Why, oh, why, does this keep happening to me? It’s off for quick jaunt to the beautiful town of Rohrbach, or so I thought.
No, it isn’t as if Rohrbach isn’t beautiful — well, I’m pretty sure it is — if I could first figure out which Rohrbach it’s supposed to be. There are six of them in Germany: three in the Rhineland-Palatinate, two in Thuringia, and one in Bavaria, on the Ilm River — which is the one where I’m headed right now.
Good thing it’s all about the wine here in Rohrbach (Ilm), I need a glass after all that. Plenty of glasses are available if you’re lucky enough to come for Rohrbach’s Wine Festival in July.
Even if the wine festival isn’t taking place there are ample opportunities to try some at the many pubs, restaurants, bars, and cafes found all over town.
However, it is beer that reigns supreme during June’s Festival of Beer. Actually, I’m quite surprised about the wine thing — Rohrbach lies within the Hallertau, the largest hops growing region worldwide; and you can’t have a fine German beer without them.
A discussion of both wine and beer’s finer points could be had at one of Rohrbach’s other festivals. A beer sounds like the right drink for the October Autumn Market, while wine seems to be just right for the annual Christmas Market in December. You could go either way for the Village Festival, though. ;-)
All of this is distracting me, I planned on seeing the sites around town; you know, places like Rohrbach Castle. While it’s modern day look belies its medieval origins, the Rohrbacher Schloss is a great place to start. From here you should see the St. Johannis Church, a blend of Baroque, Gothic, and Romanesque architecture.
This isn’t the only old church around, mind you. Saints Peter & Paul is another church with three different types of architecture under one roof, while a handful of the others date over the course of 400 years.
Aren’t I glad I found the right Rohrbach, although I do look forward to getting to the others. Well, that is if I can tear myself away from this one, and all its wine & beer goodness. ;-)
