You’ll find the town of Biederitz and its six districts just to the east of Magdeburg, in Saxony-Anhalt. Each of these villages are special, offering something unique from ruins to Irish Folk Music.

Yeah, how’s that happen?

Biederitz really loves music. Even the Evangelical Church is the venue for a number of concerts throughout its Biederitz Summer Concert Series.

In Heyrothsberge they’re always holding events like the aforementioned Irish Folk Music. They even hold a festival dedicated to the sixties rock band The Doors.

To some, The Doors is a rock band from ancient history. To others, the 1960’s is a mere drop in time. Especially when you’re comparing it to some of the real historical sites in town.

I’d say the 12th century Village Church in Woltersdorf is pretty old. It was once a fortified church, and still has its Romanesque features including its medieval baptismal font. The rest of the inside, however, comes from the 18th century.

While you’re here in Woltersdorf, come see the 15th century Gut Woltersdorf — a manor house once owned by the von Alvensleben family for hundreds of years.

Gübs might not have a hundreds of years old manor house, but it does have an old Village Church. It started simple enough, as a Hospital Church in 1275, built also in a Romanesque style. You can’t even tell it was rebuilt in the late 1940s, early 1950s after being destroyed during World War II.

Gerwisch’s Village Church started in medieval times, but after a horrible fire in 1825 (that destroyed the entire village, BTW) it was rebuilt in 1841.

The village of Königsborn might not have an over the top church, but it does have a castle ruin. With a bit of imagination you can envision how this huge manor might’ve looked in its heyday.

Among the rural scenery in Königsborn are the old barracks of a former Tank Division. Considering that this village has been around since the Iron Age, that’s a lot of history all in one place.

To make it even better here in Biederitz, the countryside located within the Fläming Heath is quite picturesque. Find yourself a hiking trail, throw on some Doors music in honor of Biederitz, and start walking. The hardest part of that is figuring out what song of theirs to put on.

I’m going with People Are Strange… ;-)

If you’ve been to see the Walk of Ideas in Berlin you might’ve noticed the name Fontane amid some of Germany’s other famous authors (yes, like Hesse, Brecht, and Goethe). Why do I mention Theodor Fontane when I’m supposed to be writing about the town of Arendsee (Altmark)?

Well, for starters, it’s Fontane who wrote about this early 9th century Frankish settlement in his Grete Minde novella back in 1879. Yes, Fontane’s work is a piece of fiction, but the monastery where the main character’s best friend dies (and is buried) is real.

Was real.

The only thing different between Fontane’s story (that takes place in the early 17th century) and today’s Kloster Arendsee is that now it’s in ruins. Sorry to say the 12th century Benedictine monastery was dissolved in 1813 — but its church is still around (it is a Lutheran church now), so you must see that.

Kloster Arendsee’s Kluth Tower is still around too, acting now as the monastery’s museum. And in honor of Fontane, there’s a memorial stone that commemorates the writer’s visit; however, it’s the church that earns Arendsee a spot on the Romanesque Route.

Kloster Arendsee sits along Lake Arendsee, the largest lake in Saxony-Anhalt and the deepest within North Germany. It’s a protected area that’s fun for sailing (non-motorized boats only), swimming, fishing (keep a look out for blue/green algae), hiking & biking.

In the summer, hop aboard an old-fashioned paddle steamer ship. Hey, remember, North Germany’s deepest… so it can easily handle a steamboat.

As cool as all this is, it doesn’t stop there. In the village of Neulingen you’ll find a very early 13th century stone church and a bunch of half-timbered houses. Not bad for a hamlet of only 77 people, huh?

You know what I think? I think that Arendsee would’ve somehow become famous even if Fontane didn’t write his story. After all, not only does it lie along the Lower Saxony border (and not too far from the Elbe) — but sits within the Altmark.

