in explaining the golden days of Eltmann, and the annual Music Festival does a lot for our soul.

Eltmann might have its Beer Days, but Bamberg‘s got all the breweries and taverns (curious since the area of the Steigerwald is known for its vineyards). It also has the Michaelsberg Abbey and a 13th century cathedral too.

As you leave Bamberg, head towards the Bamberg Gate in Haßfurt. Right along the Marktplatz is the Parish Church of St. Kilian, but it’s the Knights Chapel of St. Mary (1431) that you absolutely must see.

Along the right bank of the Main River is Schweinfurt, a town heavily damaged during World War II. You’d never guess it today, the Gothic Rathaus, St. Johann church, Stadtmauer and St. Salvator Churh are just perfect.

Which is why I’ve chosen to end my Steigerwald journey right here — right up until the last leaf changes color deciduous trees. Good thing there’s a campground for me to stay at. ;-)

Slow down. S-l-o-w d-o-w-n. Don’t drive so fast, you’ll totally miss the town of Neulußheim in Baden-Württemberg.

How? Funny you should ask. It’s because Neulußheim isn’t even 3.5 square kilometers. Yeah, it’s that tiny — surrounded and overshadowed by bigger towns like Hockenheim, Speyer, and Bruchsal.

And, yes, I’m a firm believer in that wonderful things come in small packages. Want an example? Diamond rings don’t come in super-industrial sized boxes, do they? No, didn’t think so. ;-)

For as small as you’ll find Neulußheim, it doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to see (sorry, the town’s only big enough for one hotel — the Hotel Adler, BTW).

One place you must go while here in Neulußheim is the Nature Reserve Wagbachniederung. Yeah, the name is bigger than the town.

Ha-ha, very funny.

Anyway, bird lovers to this nearby nature park will totally love the 275 species of birds that call it home. And there are hundreds of other mammal and reptile species to go along with them.

That’s too much nature for some, so best to maybe visit the Blausee. This is more than just your average swimming lake. You’ve got a beach volleyball court, hosted movie nights, and even bathtub races.

What? It’s a small town — you gotta have something to do. ;-)

Still too much nature? OK, maybe you’ll like the Turmuhrenmuseum instead? That’s the Clock Tower Museum, for the English speaking crowd. Housed in the Old School, the museum is also a Local History Museum of sorts; open on the second Sunday of the month, and on Wednesdays.

Neulußheim does have some hiking and biking trails despite its small size. Many of them do travel out towards Speyer and St. Leon-Rot. Just remember to come back, otherwise you’ll miss out on the little bistros and pizza joints when you’re hungry.

You’ll also miss out on the Summer Festival and Gockelfest that are both in July, or the Schlachtfest am Blausee at the end of September, or the Christmas Market in December.

Just remember to slooww doowwnn. You don’t wanna drive right by, do you?

You know, you could live your whole life in Germany and still not learn everything there is to know about German history. Don’t look at me like that — every Web page I write I’ve learned something new. Today it was about the Waldensians in Wiernsheim.

The who in the where? The Waldensians in the town of Wiernsheim in Baden-Württemberg.

The Waldensians were a religious sect that was very popular in the Middle Ages in the countries surrounding Germany; and almost totally wiped out after they were persecuted for their beliefs.

Over in Pinache, one of Wiernsheim’s villages, you’ll find the oldest Waldensian church in the country. A Waldensian church is also found in the village of Serres, and they’ve got a Waldensian Fountain too.

It isn’t about the Waldensians in the village of Iptingen. Nope, they’ve got a half-timbered former Gasthaus, and a 16th century church with its own fortified tower.

Forget all that — they’re about the coffee in Wiernsheim proper. Can you imagine a museum totally dedicated to the coffee grinder? Over a thousand of them, no less.

What else is there to learn about in Wiernsheim? Oh, that’s it’s quite close to a number of castles. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard about the ruins of Burg Löffelstelz (in Mühlacker).

Wiernsheim is also near Schloss Bruchsal (in Bruchsal) and Schloss Neuenbürg (in Neuenbürg).

Non-castle loving folk can stay in Wiernsheim and hit up the Gothic Pfarrkirche St. Mauritius, all the art in the Town Hall, or the medieval Monastery Complex.

In my quest for knowledge, have I missed anything? Oh yes, to tell you about some of Wiernsheim’s cultural activities. The most popular ones would be the Community Easter Egg Hunt (it’s good for all ages), and the Straßenfest (Street Festival) in July.

And being so close to the town of Leonberg, lots of folks like to stay here for the night for the Pferdemarkt, which is a Horse Market that’s held on the second Tuesday of every February.

No need to run off anywhere, though. Wiernsheim lies in a region called the Heckengäu. Which means it’s full of hiking trails and bike paths — a great way to experience the nearby Black Forest, if you ask me.

I’m sorry… it’s time for me to go learn something new somewhere else — but you’re more than welcome to stick around for a while longer.