It’s been said that people from the town of Roßwein speak a German dialect influenced by three other distinct dialects in the region.
To the untrained ear, it probably doesn’t matter — German is German, right? It doesn’t really matter much to me if they’re speaking a language from another planet, I fell in love in here.
Not with a person. I fell in love with the Kamelie, one of Roßwein’s monuments (which translates to Camellia Japonica). It’s a winter rose garden that’s in full bloom from January to March. Flowers are such a pretty way to break up the bleakness of winter.
Funny, because white roses are my favorite — which match the color of the snow around here. ;-)
Non-winter lovers might want to save a visit for a warmer time of year. But, then you’ll miss out on the annual Craft Market held at the Old Post Office in November. And you’ll miss out on all the mulled wine and cookies served too.
More for me then… ;-)
You could always warm up at Roßwein’s Local History Museum, at the Rathaus (the building’s from 1862, but one doorway is from 1529), or at the 16th century Weavers House (housed in a former convent).
You will have to bundle up if you’re going out to see the medieval Stadtmauer (a defense wall isn’t going to be indoors), and to stroll around the Marktplatz.
There are a number of other outdoor places to see here in Roßwein, so freezing yourself out in the winter isn’t a good idea (especially if you’re from an all-year warm climate).
So, looks like summer’s the time for you to find the old Saxon Mile Marker, to pass along all the old Art Nouveau villas from the last century, and visit the Soviet Memorial Cemetery.
There’s no grand time to visit Roßwein, as you can see there’s always something to see or do (the Yiddish Music & Theater Festival, for instance) no matter what time of year it is — and no matter what dialect anyone’s speaking around ya. ;-)