Mix that up with all its history — and you’ve got novel into itself. ;-)

I’ll make you a wager that you can’t find Annaburg on a map prior to the 16th century. I’m so confident that I’ll bet you a million-bazillion dollars. Cash. ;-)

Just playing on the betting part, but really, you won’t find Annaburg listed on any old map, like I said. Why?

Because Annaburg was known as Lochau before that, renamed for one of its most famous residents — Anna, Princess of Denmark and Norway who lived here in the 1500s.

Yeah, only in Germany will you find a town named for some foreign person. At least she was married to a German, and they lived here at the Renaissance style Schloss Annaburg, whose extensive gardens are quite famous.

Come in June to see the castle and party at the Annaburger Castle & Folk Festival too.

One of the most famous paintings of Princess Anne was done by Lucas Cranach the Younger, one of Martin Luther’s buddies.

In the village of Prettin, Lichtenburg Castle is also famous. And infamous.

Lichtenburg Castle is also a Renaissance castle (like Schloss Annaburg), but it was converted into a prison, then used as a concentration camp.

Prettin has more than just the castle, ya know. How about going to see its 11th century church, the only remaining Stadtmauer gate, and what remains (not much, BTW) of Hedwig Castle.

If you’re in the village of Axien the ceiling paintings at the 12th century church that’s are worth seeing.

Annaburg also has two museums. The City Museum is housed in an old office building — but its venue doesn’t matter too much when you’ve got hundreds of years of history to learn. Then there’s a Porcelain Museum, which will teach you all about the industry that’s still going strong.

Ohhh, you know what else Annaburg has? A zoo. And it lies along the Annaburger Heide (also known as the Lochauer Heide), so being outdoors is just as wonderful as museum and church going.

Wear comfy shoes, the Annaburger Heide was once a hunting forest that stretched into three states.

I think Princess Anna would like the town that’s named after her. Iknow you will too — even if you couldn’t find it on a map left over from your ancestors. ;-)

Honestly, I don’t know if I’m more in awe of Allstedt in Saxony-Anhalt because of its medieval castle, or because that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used to walk the streets here.

It’s possible that Goethe wasn’t the only “famous” person to be here. Allstedt is located right next door to Lutherstadt Eisleben, so chances are that Martin Luther and his buddies breezed on through.

Hey, it could’ve happened. ;-)

There’s no speculation that Goethe was here. He used to work at Allstedt Castle. What a piece of work this building is, once an Imperial and Royal Palace. Now the medieval & Baroque castle is a stop on the Romanesque Route — with a Palace Cafe, a museum, and the venue for a couple of festivals throughout the year.

Under the castle’s watchful eye is Allstedt’s swimming area. It isn’t at the castle itself, but located below it. It’s where everyone can enjoy outdoor swimming from May 15 to September 15.

Trust me, anything before or after that is too cold. These are the chilly Harz Mountains we’re talking about here. ;-)

Allstedt Castle isn’t the only one. And I’m really having a hard time figuring out if I like Allstedt Castle or Burg Beyernaumburg better. Allstedt might have Goethe, but Beyernaumburg has been around since the 9th century.

Yeah, tough choices. OK, I like them both equally — even if Beyernaumburg Castle is partially in ruins.

Sightseeing in Allstedt isn’t over. You still need to see the Wigbertikirche, or the Allstedt Dom (that’s a Cathedral) as it’s more easily pronounced.

The St. John Church is of a Baroque design if you’re interested, and the Town Mill and Rathaus are worth going to see.

So is the Saale-Unstrut Nature Park located in/around Allstedt. Careful where you walk, you might just wind up in Thuringia since Allstedt borders the state to the southwest.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Thuringia, it’s just that you’ll miss out on the nearby Rosearium, and fishing along the town’s two rivers.

I wonder if Goethe did that? Maybe that’s how he got inspired to write… I’m going to have to try it and get back to you. ;-)

We’re going to have to keep an eye on Altenberg for the time being. And I very well may have to rewrite this webpage on this Saxon town one day, which is located in the Eastern Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge in German).

