With Legden in North Rhine-Westphalia being so close (only two towns over) to the Netherlands, you’d think that the tulip would play center stage around here.

Nope, it’s the Dahlia. This magnificent flower comes in 36 species in a variety of colors including red, purple, pink, yellow, and even blue. It’s simple beauty is a symbol of the town; simply beautiful in its own right.

You know there’s a point to this, right? Well, every three years the Dahlia Parade (they call it the DahlKiBluko around here, which is short for Dahlien-Kinder-Blumenkorso) takes place on the third Sunday of September.

It usually is a super-smashing hit of dahlia covered floats, food, and all-around good cheer. It’s kind of like the USA’s Parade of Roses, minus the roses.

Ahh, nevermind. You get my point.

The dahlia festival isn’t the only one in town. While there isn’t much to do in the regular sightseeing department, Legden makes up for it with its festivals and parties.

One of the oldest events is the Düstermühlenmarkt. It’s not so much of a handicrafts or Christmas market kind of event, but one where you’ll see all sorts of livestock (cattle, horses) being bought and sold.

Grab a beer and watch the action; it’s quite a show on the last Monday of August. ;-)

On the first Tuesday of August (busy month, huh) is the Fliegenmarkt, and no less than five Schützenfest scattered throughout the year in Legden’s two districts.

Have I missed any festival? No, that’s pretty much it, I think.

One thing’s for sure, you’ll want to see the Pfarrkirche St. Brigida while you’re here. The original church was a 13th century Romanesque design, and houses artwork like its Gothic Crucifix and a pieta from the early 18th century. And then there’s always the Church of Grace, a Lutheran Church if you’re so inclined.

I guess this is where I tell you to make sure you take time in Legden to smell the roses… I mean dahlias. ;-)

Bordering Cloppenburg is the town of Lastrup. What has its geographical location to do with anything?

Any place else I’d say nothing. In this case, it brings us to the Route of Megalithic Culture. Never heard of this diddy of a scenic route? It’s all about prehistoric burial mounds that are thousands of years old.

One of the burial mounds is found in the villages of Suhle and Oldendorf, just two of the 14 (or 16, depending on who you ask) hamlets of Lastrup.

The prehistoric final resting places are also found in the village of Schnelten. Which, by the way, was where you’d at one time have found the ruins of the Bleiburg. What remains of the castle is now under a meadow. Too bad, I love castles.

What’s under the ground isn’t limited to a once mighty castle or the graves from 3,500 B.C. Some time ago a whole cache of medieval coins were discovered in the villages of Matrum, Timmerlage, Groß and Klein Roscharden. But, please, whatever you do don’t just go digging in some Hausfrau’s yard looking for gold or silver.

The last town shires are mostly known for the bogs, so hiking is a big-time activity around these parts.

What else can I tell you about Lastrup? I know, how about its village of Hammesdamm that has only 28 or so people living there? Norwegen (not the country, Lastrup’s village) is three times as big, with 60 residents calling this hamlet home.

Like old churches? OK, I got one for you; over in the village of Hemmelte. It’s not that old, but looks like because of its neo-Gothic design from the late 19th century. This is also the easternmost village of Lastrup; whereas Hamstrup is the furthest south.

Again, you probably don’t care about geography. Right? Well ya should, considering the area is often pelted with rain arriving via the winds that come in off the not so far away North Sea.

No way should this stop you — how else are you gonna see all those megaliths and enjoy the Oldenburg Münsterland?

Since I’m on this quest to tell you about each and every German town, I was sorry to leave other towns behind.But by the time I got to Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde, in the Sauerland Mountains along the Lenne River Valley, I remembered why I was on this epic quest.

Honestly, it was the Kornmühle that kind of kicked me back into reality. It isn’t a castle. Nor is it some medieval church. It isn’t anything like that — just a simple half-timbered and stone house with a deeply angled roof and flower-boxed windows.

You’d think that’d be enough for me, but no. It’s time to move on to the see the 16th century Brenscheider Mühle, right down from the Brenscheider Ölmühle (an Oil Mill), the latter of which is being used for oil extraction from rapeseed. It’s quite interesting from the inside, though you’ll need to make an appointment to take a look (which is well worth it).

From here it’s over to the Dorfkirche St. Johannis, or Village Church of St. John. This building’s been around since the 1100’s, built over a chapel that was even older.

There’s another church you should see, the Evangelical Church Nachrodt, with its clock tower, thick stone walls, and rose window.

