What’s remarkable about small German towns is that even where there isn’t a whole lot to do, you’ll most certainly eat good. And the town of Neuhofen in the Palatinate is no exception.
Every week on Wednesday mornings (from 8am to 1pm) there’s a Weekly Market where you can buy delicious baked goods, fresh fruits & veggies, cheese, and sausage to name a few.
These markets might not sound like much, but this isn’t like buying your produce in some big-chain, faceless, nameless supermarket. It’s a whole cultural exchange thing going on.
I so totally understand why local artist Otto Ditscher felt a speical affinity for the place. One of his pieces is found right outside the Rathaus (that used to be an old bank), called the Vegetative au Beton. To see more of his work, you’ll have to go to the Otto Ditscher Gallery.
Otto’s work came from the 20th century (he was born here in 1903), so to see what Neuhofen looked like a few centuries back you’ll probably want to see all the half-timbered houses that are still around or the old Jewish cemetery.
I’m sorry to say that you won’t find a medieval church here. The Evangelical Church is of a later time period, although the original one was built in 1318. And the Catholic Church looks quite modern.
Every year on the Sunday after St. Michael Day (September 29th) there’s a big church Fete, and of course you know there’ll be all sorts of Advent concerts and celebrations. That’s in addition to the Christmas Market.
I like that Neuhofen (founded by medieval Cistercians) likes to have a good time. The Rehbachfest is every July, a Fountain Festival in September, a Fischerfest (Fisherman’s Festival) in June, and every August is the Feuerwehrfest (Fire Department Festival).
So, if you find yourself in Ludwigshafen (only 7km away) or in Speyer (two towns over) you might want to take a quick jaunt over to Neuhofen to spend a Wednesday morning. Or, any morning for that matter.