I couldn’t wait to write about the town of Heilsbronn in the middle of Middle Franconia. So, without further ado (and silly quips) I give you all the info I can on this marvelous piece of country.
One of the biggest names in Germany is Hohenzollern; and over at the Monastery Heilsbronn more than 40 members of this noble family are buried in this 12th century building. The Cathedral is particularly striking, so you’d be crazy to miss it. A lot of spiritual music concerts are held within the cathedral, so use that as an excuse to come.
You might have noticed the Catherine Tower by now, which houses a museum of musical instruments. A Heimatmuseum (that would be a local history museum) is located within the old convent.
It’s not just a museum about the long history of Heilsbronn, though. The Heimatmuseum gives real insight into architecture and what it took to live a monastic life. It’s open to visitors Wednesday to Sunday (2pm-4pm) except January and February when it only opens on Sundays.
A guided tour of the museum is a few extra Euro above the admission fee, but a good idea to fully understand almost a thousand years of history. I think that’s a small price to pay for all that knowledge.
You know what else you can get at the monastery besides an education? Wine. That’s right, really good wine, which is served in many local restaurants in town. Try it at one, this way you can sample it before you buy yourself a few bottles (on sale at the Rathaus & City Museum) to take home with you.
But, before you’ve had one glass too many, follow any one of the many hiking and bicycling trails. One is the Potato Cycling Trail that follows along the monastery and potato farms.
As great as that sounds it’s not a good idea to do one of them during one of Heilsbronn’s festivals. Like the Festival of Nations in June, a Summer Festival in July, an Autumn Bazaar in September, an Autumn Fair in October, the St. Martin’s Lantern Festival in November, and a Christmas Market in early December.
You didn’t think a town this great wouldn’t have some awesome festivals, did you? I think the only thing missing is a castle — but, there’s so much to do that you won’t even notice. ;-)