We shouldn’t leave out the two cute lil’ Kornspeicher buildings from 1596 and 1727. These two granaries are unique in that they can be found only here in this region of the Sauerland.

In between all the beautiful buildings in Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde you really need to get out on one the 32 hiking trails that go on for some 250km. To make it easier to get around for all sorts of fitness levels, they’re broken down into trails of less than 5km, less than 10km, and ones upwards of over 20km if you’re really keen.

One of the prettiest is found along the Nahmertal, a forested valley that’s also a good picnic spot.

Getting tired? Sit at one of the Summer Theater Group performances. Who cares if you don’t speak German, make up your own words in your head.

Getting hungry? Go visit the Käserei (cheese dairy) in the village of Veserde (Hinterveserde 3). This farmer produces ecological cheese himself — according to strict criteria.

I hope you don’t need a swift kick to get you to enjoy Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde like I did. But, oh — ain’t I glad I got one. ;-)

Kiefersfelden is that typical, gorgeous, picturesque Upper Bavarian alpine border town.

As with some or most German towns, the name isn’t exactly rolling off the tongue so easily; but one gander at what this place has going on and you won’t care.

One of the most outstanding things about Kiefersfelden is its scenery, found right at the German Alps. In fact, the next town over is Kufstein in Austria.

You know what that means — skiing. And it’s been a big sport around here for over a century.

That’s not the only sport Kiefersfelden can boast about. They’ve got Winter Nordic Walking, snow shoeing, mountaineering, and winter hiking. Hmm, that’s just in the colder months… imagine what’s going on when the summer comes rolling around.

No imagination necessary, there’s kayaking, canyoning, cave exploration, oh hell — there’s even a chance do do some high rope adventures.

While less of an adrenaline rush, there are a number of hiking and biking trails through the area. One of which, BTW, follows a route of all the area’s chapels; like the Sebastini Chapel (built 1616) and the cute chapel over at the Trojerhof. The frescoes in this tiny building are totally gorgeous, and the surrounding farm is a piece of work onto itself.

Talk about old, the Trojerhof has been a farm since 500 B.C. No, that’s not a typo — it’s been around since the Celts called this place home. And that was long before the Romans has their run of the area from the 3rd to 6th centuries A.D.

I think they all fell in love with all the lakes in the area. Although there wasn’t waterskiing back then on the Hödenauersee as there is now. The other lakes if you get a chance is the Kieferer See and the Hechtsee.

Oh, almost forgot to put in something about the Inn Ferry that crosses people across the Inn River for only around 2 Euro.

Sorry, there aren’t really any castles around, but with visits to the Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum, housed in a late 17th century building), the beer gardens, and the performances of the Ritterschauspiele (a summer theater program that’s been around since 1618) — you’ll hardly notice.

And you’ll hardly care that Kiefersfelden is a mouthful. ;-)

Standing on the shores of the Baltic Sea you’d think you’d be really (really, really) far from Brazil and California. In the traditional sense, yeah you’re right. But, oh so wrong if you’re in the town of Schönberg in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

No, the rules of geography and international borders aren’t different here in this part of Germany — it’s just that you’ll find “beaches” with these names in Schönberg.

Ahhh, the beaches of Schönberg… A perfect place to find a Strandkorb while listening to the waves crash in.

What’s a Strandkorb, you ask? One of those “cabana” type beach chairs that block the sand and wind. OK, so the big numbers spray-painted on isn’t all that “romantic” looking, but at least you’ll know which one is yours.

And as with most beachy destinations, it’s all about the sun and surf. It can get cold up here, so only some of the bravest of you will take a dip in the frigid Baltic waters.

Wanna stay warmer? Hop on a boat.

It snows up a little here during the winter months, so that’s the time to come in off the beach to visit one of Schönberg’s museums.

Wait, maybe not the Probstei Museum — that’s a farming museum with little thatched roof cottages, and where you’ll learn what it really takes to be a farmer.

The Kindheitsmuseum is one of those better indoor activities. It’s a museum about children — those of today and yesteryear. It’s interesting to see how clothes and toys have changed over the decades.

No one lets a little chilly weather stop them from shopping at Schönberg’s Weekly Market, held every Thursday from 8am to 1pm.

Nothing in Schönberg is much bigger than the annual Pier Festival (called the Seebrückenfest), held in the middle of July. It’s a three-day event with lots of music, food, and good cheer.