The Ore Mountains should be your first tip-off that mining was big industry. So much in fact, that the entire Erzgebirge Mining Region is now a proposed UNESCO site, which is why I said that I may have to update this page.

Wouldn’t it be nice to say that Altenberg is a World Heritage Site? :-)

In the meantime, you’ll just have to visit Altenberg’s Mining Museum and the Besucherbergwerk (real mines with around 3km of trails going towards the Czech Republic’s border) without the designation.

Speaking of kilometers of hiking trails, you could always climb to the highest peak — the infamous Kahleberg — to a whopping 905-meters above sea level. Do we even need to discuss the views of the Saxon countryside from this vantage point?

The mountainsides of Altenberg are just as active in winter as they are in summer. Maybe more so with all the downhill skiing trails (with lifts, ’cause otherwise how you gonna get up there), cross-country skiing trails, and a luge & bobsled track. For the truly crazy (I mean, adventurous) there’s a skeleton track. ;-)

Summer’s great for mountain biking, camping, or taking a jaunt over to the waterpark.

Anyone out there thinking this is just too much activity to do at one time? I do, so try breaking your sports up with a visit to the Botanical Gardens, the Saxon Milestones, and the Jagdschloss Rehefeld. Or, a quiet stagecoach ride around town.

Oh yeah, and to get yourselves all kinds of cordials at the liqueur factory.

Funny, you’d have thought that I would have to rewrite this page after hitting up all the different varieties there instead of waiting for UNESCO. ;-)

How many times have you heard about a place, and it’s been “magical”? How about “mythical”? What if I said the town of Teuchern was “musical”?

Really. How else could you explain how this small town could’ve produced three German composers? The most famous of them is Reinhard Kreiser, then Johann Christian Slater (oh, so that must be where the actor Christian Slater got his name), and Johann Friedrich Fasch.

A museum is found right on Am Markt that’s totally dedicated to the musical stylings of these homegrown composers, at the house of Kreiser’s birth.

Another local boy making good was Johann George Albini, a writer and theologian from the Baroque period. And there’s a memorial to writer Friedrich Schiller too.

I guess I should’ve said that Teuchern was “creative,” instead of just musical.

Teuchern is also a museum town, with a lovely Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) and an interesting Bergbaumuseum (Mining Museum).

Anyone wishing to see a 16th century manor house can do it in the village of Gröbitz.

The best part of this town, that’s been inhabited for over five millennia, are all the festivals. One of the biggest is the Park Festival, held on the last weekend of August.

May kicks off with the Song Festival (didn’t I tell you Teuchern was musical?), and Pentecost holds an annual Football Tournament. I guess I should say Soccer Tournament.

Too bad the Street Festival is only held every other even-numbered year. Well, at least you’ve got the Pfingstbier (yes, that’s beer) and Frühlingfest at Pentecost to look forward to. And what town in Germany is ever complete without a Christmas Market, always held on the first weekend of December.

This little piece of melodious heaven falls in the Leipzig Lowlands. And while it might be on the Naumburg/Nebra Railway Line, a hike might be a better way to see the surrounding countryside — especially when you pop some of the works of Teuchern’s local composers on your iPod. ;-)

Ever hear of a bedroom community? Yeah? Good. Ever been to one? Well, you will if you’re coming to the town of Lichtentanne (which literally translates to Light Fir). It’s located just to the southwest of the city of Zwickau, and where many of its 6,000 plus residents head off to work.

That doesn’t mean that Lichtentanne doesn’t have anything on its own to see or do, though. Heck no, Lichtentanne lies in the Vogtland and pretty close to the celebrated Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge) — so it’s got many hiking and biking trails to tackle, and a boating lake too.

One of the other places that people come to see here is the Pleißenquelle, the official start of the Pleiße River (in the village of Ebersbrunn). The water that starts here winds its way for 90 kilometers before flowing into the White Elster.

We’re not going that far, however. We’re going to see the Wasserburg Ebersbrunn. Or, should I say what was once a moated castle, built in 1303. Only its original castle mound and moat are all that’s left.

