Sometimes I wish I could clone myself. It’s not possible to be in like 10 places at the same time, and there are only so many hours in the day. Hence, my dilemma in the Bavarian Swabian town of Dinkelscherben.
Because modern science can’t clone us, you’re best to give yourself a few days to enjoy the 14 villages, hamlets, boroughs, and farms. Each one of Dinkelscherben’s villages has their own church, and whatever other goodies they got going on.
Take Anried, for example. Their 11th century church has a tower that’s inhabited by falcons and bats; and inside the church itself is a statue of St. Felicity and her seven sons — created in 1505.
Breitenbronn’s St. Margarethe Church was built in 1735; Ettelried’s St. Catherine’s in 1688. The latter is where you’ll find the village of Holzara, with its 18th century castle that now belongs to the Forest Service. Fitting, since 50% of the hamlet is forested in the Reichenbach Valley.
Fleinhausen lies in Dinkelscherben’s woodlands, and its St. Nicholas Church was built in 1474; and its Parsonage building came along in 1779.
Grünenbaindt’s Church of Sts. Peter & Paul came along before the start of the Thirty Years’ War, and it too has a Parsonage from the 18th century.
The village of Häder also has an 18th century church (St. Stephen), and in its little borough of Schempach (it’s only got 82 residents) is a tiny chapel that predates the Thirty Years’ War too.
Oberschöneberg (and its 3 villages) have the 16th century Unserer Lieben Frau (Church of Our Lady); Reischenau and Saulach are made up entirely of farms; while Stadel has the Leonhard Chapel from 1738.
Ried’s church had to be rebuilt in 1725 after the original was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War.
I only left out Lindach, known mostly for its bike paths.
Follow one to the Schlossberg, where you’ll see what remains of the 9th century Burg Zusameck. It stood for almost a thousand years before eventually being abandoned in 1812; and excavations have proved that the spot was used in prehistoric times.
Many other bike and hike trails will lead you all along the Naturpark Augsburg Westliche Wälder, or the Augsburg Western Woods Nature Park. Actually, any of them will since Dinkelscherben is found entirely within it.
If only I could’ve cloned myself — imagine what else I could have found!
