Walldorf (Baden) is a town that offers quite a variety of entertainments and attractions, mostly by chance.
You see, the town founders merely thought of the natural wonders of the area, tucked in between the Rhine and Neckar rivers. They weren’t anticipating the wealth and ingenuity that would really put the town on the map in later years.
Starting with the wealth, you’ll want to swing over to the Astorhaus to get a glimpse of what the fuss is all about. John Jacob Astor, who was the richest man in the world at the time of his death, was originally from Walldorf. In fact, he named his hotel chain, the Waldorf Astoria, after his birthplace, as all of the locals are quite proud to share.
Locals are also quite proud of the SAP supply chain software company headquarters here. Thanks to the large number of professional workers and families from SAP, the town is able to offer quite advance cultural attractions and a broad selection of shopping options that you might not expect in a smaller community like this.
The summer concert series gets top names, and the boutiques can easily distract you for an afternoon.
Of course, poking around the shops or catching an afternoon concert is the perfect way to work up an appetite for the culinary delights of Walldorf. The Waldorf salad is named for the region, but you’re going to want to go for something with asparagus in it. The locally grown white asparagus is particularly fine, and getting to it during peak season makes for a great gastronomic memory.
The town founders, all those thousands of years ago, might have foreseen the asparagus revolution when they were picking out farm ground. However, all the other charms of the town have come later. With all the funding and creative minds roaming around, you’ll want to pay a visit just to see what they’re coming up with now. ;-)
