Gschwend — Really No End To The Idyllic

Ever heard the saying “All good things must come to an end”? It’s like saying don’t get used to something ’cause it won’t last. Well, whoever came up with that obviously has never been to the town of Gschwend.

You see, Gschwend is the last town on the charming Idyllic Route, a scenic route that’s meant to be experienced on foot, or bicycle if you so choose. This is some pristine real estate (with over 150km of hiking trails), so why not get out to enjoy the Swabian-Franconian Forest, the surrounding Schurwald & Walzheimer Wald, the Swabian Franconian Nature Park, or the 10 stations of the Art & Meditation Path — known as the Walderlebnisweg?

In all my excitement, I almost forgot to mention the Hagbergturm, a tower that has the most stunning views of the Walzheimer Forest (open on Sundays). And I haven’t even mentioned about hiking to go see the Teufelsküche (Devil’s Kitchen), and Teufelskanzel (Devil’s Pulpit) yet. Although, I’m not all that sure why the horned naughty guy gets any mention of these two natural formations — the countryside is, shall we say, Heavenly?

Speaking of the divine, Gschwend has some very lovely old churches to visit. It’s totally your choice if you want go to the older Church of St. Andrew, a Gothic one built way back in 1447 — although its Mary statue is older than the church itself.

Prefer the Baroque? Ok, that would be the (former) Church of St. Nicholas — built some 300 years after St. Andrew’s was constructed.

The wonders of Gschwend don’t really end, especially if you’re here for one of its great festivals or cultural events. This is a town where community matters, finding everything from community blood drives to church concerts. It’s also host to the Wein und Schlachtfest (September); a Cattle Drive in October; the Sankt Martinsritt (November); an Advent Bazaar; a couple of Village Festivals (June); a Summer Festival (July); and even a Brunnenfest (Fountain Festival) in April.

Just when you think you’re all done, Gschwend throws out even more for you to do. Come shop at its Farmers Markets, or its Krämer Market, grab something delicious to eat since there are quite a selection of restaurants to choose from, or visit its Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum, located in the old Schoolhouse) with exhibits on everything from crafts to agricultural.

Oops, looks like I might have been wrong — my time in Gschwend has come to an end, although the wonders of this idyllic town don’t. ;-)

 

Learn more about Black Forest Holiday Homes
preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload preload