Interestingly enough one of the greatest Celtic finds EVER was found right here in Germany, in the Upper Bavarian town of Manching to be more precise.
More than 450 pieces of Celtic gold were found in this little town right south of Ingolstadt and many other pieces of the time are housed in the Celtic Roman Museum. Yes, that means they have exhibits on the Roman, as well (like Roman ships and alter stones). If you like Celtic history or art, you gotta see the Celtic Oppidum (a Celtic settlement) that’s now an archaeological site.
Manching isn’t all prehistoric and Roman history. No, it’s all about beer. The Zum Fuchbau takes its beer seriously, the hotel’s beer garden can seat up to 230 people!
On the last weekend in August, Manching holds the 4-day fair and beer festival known as Barthelmarkt. The festivities date back to the mid 14th century, but the Romans used to hold a cattle market stems from that.
Barthelmarkt isn’t the town’s only festival. Oh, no, there are plenty others. Come to Manching just about anytime during the Summer or Fall and you’ll find a party going on. For instance, the Fire Brigade Celebration is at the end of July, the Summer Celebration is mid August, and the Kürbisfest (a pumpkin & gourd artist celebration) is in the middle of September.
Other artistic venues in Manching include cabaret and theater performances.
If you want something a bit on the quieter side then Manching can accommodate you. There are lots of cycling and walking trails, or swim and fish in one of the nearby lakes. Winter time is the better time to come swim indoors at the municipal indoor pool.
And when you’ve got enough and want to get away from it all, then head over to the Ingolstadt-Manching Airport (IGS), which hosts the EADS headquarters of its Military Air Systems department.
Manching is a fun town where you can party with pumpkins and drink beer for days. Actually, it’s a place where you can party just about anytime. Like there’s anything wrong with that! ;-)
