Germany Trip Plan:
Löwenstein, vineyards and the Swabian-Franconian Forest Park

Vineyards
[ source: www.ferienwohnungen-stumpp]

Day 1: Arrival

A very beautiful vacation apartment at a quiet location at the foot of the Löwenstein Mountains, awaits you on arrival. You will find it very easy to settle in with grocery stores and inviting restaurants all over town. The town lies above the Weinsberger-Valley at the edge of the Löwenstein Mountains which range from 720 to 1,800 ft in height. The nearby Breitenauer Lake is with 38 hectares the largest lake in North Württemberg. It was artificially created in the 1970s, offering sport and recreation facilities all year round.

Loewenstein, GNU-Rosenzweig
[ source: Wikipedia]

Day 2: Löwenstein

Löwenstein is located in idyllic nature and surrounded by medieval city-walls with integrated buildings, dating back to the 14th century. Stroll around the town with its many historic buildings and visit the Manfred-Kyber-Museum for better historical insides. The sunny valley slopes are the location of Lowenstein's vineyards and the town offers views into the wide Weinsberger Valley and on clear days the views extend over the Hohenlohe-Plain, Kocher- and Jagst-Valley to the elevation of the Odenwald, and even in the Palatinate. Still today wine growing is the main livelihood in this region. The Romans brought the wine long ago to this neighborhood but cultivation and care of the vine was carried out only starting from the 8th Century. In the old days the monasteries were the most zealous promoters of wine, because they needed large quantities for themselves, church services and their guests. Throughout the difficulties of the past centuries, the local vintner have remained loyal and always continued cultivated their wines. Those impress with outstanding quality, which you will find out tasting a Trollinger, elegant Riesling, Lemberger or fiery racy Kerner form the bulk of the Löwensteiner wine selection.

Heilbronn market place, CC-p.schmelzle
[ source: Wikipedia]

Day 3: Heilbronn

Passing the noteworthy Baroque castle in Ludwigsburg, the Neckar River reaches the city of Heilbronn with its landmark the St. Kilian's Church. The city is nicknamed Käthchenstadt, city of Käthchen, after Heinrich von Kleist's play Das Käthchen von Heilbronn. Located in the beautiful scenery of the Neckar-Valley it is an important location for business and culture, also offering great shopping opportunities. A must see are the Deutschhof complex, Käthchen-House, Court and Meat House, Nikolai-Church, and the Pottery-Market-, Bollwerk- and Götz-Tower. Worth a visit is also the little castle on Lake Trappensee and the Hunter-House. From the Wartberg-Mountain with its tower you will have exceptional views of the city and Neckar-Valley below. The port of Heilbronn covers a total area of 78 ha with quays stretching over 4.5 miles. You might enjoy an interesting harbor cruise to see this important transshipment point which connects with ports on the Rhine. Heilbronn is also one of the largest German wine producing areas with 530 ha of vineyards. Grape varieties include Trollinger, Black Riesling, Lemberger, Riesling and Kerner. For good insights and wine tasting follow the beautiful Wine Panorama Trail on the Wartberg and visit the Wine-Villa.

Swabia-Franconian nature reserve, spring time
[ source: www.naturpark-sfw.de/]

Day 4: Schwäbisich-Fränkischer Wald, day round trip

The Swabian-Franconian Nature Forest is largely protected from human interference and offers so much for the eyes and soul as you will discover today. Start your scenic drive south to its heart in direction Spiegelberg. In the beginning this was only a place where mirrors for Holland and Switzerland were manufactured and the developing settlement later became the name Spiegelberg, translated to Mirror-Mountain. Today this area is the starting point for many excursions with a total trail network of 185 miles. A well marked and easy trail with a length of 3 miles starts in the town district Jux. It offers perfect panoramic views, pastures and bird watch. Along the route you will also get the chance to warm up with a mulled wine, when visiting in winter. Spiegelberg has many Gasthöfe, restaurants, serving delicious local specialties. After your lunch continue your drive to Sulzbach an der Murr, characterized by the most impressive half-timbered gabled houses. At the old cemetery you will see the remains of the old fortified church and a tower from the 15th Century. Located at the town hall square is a beautiful half-timbered building of 1839. With its half-timbered upper storey resting on stone pillars, this is one of the rare surviving house constructions of its kind. The former moated castle Lauterecken is a gorgeous half-timbered building with 2 towers built in the 17th Century. From here enjoy your drive back north in direction Mainhardt and then left to return to Löwenstein. In the evening you might like to dine at the Seerestaurant, Breitenauer Lake, which offers you besides a gemütliche ambience and perfect views of the Löwensteiner Mountains great food, drinks and maybe even live music. They also organize a Sunday brunch and Spare-Ribs-Days.