Hell, it’s such a good time you might even find a German willing to chat you up. And we all know how Germans don’t really do small-talk. But, then again, you’re in California and Brazil right now, aren’t you? ;-)

No wonder we Germans love order — it helps keep things straight. Take the town of Schwülper for example. Technically it “belongs” to the collective municipality of Papenteich (which even doesn’t exist as a town) — yet it stands on its own. Thus why it’s been given its own page on MyGermanCity.

Confused? Don’t be…

What’s not confusing about Schwülper is that it truly is a jewel of a town, located south of the Lüneburg Heath.

Nature aside, there are lots of half-timbered houses to admire.

FYI, if you’d rather hike around the Heath, don’t let me stop you from enjoying the natural scenery.

If you don’t mind, I’d rather see one of the oldest “houses” in town; which is the Bürgerhaus in Groß Schwülper (Hauptstraße 18), built in 1725, BTW. All sorts of cultural events and meetings take place here.

Also in Groß Schwülper is the 16th century St.-Nikolaus-Kirche, or Church of St. Nicholas. This is the final resting place of one of the Baron Mahrenholtz.

One of his ancestors went on to marry the son of German president, Paul von Hindenburg. Not important to the story of Schwülper — but you never know when it might come up as a “Jeopardy” or trivia question. ;-)

Back to what I was saying…

Another church to see is the St.-Christinen-Kirche, with parts that go all the way back to the 13th century. To see this one, you gotta call the parish office to make an appointment.

The St.-Christinen-Kirche is found in Walle, which is where you’ll find the Scheverlingenburg von Walle. While it has very little of its 11th century castle left, it was where artifacts have been found from the 6th century B.C.

Our last stop in Schwülper is the Rothe Mühle watermill. No one knows exactly how old this watermill is exactly; although it’s believed that one has been right here on the banks of the Oker River for a millennia.

Sound like your kinda place? Yeah, me too. Good thing there are a couple of little guesthouses to spend the night, ’cause now I’m exhausted after trekking around Schwülper all day.

After a week in the southwest it’s nice to find myself in Baden-Württemberg again; this time in the town of Schwanau, right at the French border along the Rhine River.

This is one of those places that had me totally interested in one of its former inhabitants, just as much as the place itself today.

Do I start with the who or the what? Coin toss…. the who wins!

Schwanau was once the home of the infamous (yes, infamous) Bärbel von Ottenheim. I say infamous because she was the mistress of the Jakob von Lichtenberg, a nobleman from the 15th century.

OK, shocking by medieval standards — but when she inherited Schloss Buchsweiler, his family went a little… ahhh, bananas, accusing her of witchcraft.

That must’ve been some woman to inherit an entire castle… what do I gotta do to get me one? ;-)

Two things to remember, the castle she inherited, Château Bouxwiller, now lies in France, not Germany (as does Château de Lichtenberg where Jakob was born). And you can see a relief of Bärbel’s likeness in the Liebieghaus in Frankfurt.

Now on to the what.

Hmm, what to do. What to do. Oh, yes, the Waldfest is a good idea, held every year in the middle of May, then there’s the Summer Festival in early July, the Winter Market at the end of November, the Bauernmarkt (Farmer Markets) in mid-September, and the Erntedankfest (Harvest Festival) and Hebstfest (Autumn Festival) in October.

In addition to all the festivals and markets you might want to stop by a couple of Schwanau’s churches. The Catholic church in the village of Ottenheim is a modern building, but the Evangelical churches in Allmannsweier (you’ll find this onion-domed church at Kirchplatz 4), Wittenweier and Nonnenweier are much older.

I think the one in Nonnenweier is really picturesque — shaded by trees alongside half-timbered houses.

As if walking around to see Schwanau’s churches isn’t enough, there are lots of foot and cycling paths that will take you all around the Upper Rhine Valley.

Ain’t Schwanau great? Where else will you find charming churches, fantastic festivals, and a sordid tale of naughty nobles?

Could you envision living in a town where the population is only five? Yeah, I said 5. Wait, I guess if you lived in the village of Knottenhof in the Upper Franconian town of Stegaurach then the population would technically be six.

Sure would make it hard to avoid your neighbors. ;-)

One thing I wouldn’t avoid is the town itself, despite not having an over abundance of old buildings to see, since many have been destroyed over the years.

The Alte Mühle (Old Mill) is still around, as is an 18th century Rococo style church, and the Siebenschläferkapelle — a 17th century wooden church. What it lacks in historic architecture (and villages with lots of residents) it makes up for with its festivals.

The village of Hartlanden, a hamlet of agricultural land and fields, hosts a St. John’s Fair on the Sunday before the 24th of June. On the first Sunday of August Stegaurach’s Fire Fighters hold their annual White Sausage Brunch.

