Sure, Ingelfingen’s next door neighbor of Schöntal might have its own medieval Abbey (it’s now a grand Baroque one), but this charming town here sits on a scenic route, as well as having its own castle ruin.
Ha, take that, famous neighbor. ;-)
I make jokes, but sightseeing in Ingelfingen is a serious matter. Ah, no it isn’t. Any place that’s got a Wine Museum housed in a huge wine barrel is loads of fun, don’t ya think? Wine making, or viticulture if you will, is serious business though.
Either way, wine is important to things around here; and the reason Ingelfingen is on the Württemberger Weinstraße, or Württemberg Wine Route.
Along Ingelfingen’s Weinbau-Lehrpfad (Viticulture Trail, which shouldn’t be confused with the aforementioned Wine Route) are 25 information boards detailing a whole bunch of information on the libation.
Sounds like a good enough place to have a Wine Festival, right? Of course there is one — every August. And Ingelfingen doesn’t just limit itself to the one festival, either. They also host an annual Maibaumfestival, a Bake House Festival, a Dorfplatzfest (Village Square Festival), as well as other cultural events like Pentecost concerts.
In between festivals and glasses of wine, you might want to trapeze around Ingelfingen’s countryside. It’s part of the Hohenloher Ebene, so I’m sure you’ll find a hiking trail that’ll strike your fancy.
You could always try Geo-caching, that “game” where you find little treats at certain GPS coordinates. And for less than a couple of Euro, you can play a game of miniature golf.
My favorite place is the Burgruine Lichteneck, even though there’s only a small corner of this medieval castle left. This magnificent castle has been destroyed longer than it stood intact (built 1250; destroyed in the 14th century), but it’s still pretty — maybe it’s all the surrounding vineyards.
Ahh, I got so distracted by the castle and wine that I almost forgot about the dinosaurs. Yeah, Ingelfingen’s got them too. Not live ones, mind you, but you’ll learn all about the Triassic Period over at the Muschelkalk Museum.
Ingelfingen is quite remarkable in its own right, a lovely place to enjoy the vino and learn some new things along the way. Yeah — take that, famous neighbor. ;-)