Not the case in the village of Schönfels at Burg Schönfels. Wait ’til you see this hilltop castle from the 12th century. Besides being a museum and restaurant, the Gothic and Renaissance architecture (pay attention to its arcade, courtyard, and tower) will have you mesmerized. The 17th century chapel is brilliant too.

The castle loves to get in on the Christmas spirit, with special caroling events going on throughout the Advent season.

At the end of November or early December, Lichtentanne’s St. Barbara Church holds an annual Christmas Market. Throughout the rest of the year, St. Barbara’s (the oldest church in town, BTW) is known for its musical concerts as well as its religious services.

Maybe I was too quick to call Lichtentanne a bedroom community. There’s certainly more to do here than just come home from work, and call it a day — don’t ya agree? :-)

From the look of Lützen today you’d never guess this town, right between Weißenfels and Leipzig, was the scene of untold horror and warfare.

Not once. But twice.

The history of Lützen is tied into a decisive battle of the Thirty Years’ War, known as the Schlacht bei Lützen or Battle of Lützen, in 1632. While it was a victory for the Swedish, it was bittersweet since their beloved king, Gustav Adolf, died in the carnage.

The spot where King Gustav died is where you’ll find the Schwedenstein. And there’s a huge Gustav Adolf Memorial Church — which was originally a Romanesque one.

A miniature of the battle that took the Swedish King’s life is found at the Urban & Regional History Museum. Which is conveniently located at the 13th century castle.

Because no one ever listens the first time, another huge battle took place here in Lützen — this time almost two hundred years later. The game remains the same, but the players were different — one of them being Napoleon whose army fought at the Battle of Großgörschen in the village with the same name.

Großgörschen is a lot calmer today than it was on May 2, 1813. That’s good, not having to dodge the short-statured Frenchman to see the mid-12th century Village Church, the 18th century Windmill, or the Village Museum.

It’s also a quiet spot in the village of Starsiedel, which borders the White Elster River. Great place to find a picnic, I’d say.

In the village of Röcken there are a number of ponds, so yet another place to chill for a picnic. Röcken is also home to a stunning example of Romanesque architecture at its church; and where you’ll see the epitaphs of a few Knights.

The village was also the hometown to Friedrich Nietzsche, a poet & scholar so beloved that there are monuments to him in a number of other German towns (like Naumburg). He’s buried here, paying your respects to this respected German writer is in order.

Another cool village in Lützen is Dehlitz, home to a village church from 1500, and a deserted 12th century village.

Awesome — a ghost town.

I’m totally fascinated with how the modern day Lützen has managed to come out of the shadows of its past. Maybe everyone started to read the prose of one of its favored sons?

The 371km (231mi) journey on the Ems River in Germany begins in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the classy town of Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock in the southern Teutoburg Forest. And just like some other German Rivers, not all of the Ems is navigable — “just” 206km of it — before it blesses the Dollart in Lower Saxony, which leads to the Ems Estuary and, ultimately, the Wadden Sea & North Sea.

Schloß Holte-Stukenbruck is nice with its annual Harvest Festival in the Fall, its zoo safari, tiny parks, old churches (like the Brinkkapelle), and a 15th century moated castle.

Coming down the Ems the next charming town is Rheda-Wiedenbrück, a pretty decent sized place with around 47,000 people living here. Rheda-Wiedenbrück has a gorgeous Altstadt (Old Town) with lots of half-timbered houses, and a Rathaus (Town Hall) built in 1618. Curious that the Rathaus survived the Thirty Years’ War that started the same year.

Rheda-Wiedenbrück’s St. Giles Church survived too, but you can still see the bullet holes from the soldier’s weapons on the building. I don’t see any on the town’s moated castle or along the mills framing the Ems. Let me know if you find any, though, while I’m scoping out the town’s history museum that’s got exhibits from the Middle Ages onwards.

Gütersloh is a real treat. The Wine Festival at Pentecost is delightfully fun, and all the half-timbers, the Martin Luther Church, and the City Museum are wonderful too.

