If you are spending some quality time in the Palatinate, between magnificent Speyer and industrial Ludwigshafen, what about heading over to the town of Waldsee?
You’ll find Waldsee where the Old Rhine meets the current Rhine. The Upper Rhine Valley is just perfect for hiking, cycling and beach side camping around the outlying countryside — like the Neuhofener Altrhein Nature Reserve or the Wolfangsee.
Sounds like a good idea, but be sure you plan time to visit the town’s Church of St. Martin, a pretty neo-Romanesque church from the 1840s. A couple of decades later the Wolfgang Chapel was built, which is right about the same time as many of Waldsee’s half-timbered houses were built.
Your sightseeing tour doesn’t end here, you still have to go visit the Church of the Assumption (built 1889), the old Jewish Cemetery, the World Wars I and II Memorials, and the St. Remigius House from the 1750s. And of course, much of Waldsee’s history can be learned by a trip over to the Heimatmuseum, or Local History Museum, in a beautiful, historical stony building.
It appears the 18th and 19th centuries were good to this town. Waldsee will be good to you in the 21st century if you’re lucky enough to come for one of its many (many, many) festivals throughout the year.
The 2-day Bratkartoffelfest (Fried Potatoes Festival) is a good one (who doesn’t love sausages and potatoes?), as is the Wine Festival, the Autumn Festival, and the Kerwe (Church Festival) — these last three being in October. What a busy month!
The above festivals aren’t even the half of it here in Waldsee. June’s a great month to visit, that’s when the Biergarten Festival takes place, followed by the Hoffest, and then the 3-day Karpenfest.
This isn’t half bad for a town that isn’t even thirteen square kilometers, is it? As if you haven’t eaten and drank enough as it is, come grab a bite at one of the local eateries — were you’ll find everything from bistros, ice cream parlors, pizzerias, as well as local specialties.
Ohhh, with all this good eating, I better get out on another one of those hiking trails. ;-)
