I make too many jokes and references to beer when it comes to Bavaria. My sincerest wish is not to do that anymore. Thankfully, German towns like Dettelbach make it so much easier for me to keep my resolution.
How? The answer’s so simple you won’t believe it. It’s because Dettelbach is a wine town.
For real? Say you didn’t see that coming? ;-)
The sick sense of humor that makes its way around in my head is shortly silenced in this Bavarian delight. No time to crack too many corny jokes — there are too many wineries to visit.
Then after that, a guided tour around this medieval village is a must. I’d start at the Rathaus, the Town Hall building from the Middle Ages complete with its own pillory.
A pillory, by the way, is a post where they tied you up when you were a naughty, naughty boy. Or girl. ;-)
Located within the Altstadt (Old Town) is more than just the naughty post. You’ll find little lanes like Falterstraße with cobblestone sidewalks, little cafes, and all sorts of houses decorated with window boxes.
Surrounding the Altstadt is the original Stadtmauer, that used to have its own “moat.” Those enterprising medieval townsfolk — anything to keep marauders at bay, huh?
They did let the pilgrims in, though. Dettelbach even has its very own pilgrimage church, the Maria im Sand. So many, in fact, that at the Museum Dettelbach has a permanent exhibit on them.
Just don’t confuse the pilgrimage church with the Parish Church of St. Augustine, OK? And don’t confuse the Faltertor (one of the city gates) with the other city gate, the Brückentor. The former houses a crafts museum, while the latter is decorated with flower boxes and climbing ivy.
Love that look, don’t you?
I also love castles, so a hop over the Main River on the ferry will take ya to Mainsondhem and a Golf Club, and its castle.
After all this you’re bound to be hungry, so try the Muskazinen — a nutmeg tasting “cake” that looks like a cookie. Just be sure to have visited Maria im Sand first — because it’s traditionally eaten after a visit.
Would it be an assumption of my old wise-cracking ways if I suggested washing it down with a glass of beer? Oh yeah, forgot — it’s wine that’s big business around here. ;-)
Hidden within the vineyard, is the Herz-Jesu-Höhe (Sacred Heart) — a refuge for those who wish to see all the glory of the Bavarian countryside. So pretty it is around here that I could forget about making beer jokes. Thanks, Dettelbach, for making that easy.