The Ems brings us now to Harsewinkel, close to the Marienfeld Monastery and nature areas. Every year they hold an Organ Festival, but you can see the half-timbered houses (like the Old Deanery) any time — no special dates needed.

From here you follow the Ems River until you get to the studs of Warendorf. Not the hunky, good enough to be a male centerfold stud — it’s horse studs. Not for you? Good thing there’s an Old Town to explore, and the got Gothic Tower of the St. Mary’s Church is an amazing piece of architecture and engineering.

Our next town of Telgte, ooohh the good ol’ Telgte, is a place of pilgrimage, hosting over a 100,000 people a year. Even if you’re not here for religious reasons, the Nativity Museum is quite interesting; the Distillery Museum informative, and the Medieval Christmas Market and Medieval Spectacle are both super fun.

Sorry, nothing medieval in the next town along the Ems. Actually, there isn’t anything before the outbreak of the Thirty Years War here in Greven. There is a replica of a 9th century farm, and an outdoor theater (always nice to enjoy the classics under the stars).

Emsdetten, which is Greven’s neighbor, is the fun-loving town on the Ems. Every year they hold a bunch of festivals, like the Street Carnival, the May Festival, the Autumn Fair, and the Emsdettener of September — a three day event on the last weekend of the month.

From the banks of the Ems I see the tower of St. Dionysius in Rheine. A good place to stop, not only for its church, but to see the Monastery Bentlage, City Museum, Neolithic graves, and hear a little Low German being spoken.

As we’re crossing into Lower Saxony around Lingen, motorboating along the Ems is downright restricted or only partially. It’ll be this way until we get to Meppen — so canoe it at this point.

Lingen first though. The Ems runs right through Lingen’s 12 districts, a land ruled over by Germanic Tribes, the House of Orange, and the Prussians. Ohhh, the who’s who of German history!

Forget that for now, Lingen’s got half-timbers to see, and right outside the Town Hall is an ice skating rink (that’s winter activity — so don’t think it’s gonna be there in August ;-). Warmer weather is for Lingen’s Port Festival, or its Old Town Festival on the third weekend of September.

Whoo, we made it to Meppen — where the Ems River meets its largest tributary, the Hase River. This is one of the 12 tributaries (like the Große Aa, Leda, Bever, and Lutter) it meets along the way. Oh yeah, and the motorboating restriction is lifted. ;-)

Meppen is where the Ems meets the Route of Megalithic Culture (a scenic route that’s all about prehistoric grave mounds & stuff). Not your thing? That’s quite all right because you can visit the City Museum, the St. Vitus Church, the Old Port, the 19th century Koppelschleuse, the Town Hall from 1408, or party at the Medieval Market (early May), the Autumn Fair (October), or make new friends while drinking Glühwein (mulled wine) at the obligatory Christmas Market.

I like it here, thinkin’ I’m gonna stay here for a while. So, you’re on your own in
Papenburg. Don’t freak out… you’ll be fine as you scope out all the windmills, the church of St. Anthony, and the town’s landmark: the St. Michael’s Tower.

You can leave the Ems along a number of channels that cross the river from here, but then you’d miss out on Leer in East Frisia. Or, what about exploring the German Fen Route on your way to Leer? It’s easy as it runs right along the Ems here. :-)

The Samson House in Leer is great. Not only does it have an exhibit about East Frisian home decor, but a wine shop too. After that go to the Tea Museum, the crypt at what used to be a medieval church, and the pedestrian area filled with cute lil’ shops and cafes. You’ll be lucky if you’re here for the Boat Regatta in July or the Rowing Regatta in late August/early September.

Ohh, it’s a bit chilly up here that time of year, so don’t forget your jacket!

The last place on the Ems River brings you to Emden, a(nother) town on the Dollard Route, and what was once a Frisian trade post.

What can I tell you about Emden that you might not already know… Oh well, how about you’ll find one of the biggest Mennonite communities in the world there!?

