Where Bavaria is a beer swilling kind of place, neighboring Baden-Württemberg has more refined tastes. What’s that mean? Simply that they like wine around these parts. Which is why places like Pfedelbach (in a beautiful region called Hohenloher Ebene) celebrate the grape instead of the hop.
How? The Wine Festival, held the weekend before Ascension. Many festivals within Germany are held according to the Christian calendar, so in this case count forty days after Easter.
Another festival in Pfedelbach that’s held according to this calendar is the Christmas in the Forest (3rd Advent weekend) and the Christmas Market, held on the 2nd weekend of Advent (end of November/early December).
However, Pfedelbach’s Wandertage or Hiking Days follow the normal everyday calendar we’re all used to, being held on the 1st weekend of August. So is the Children’s Festival held on odd-numbered years and the Burgfest (Castle Festival) every three years.
Yes, that means Pfedelbach has a castle. A lovely Renaissance style one with a gorgeous Castle Chapel, to be more specific.
You might not be able to stay the night in Burg Pfedelbach, but you can at the Gasthaus Sonne. Before it welcomed travelers from all over the globe, it was the swanky digs of German Prince Ferdinand’s widow in 1665.
There are other wonderful architectural delights in Pfedelbach, such as its Town Hall with a Roland sundial and Heimatmuseum (a Local History Museum), a Cemetery Chapel, the Catholic Peter & Paul Church (built 1878) and the Protestant Peter & Paul Church, which is 300 years older.
When the 16th century isn’t old enough, the Roman Watchtower should fit the bill.
For a bit of fun, there are many hiking & cycling trails through the Schwabian Franconian Forest Nature Park, has both an indoor & outdoor pool, tennis courts, and sporting fields where you can play a game of football.
And while wine drinking might make Pfedelbach a bit more refined, the football sure makes it fun.
