Life in the Westerwald is good. Mighty good, I should say, especially in towns like Wirges.
Not only is the town of Wirges itself great, but you’ll find plenty more to see and do if you venture out into the smaller towns within the Verbandsgemeinde Wirges, or Collective Municipality.
Confusing? Maybe. But, don’t let that stop you from enjoying this town in the northern Rhineland-Palatinate — and its surrounding independent villages.
Wirges itself is quite small, just over 10 square kilometers, and home to the Westerwälder Dom. This beautifully decorated church looks much older than it really is (built 1885), but it makes a wonderful venue for local concerts.
The town of Dernbach has the other must-see church of Wirges, St. Mary of the Assumption. Don’t let it’s Baroque details fool you, the church dates back to the Middle Ages — right down to its Romanesque tower. No wonder the place is the town’s landmark.
There’s more to Wirges than just its churches… Take the Tonbergbaumuseum in Siershahn, for instance. The region surrounding Wirges is world-famous for its clay, so it seems the perfect place for mining operations. You can even see the mining in action — so long as you arrange a visit beforehand. It’s also why the region is known as the Kannenbäckerland — stretching all the way to the Middle Rhine Valley.
I appreciate the finer points of industry, but I appreciate a good party even more. I love how Wirges finds all kinds of events to celebrate, like its Dancing into May celebrations, its Spring Festival, the Summer Market and Summer Festival, and its Waldfest (Forest Festival) — all held between May and July.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the latter half of the year isn’t packed full of stuff to do. Heck no, the Kirmesmarkt is an annual September event, along with the Apfelfest (Apple Festival) takes place in October, and there’s both an Advent Bazaar and Nicholas Market in November and December.
I told you life was good in the Westerwald, but with all this fun I’ll change that to life’s great here in Wirges and the Westerwald. ;-)
