Suppose you go to bed one night, totally care-free and independent; only to wake up the next day to find you’ve been “attached” to some five others just like yourself?
That’s kind of what happened to the Thuringian town of Nesse-Apfelstädt. Up until November 2009, it used to be six independent municipalities, all neatly tied together now.
Whether anyone is happy about it or not, I don’t know. What I do know is you won’t be hard-stuck to find something to see or do here.
Within the town of Apfelstädt itself, you’ll find a smashingly gorgeous 11th century church (St. Walpurgis), and a Romanesque tower that once belonged to the Church of St. Mary. Add in a visit to the Local History Museum to learn more about both.
Gamstädt is the northernmost village of Nesse-Apfelstädt, a charming little hamlet with half-timbered houses. The village of Kleinrettbach also has its fair share of half-timbered houses, too; it’s own quaint church, and a landscape that’s dominated by agriculture.
To the east we’ve got Ingersleben, a village that’s been said to have been founded back in the year 1111. I’m not a historian, but there’s been proof that people have lived here a lot longer than that — the Neolithic Age to be more exact.
There was a period where no one lived in the old Duchy village of Kornhochheim for a while, thanks in part to the Thirty Years’ War. Today it’s a wonderful place to see some of those framework houses that Germany’s famous for.
Save Neudietendorf for last, not because it’s small at only seven square kilometers, but because it’s got some fantastic history behind it. Mostly because of its plain and simple Moravian Church, and one of the oldest Moravian graveyards.
Too creepy for you? I understand, go see Neudietendorf’s gorgeous yellow Church of St. John, and two old grinding mills. This is also said to be a meeting place between Generals Bradley, Patton, and Eisenhower at the end of World War II.
Interestingly enough, it isn’t the history of Nesse-Apfelstädt that’ll keep you sticking around longer, it’s the fact that it lies within the Thuringian Forest. I guess if you’re going to be attached to something — it might as well be as good as this. ;-)