What else can you find in Emden? Pinkel. This tasty dish is usually made when the weather turns colder; and made with kale, bacon, and smoked pork.

If you’ve traveled the entire route of the Ems River, you’ve eaten good (wasn’t the Pinkel obvious) and met with quite a few scenic routes (I forgot to mention the Ems Cycling route), passed conservation areas (the Dollart is part of the Wadden Sea National Park), and you’ve managed to connect here from a number of other waterways like the Dortmund-Ems Canal or the Küstenkanal (Coastal Canal).

The towns are idyllic, the weather is perfect, and the people are friendly. What else more could we want?

Ja, more Pinkel would be a good start. :-)

Boat ready? Check. Life jackets? Check. Food for the journey? Check. You’re about to venture off at the start of the Spree River for a few days of sailing along its 400km (249mi) from Saxony to Brandenburg, and Berlin, right?

Wrong. Ain’t gonna happen.

The Spree might be a long river, but less than 50% of it is navigable. The Spree starts as a small pool of sorts from its three unassuming sources in the Upper Lusatian Mountains in Saxony. Not a boat in sight, my friends. You gotta wait for that.

I’m going to start this off in Eibau, where you’ll find one of those sources — in this case, the Kottmar source. Eibau is quite nice, really, with its Baroque Village Church and its Eibauer Bierzug (yeah, that’s beer) in late June.

From here I’m following the small trickle of the Spree to Bautzen that’s got bilingual street signs. And, uh, English isn’t it — it’s Sorbian. Makes sense to put the Sorbian Museum here then, huh?

For a different look of the Spree, go to the Village Church in Spremberg, where they built it above the river. Oh, I can the Czech Republic from here.But, the river that’s fed by the Schwarzer Schöps, Löbauer Wasser, Wuhle, and Panko from the right & the Dahme from the left, has started to make its way towards Brandenburg.

And since I’m following that — and am not ready to blow a wad of cash on Bohemian crystal — I’m going to good ol’ Cottbus instead. ;-)

Cottbus is really great, and I ain’t just saying that. What I’ll also say is Cottbus is called Chosebuz in Sorbian, just in case you hear it — and think you’re someplace else.

It’s quite a cultural city with theaters and cinemas. And a historical city, as you can see from its 13th century Spremberger Turm, the Baroque half-timbered houses, and a 15th century Castle Church.

On top of it all, Cottbus is a festive city, which you can see during the Cottbus Film Festival held every Autumn.

Not only is the Spree navigable by now, it’s pretty scenery along the Spree Forest to boot. And it’s time to move on to Fürstenwalde. A good place for a Medieval Fair (in October), a Christmas Market, and a Prehistory Museum.

If you’ve gotten back on your boat before see the Jagdschloss, the 15th century church (that’s right by the Rathaus), and the Old Lutheran Church — you’ll be sorry.

The last 44km of the Spree is found in Berlin, the best capital city on the planet. Why say that? Well, besides being totally biased, our posh City of Change is vibrant and active, not to mention historical and cultural.

Some come to Berlin to see the remnants of the dreaded Berlin Wall, some come to experience its theaters, festivals (oh, the Berlin Film Festival is a great one), and who would want to leave out its UNESCO site: the unique Museumsinsel (Museum Island)?

Not me. :-)

The Spree River officially ends at the Havel River in Spandau, whose real name is Berlin-Spandau since it’s incorporation into the city. The infamous Spandau Prison is gone (it held the Spandau Seven — top guys of the Third Reich) until Rudolf Heß died in 1986. Then it’s demolished piece by piece, then thrown into the North Sea.

But, the 19th century prison was located near the Spandau Citadel. It’s a fort built here during the Renaissance, and has all sorts of unique pieces to see — like the Jewish cemetery and its Julius Tower.

Now you might not have been able to set sail along the entire length of the Spree, but think of the charming cities, towns and villages in Germany you’d have otherwise missed if you weren’t a land lubber.