Roland, my old friend, nice to see you again. I had no idea we’d meet again here in Belgern-Schildau — and I can’t wait to tell everyone about your wonderful town.
In addition to meeting up with Roland, a symbol of an “independent city” (and whose statue here is gigantic), the twenty-two districts of Belgern-Schildau in Saxony are pretty awesome.
It’s a tad bit hard to break down that many hamlets, so I’ll just give you the rundown of Belgern-Schildau as a whole, OK?
Tthe biggest of all the towns are Belgern and Schildau themselves — both of which each had their own Rathaus, or Town Hall. I’m partial to the Belgern Town Hall (built 1575), whose pinkish hue glows even brighter in the fading sunlight.
As pretty as a Town Hall is, I’m enchanted by the Nixenkind, which are strange stone images found at the entrance to the town’s church in Belgern. You could try to figure out the who/what/why & how of them, but no one over the centuries has had a clue as to why they’re there — they’re not exactly traditional church adornments, that’s for sure.
When it comes to traditional, the Oschatzer Tor sure fits the bill for what a proper medieval city gate is supposed to look like; and it’s the last of the original four that once stood here.
I’ve said it a million times now, if there’s a City Museum (Local History Museum, etc) it’s best to go — they’re the best places to learn tidbits of great information. The City Museum here in Belgern-Schildau offers up exhibits on everything from Pre & Early History, to its more modern history. No easy feat considering the town of Schildau itself was founded almost 900 years ago.
When the sheer scale of Belgern-Schildau’s history is too much to consider, go find yourself cycling along the Elbe Bike Path, or on one of the town’s marked hiking trails. While you’re out there, I’d suggest visiting the church in the village of Neußen, whose arched windows and dark exterior make for a great snapshot.
See, it wasn’t the history of the place — it’s a pure photo-op. ;-)
Anyway, the Saxon countryside is also more than just hiking trails along the Elbe River. The Neumühlenteich is a pond where you can go paddle boating and canoeing — super fun! And the Seebad Schildau is a pleasant swimming area with both a wading pool and waterslide.
The best part of it all? You’re not even done with Belgern-Schildau yet. It’s a fun-loving town with great festivals like the Oktoberfest (with traditional keg tapping to kick off the festivities), plus there’s the Dancing into May events, and a really fun Village Festival, too.
Ain’t it great to be rockin’ with Roland?
