Look, I’m all for sightseeing around museums, old churches, and drafty castles as much as the next person — but then, once in a while, the thought of spending anytime indoors should be shoved right out of your mind. Such as it should when you’re talking about the town of Wackersdorf in the Upper Palatinate.
Read my lips (words?), not one minute of your time be spend unnecessarily indoors. Well, Wackersdorf doesn’t leave you much time for that anyway, because of all its outdoor recreational fun, its too many to list cultural events, and its outstanding lakes.
Oh, and it isn’t just that simple to say it like that either.
Let’s talk about the outdoor recreation fun, shall we? This isn’t just your simple “run of the mill” hiking and cycling routes through the Upper Palatinate Forest (although there are quite a number of them). No, it’s here where you can kick off your shoes to walk the Barfußpfad (Barefoot Path) along Murner See; then again, you can also find your little slice of Caribbean heaven right here on the shores of the Murner Lake with its white sandy beach.
The Steinberger See, said to be one of the largest lakes in all of Bavaria, is perfect for sun filled days of swimming, cycling, surfing, eating, and water-skiing. The Brückelsee, which also has a playground for the kids, is another boating fun lake — and there’s even a nearby campground.
As if life couldn’t get any better, Wackersdorf is a town (and a Collective Municipality) that can show a fine lady or gentleman a very good time. The fun starts with the Starkbierfest (Strong Beer Festival) celebrations in March, followed by the Maibaum festivities. The Fischerfest in June is next, with the month ending with the annual Wine Festival — which coincides with the Dorffest (Village Festival).
July is a whole lot of fun, as that’s the month for both the Summer Festival and the Mittelalterfest (Medieval Festival), the latter being a 3-day affair of jousting, knights, and all around medieval merriment.
The cooler weather of Autumn and early Winter doesn’t stop the fun either, by the way. There’s yet another Wine Festival in October, a Christkindlmarkt at the end of November, and a Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) in December.
Told you there was plenty of opportunities to spend almost every waking moment basking in the glorious sunshine, but Wackersdorf does have a Heimat und Industrie (Local History & Industry) Museum, which you really should have a look.
Got that outta the way? Good, now get back outside — Wackersdorf awaits. ;-)
