I think I figured out why the town of Bodenheim in the Rhineland Palatinate has a 1.6km historical route that’ll take you the better part of 3 to 4 hours. This way you can see the very best of Bodenhiem’s historical buildings and churches, and still have plenty of time in the day to devote to wine drinking.
On a normal day I wouldn’t suggest drinking the day away, but when you’ve got this many wineries, wine taverns, wine bars, and wine cellars — what’s a guy or gal to do? You just must try all the different varieties, from dry and sweet reds to chilled whites, right?
Here are four tips for you to get the best wine and sightseeing experience…
Tip #1: Save the wine sampling until after you’ve gone to see the 19th century St. Alban Church (built 1830), the 19th century Evangelical Church (that’s open for sightseeing every day from 8am–7pm), and the Pilgrimage Chapel Maria-Oberndorf (this building was also built in the 19th century, because its original was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War).
The Maria-Oberndorf Chapel is where Bodenheim holds its Pilgrimage Festival every year on the Sunday after July 2nd; and the St. Alban Festival is on the 1st weekend of June. Another church festival takes place on the third weekend of September, with a Wine Tasting event taking place a week later. The annual Nikolausmarkt takes place on the first weekend of Advent.
Tip #2: Don’t drink while out cycling the countryside. There are a couple of ostrich farms, and they’re not exactly the friendliest creatures. The ostriches, not the farmers, so you’ll want to keep your faculties about you. ;-)
Tip #3: If you’ve had too much to drink, stay at the Gasthaus Zum Goldenen Lamm — a half-timbered building from the 17th century. You’d have to be totally out there to not appreciate staying in Bodenheim’s oldest inn.
The Molsberger Hof is another gorgeous framework house, built around 1613 or 1614 (it’s quite ornate). As is Bodenheim’s Rathaus — the Town Hall built in 1608. But, it is the Knebelscher Hof that’s even older, built in 1606, making it one of the oldest structures in town.
Tip #4: Don’t try to do any crossword puzzles after hitting up all of Bodenheim’s wineries and other wine stops. Trust me, everyone will just laugh at you. I learned it the hard way. ;-)
