With Legden in North Rhine-Westphalia being so close (only two towns over) to the Netherlands, you’d think that the tulip would play center stage around here.
Nope, it’s the Dahlia. This magnificent flower comes in 36 species in a variety of colors including red, purple, pink, yellow, and even blue. It’s simple beauty is a symbol of the town; simply beautiful in its own right.
You know there’s a point to this, right? Well, every three years the Dahlia Parade (they call it the DahlKiBluko around here, which is short for Dahlien-Kinder-Blumenkorso) takes place on the third Sunday of September.
It usually is a super-smashing hit of dahlia covered floats, food, and all-around good cheer. It’s kind of like the USA’s Parade of Roses, minus the roses.
Ahh, nevermind. You get my point.
The dahlia festival isn’t the only one in town. While there isn’t much to do in the regular sightseeing department, Legden makes up for it with its festivals and parties.
One of the oldest events is the Düstermühlenmarkt. It’s not so much of a handicrafts or Christmas market kind of event, but one where you’ll see all sorts of livestock (cattle, horses) being bought and sold.
Grab a beer and watch the action; it’s quite a show on the last Monday of August. ;-)
On the first Tuesday of August (busy month, huh) is the Fliegenmarkt, and no less than five Schützenfest scattered throughout the year in Legden’s two districts.
Have I missed any festival? No, that’s pretty much it, I think.
One thing’s for sure, you’ll want to see the Pfarrkirche St. Brigida while you’re here. The original church was a 13th century Romanesque design, and houses artwork like its Gothic Crucifix and a pieta from the early 18th century. And then there’s always the Church of Grace, a Lutheran Church if you’re so inclined.
I guess this is where I tell you to make sure you take time in Legden to smell the roses… I mean dahlias. ;-)
