Life here on the Upper Swabian Baroque Route is quite lovely. How could it not, considering the scenic route highlights some of the prettiest and ornate architecture throughout the region.
Luckily for you, if you’re here in the town of Baindt you’re exceptionally close to a couple of sights that make this route world famous.
Baindt itself is a small town, just 23.07 square kilometers, not all that far from Lake Constance. Technically it’s part of the Gemeindeverwaltsverband Mittleres Schussental (Germans and their long names), which increases its size to just under 172 square kilometers and its population to just under 90,000 people.
Whew, that’s too much to deal with right now — I’m only concerned about places like Baindt’s Pfarrkirche (Parish Church) of St. John the Baptist. While the church might be a fine blend of Rococo and Baroque these days, don’t get it twisted — the church itself has medieval beginnings since it was built in 1240. Come see for yourself, the church still holds Saturday evening Mass at 6:30pm, and 10am on Sundays.
I’m also glad to be near Kloster Weißenau, whose Abbey Church is another medieval wonder. However, the church underwent a Baroque renovation a few centuries after it was built in 1145, and for that reason the Church of Sts. Peter & Paul is why the church is on the Upper Swabian Baroque Route.
Now that I think about it, the Weingarten Abbey is also the reason. The old Abbey not only has the distinction of being Weingarten’s landmark, but the church itself is said to be the largest Baroque church in the whole country. It’s also said to house a relic of Holy Blood; pretty cool if you ask me.
I love a gorgeous church as much as the next person, but I’m also a fan of the great outdoors. So, since this is the Upper Swabian region, I’d say let’s enjoy one of the two nature reserve areas for a little while. The Schenkenwald is the larger of the two, where you’ll find flora like English Oak, and fauna like robins and treecreepers (called Baumläufer). The Annaberg nature area, measuring just 14 hectares, is a delight for anyone looking for interesting creatures like dragonflys and grasshoppers.
Sorry, don’t like the whole bug thing — what I do like is a good party. Thankfully here in Baindt it’s all about Carnival and the annual Wine Festival, or right after Ascension Day (some 40 days after Easter) is the Weingartener Blutritt — a world famous equestrian event.
It seems life here in Baindt is lovely for more than just its grand location on the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. I think the old Celts that called this place home would love it as much as I do.