Neckar River in Bad Wimpfen, CC-p.schmelzle
[ source: Wikipedia]

Day 5: Neckarsulm to Bad Wimpfen, romantic boot tour

Neckarsulm is located between Heidelberg and Stuttgart at the confluence of the rivers Neckar and Sulm, therefore the name Neckarsulm. Vineyards also dominate here the surrounding slopes of the Neckar Valley. Take a cozy boat ride passing fertile vineyards into the historic Spa Town Bad Wimpfen, the former Staufer-City. Even from afar you can see the significant silhouette of the Blue Tower, the town's landmark. The historical monument which characterizes the look of Bad Wimpfen to this day was the largest Imperial Palace of its kind north of the Alps. Built in Staufian times, it comprises two imposing towers, the Stone House, the Hohenstaufen Gate, the palace chapel and the arches. Bad Wipfen has actually two town parts; the older Wimpfen is situated right on the Neckar valley, and slightly west of it on a sloping hill towards the mountains, is the medieval Staufer-Palatinate and therefore the town center. Enjoy your day discovering both parts of the town with its outstanding buildings and stunning views.

Historic city of Schwaebisch Hall
[ source: Wikipedia]

Day 6: Schwäbsich Hall

East of Löwenstein lies Schwäbsich Hall in the Kocher-Valley. It has a medieval flair with historic buildings blended with award-winning modern architecture. People from more than 100 countries live in this cosmopolitan city and add their own colors and flavors. The former wealth of the city was based on salt, with traces and historical buildings that can still be found today. The Gothic church of St. Michael with its famous steps and the Renaissance style Town Hall on the marketplace are the heart of Schwäbsich Hall's Old Town. An eye-catcher is the tower at the Jose Gelbinger alley. Near the Haalplatz you have a great view of an impressive half-timbered building, the former granary. The Granary was used in medieval times also as an arsenal. Nowadays it is a venue for concerts and cabarets. Just outside the town, in the district of Steinbach, the imposing silhouette of Großcomburg dominates the landscape. Comburg was a Benedictine monastery founded around 1070 by the Counts of Comburg-Rothenburg on the site of their castle. Later its lost its status as an Imperial abbey. Particularly impressive is the Radleuchter, a huge wheel holding candles, in the Castle Church and the fully accessible walkway.

Freihaus Loewenstein, GNU-Rosenzweig
[ source: Wikipedia]

Day 7: Departure

Today is your departure day and you should return in time to the nearby airport for your home flight. Depending on your travel dates you might have the chance to visit a very special exhibition during your vacation. It takes place in the city of Neuenstadt between November 8th 2009 and April 25th 2010. Amber - the tears of the gods features the largest amber collection in the world with outstanding exhibits of the Danziger artist Lucjan Myrta. For centuries, amber has been used as a raw material for the manufacture of jewelry and amulets and this exhibition with a total value exceeding 30 million Euros will show newly created objects of the artist made from pure Baltic amber. The exhibits have a total weight exceeding 2.5 tons. The master showpiece of the collection is a stunning amber treasure-chest, which served as a model for a piece of furniture from the bedroom of Queen Marie Antoinette at Versailles. It has a volume of several cubic meters and weighs 964 kilograms, more than the reconstructed Amber Room in St. Petersburg! You can visit this exhibition Tuesdays - Sundays: 10 am. - 5 p.m. and on Sundays special guided tours are offered.

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