Any other time I see the name “Bad” in a town I get all excited to think about all the wonderful spa treatments that I can wrap my body up in. Not this time, Folks, Bad Sobernheim in the Rhineland-Palatinate got me to thinking of wine.
OK, you got me, I was thinking about being totally pampered while I was drinking wine. ;-)
Viticulture is just as big here in Bad Sobernheim as it is about its spas. How could it not since the Riesling grape is king around here; and Bad Sobernheim lies along the Nahe Wine Route, the Nahe-Radweg, and the Weinwanderweg Rhein-Nahe to boot.
If I can stop daydreaming about wine and massages I can tell you about some of Bad Sobernheim’s other attractions. One is the Rhineland-Pfälzisches Freilichtmuseum, a big name for an outdoor museum; while the Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) is filled with all sorts of art and manuscripts.
A fun way to see Bad Sobernheim is to take a GPS tour (incl. a yearly raffle; ask the Tourist Information for details) — or do the Trolley Tour, which uses an old rail line.
Walking is a good way to see the churches; namely the St. Matthias Church, whose origins date back to the year 1000; or the Malteserkapelle that built by the Order of St. John in a Gothic style; and the Pfarrkirche St. Mattäus that’s a stained glass wonder from the late 19th century.
Make sure you’ve got your comfy shoes on ’cause you’ll be doing more walking when you visit the Fossil Archaeological site (called Steinhardter Erbsen), the private gardens at the Marumpark, and the Klosterruine Disibodenberg.
The monastery might be gone, but there is a museum to tell you about its 7th century beginnings and its 16th century closing thanks to the Protestant Reformation.
What did I miss? Oh yes, to tell you about the Blumenhaus am Markt — a framework house from the 16th century that’s now a flower shop. This reminds me to tell you about Bad Sobernheim’s Orchid Path too.
You’ve earned the chance to take off your shoes along the Barefoot path at this point. Go ahead, for the next 3.5km you can let your poor feet relax.
No rest for the weary though… it’s time to party! The Innenstadtfest is always on the first weekend of September; while the Tanz in den Mai (Dance Into May) is always on April 30th/May 1st.
In between you’ve got all sorts of wine tastings and samplings, the Spring Fair, and the Dorffest (Village Festival).
Wine might’ve been my first thought about Bad Sobernheim, but it is so much more than that — don’t ya think?