Neatly tucked away in the western corner of Lower Franconia (between the Spessart and Odenwald) lies Klingenberg am Main, sliced right up the middle with the Main River; hence the name, by the way.
That’s not really what makes Klingenberg famous. Nope, the reason many people come here is because it lies on the Fränkischer Rotweinwanderweg, or the Franconian Red Wine Hiking Trail.
You know, between you & me, that seems like the right thing to do — since Germany has very little tolerance for drinking and driving. Yeah, best to stick to walking if you’re gonna get half-lit. ;-)
Anyway, I digress, back to the Red Wine Hiking Route. Klingenberg’s landscape is awash in color with all the vineyards growing the dark grapes that make the wine. And it seems like just the right place to hold an annual Wine Festival (called Klingenberger Winzerfest), held in early August.
A nice glass of red will pair nicely with the view from the ruined Castle Clingenburg, that’s now a restaurant too — as well as being a ruin. The eatery is kind of new, but the castle isn’t. It has been around since 1177, only to be destroyed in the 16th century.
That’s not all of Klingenberg’s history. A Roman worship stone was found here, if that’s any indication of how long people have lived here. The Romans knew how to have a good time, and so do the residents of Klingenberg now.
Every June folks from all over look forward to Klingenberg’s Community Festival and Summer Festival; while July brings on the Clingenburg Festspiele and another Summer Festival. The middle of August kicks it with the Patronatsfest.
We’re still not done with all the cultural activities. There is a Waldfest (Forest Festival), a Kathreinermarkt in November, an Altstadtfest in October, and lots of Christmas events.
And the fun doesn’t end there — Klingenberg am Main has all sorts of hiking trails with cute little animals marking the paths (think bunnies and butterflies). But wouldn’t you like to linger a little longer on the Franconian Red Wine Route? Yeah, me too… :-)