Mühlendorf doesn’t wanna be left out of all the fun, they hold a mid-Summer bonfire, the Mühlenbachfest in July, and their own Fair on the second Saturday of September. Oh yeah, not to mention they also have a fantastic Carnival celebration.

How do you find this piece of Upper Franconian Heaven? Easy, it’s just southwest of Bamberg — so there is public transport via train, bus, or taxi; or the Autobahn if you’re traveling with your beloved car.

Even if your ultimate destination isn’t Stegaurach, while you’re traveling from one large city to another, you could just stop by for a bite to eat at one of the town’s bistros. Or, grab a pint at one of Stegaurach’s beer gardens.

You did hear me say (I mean write) that this is Franconia, right?

I could easily see myself living in a village of five if it’s as festive as Stegauerach. Does anyone mind me moving in? :-)

Just 25 kilometers southeast of Bamberg in Upper Franconia, the town of Ebermannstadt had been burned down in 1430, was occupied by the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War, the Prussians in the mid-18th century, occupied by the French in the late 18th century… but it was the Beer War in 1510 that had me laughing.

A beer war? Really, the townsfolk of Ebermannstadt were literally fighting it out with neighboring Pretzfeld for the right to brew beer.

C’mon, this is Bavaria. There’s enough beer for everyone, no need to fight over it. ;-)

Thankfully, no one is duking it out in Ebermannstadt, making it quite a peaceful place to do some sightseeing and enjoy this resort town.

On the weekends a steam railway line runs a train to nearby towns — not that I want you to leave, but making it even easier to get here. Then, there are the guided tours of the town’s observatory.

Would you look at that — I think it’s the Mars!

Nevermind, I’m going to see something closer: the Burgstall Schlüsselstein. This 12th century castle wasn’t so much destroyed, but simply abandoned. Not much of anything remains, but it does have a most excellent lookout point to see the picturesque countryside.

Another castle might look really old, but it’s not. The Feuerstein Castle was made to look like a medieval one, but built during the 1940s. It was used for a number of Nazi activities — and given a Red Cross banner to avoid attack as it was used as a research facility. Having survived the war years it’s now a youth center.

A visit to Ebermannstadt’s Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) would be a good idea to learn more about the castles and everything else. However, if you’re just looking for a good time, the town can accommodate.

There is a Fair held in October, and one held at Corpus Christi. The Christmas Market doesn’t come along until December though, and one of the most popular festivals is the Altstadtfest (Old Town Festival) in August.

In between festivals you can always enjoy the Franconian Switzerland Nature Park. This natural area is a bustle of breweries, local flora & fauna, caves, and culinary treats in the heart of Franconia. It’s quite easy to lose yourself on one of its hiking trails.

With all this, how anyone had time to fight over beer is completely beyond me. ;-)

It’s a good thing that Lower Saxony is mostly flat. Because the thought of doing the town of Wagenfeld’s 400km of biking trails uphill both ways (ha-ha) is a tad daunting.

Just joking about the uphill part, but biking can be a bit tiring nonetheless. At least you can get a little rest at the town’s outdoor theater offering performances in Low German.

What else is there to say about Wagenfeld?

There’s a Jewish cemetery — which is one of eight in the district that borders North Rhine-Westphalia. I mention the cemetery because it’s not out of the ordinary to use them as a park of sorts, mostly to engage in quiet activities like reading.

For something more upbeat then the Großmarkt festivity at the end of August is right up your alley. This 400 year old event is held on the last Friday of every August offering everything from crafts to dancing and farm animals. The market kicks off with tapping of a beer. Let the drinking begin! ;-)

Forget the beer for a minute, let’s go back to animals for a sec. As if the market doesn’t offer enough of a chance to see some then you’ll want to see the Tierpark Ströhen with its Arabian horses, kangaroos, tigers, etc.

Plus, along the Sagenhaftes Wagenfeld, a 50km route with 12 “stations,” there are some 600 different animal species to see; and a bunch of 16th to 19th century houses.

Anyone looking for just an outdoor activity that isn’t a Discovery Channel adventure then that would be a trip over to the Hallenfreibad, an indoor/outdoor pool (with waterslide no less) complex with its own R/V area and restaurant.

There’s always 18-holes of golf to do too. Don’t know a birdie from an eagle (like me)? Then try the driving range — it’s always a stress reliever to whack something with a stick. Trust me, I know. ;-)

On that note, my time in Wagenfeld is done. Thankfully I don’t have to pedal uphill to leave.