Do you have thoughts of a cold Germny? Envision a snowy landscape of country lanes and jagged mountain peaks? Is this your ultimate vacation plan?
Umm, not gonna happen if you’re headed to the town of Ihringen, thought to be the warmest place in Germany.
Now I’m not a meteorologist or weather record keeper, but it doesn’t take an advanced degree to notice the warm Mediterranean climate. Might explain why Ihringen produces some of the best German wine out there, hence why it deserves a stop on the Baden Wine Route.
Ok, ok, so that’s a totally subjective statement — but I’ll tell you to come for the annual Weintage (Wine Days, usually in June for Corpus Christi) to sample all the good vino around, then you be the judge. Maybe the grapes like the volcanic soil, perhaps it’s the fragrance of the local orchids that gives the wine a special “bouquet.”
What the heck am I talking about? I have no idea. What I do know is viticulture is all over the area, from talking about it at the town’s Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum), to just having special wine events throughout the year (like wine tastings, etc).
Don’t drink? Ok, no problem — I bet we can find a festival that’s right for you. Go ahead, pick one. There’s Carnival, a March Spring Festival, both the Töpfermarkt (Pottery Market) and the Zwiebelkuchenfest (Onion Pie Market) in September (each in Wasenweiler), the Erntedankfest (Harvest Festival) on the third weekend of October, ending the year with the Christmas Market.
Ha, as if you got time to party. You will want to explore the surrounding area, for sure. How could you not, the famous Black Forest region is just a stone’s throw away — and you’re only one town over from France, if you’re curious.
Anyway, there are numerous hiking and biking trails in the area with names like the Kulinarischer Weinwanderweg (Culinary Wine Trail), Liliental Trail, and Kirschbaumpfad (Cherry Trail) to name but a few. With all the almond trees, orchids, and wildlife to see, you’ll love any lane you venture to walk.
The Kaiserstuhl, a natural area, is over this way — and guided tours around this Upper Rhine Valley region are possible, too.
There’s so much of the natural to enjoy that I almost forgot to tell you about some of its historical stuff. I can only “tell” you about Ihringen’s castle because thanks to the Thirty Years’ War, nothing remains of the medieval stronghold.
Thankfully the medieval frescoes have survived over at the Church of St. Vitus, and the stained glass over at the local Evangelical Church is also worth a trip. For anyone searching any Jewish ancestry, over on Bachenstrasse used to be a synagogue. There’s a memorial on its place now.
You know what’s great about all this? The weather is so warm, you can pretty much enjoy the place year-round. So if you dislike snowy mountain peaks, think of Ihringen instead.
