The Palatinate area is one of the most beautiful countrysides in Germany. The Palatinate forest lies to the west, and the Rhine is to the east. It is renown for its wine making. The region is blessed with lots of sun, perfect for grape growing.…Read More

The Palatinate area is one of the most beautiful countrysides in Germany. The Palatinate forest lies to the west, and the Rhine is to the east. It is renown for its wine making. The region is blessed with lots of sun, perfect for grape growing. The Romans and their vines felt right at home here thousands of years ago.

The Palatinate forest is the largest continuous wooded area in Germany, with its breathtaking rock formation and cities thousands of years old. Speyer, about an hour from Deideshiem has a Romanesque cathedral, an internationally recognized historic monument. There is a chain of fortresses, fortress ruins, and castles which line the edge of the Haardt mountains. The Hambacher Schloss or castle is where the current German flag was first aired by people marching on the castle! There is a wonderful exhibit there with movies about the history of the castle, and films about Hilter and World War II. You can also see the remains of the Hardenberg Castle and the Frankenstein castle. Bad Durkeim, a few miles from Deidesheim, has Salt cures. Arrive before 5pm or swim in the town pool next door. Or have a wine tasting at a booth in the park.

Deidesheim sits near many ancient castles. We visited several castles in Germany, including Heidelberg, each within an hour drive. We saw the famous Romanesque cathedral in Speir. We saw from a distance the shell of the Frankenstein castle. It is such fun to think of…Read More

Deidesheim sits near many ancient castles. We visited several castles in Germany, including Heidelberg, each within an hour drive. We saw the famous Romanesque cathedral in Speir. We saw from a distance the shell of the Frankenstein castle. It is such fun to think of all the centuries of life before us. The wars, the kings, the politics, art, architecture, religion, education, language, and how they all interacted and created what it is today.

Germany was simply beautiful. Rolling hills everywhere, and along the Wine Strasse, each hill had a vineyard, and probably a store. Everything was neat, orderly, beautiful, and prosperous.

The cars did 100 to 120 miles per hour on the autobahn. It was a little unnerving! We did about 60 because we had a full car (Opel) and a roof rack. We passed several exits for Dachau, and other such camps, and many towers that had built for World War II to keep track of enemy movements and airplanes. Such a beautiful country, but such a past.

One evening we took a drive to Kaiserslautern (a town with a US army base) to see a street festival. Kaiserslautern was about an hour drive from Deisesheim. There were portable bars in the middle of the street, where you could buy your favorite German beers. We feasted on local cuisine on a picnic bench in the middle of the street. In the town square, a German rock group sang and played American music- in English, but with a heavy German accent which we could tell was taught by teachers teaching British English! What a howl!

Deidesheim on the Wine Strasse--Wine Road--dates back to 1100. Many homes and buildings showed the various dates of their establishment. The streets were narrow and twisting, built in a time when horse and buggy were the means of transportation. Each building was unique and…Read More

Deidesheim on the Wine Strasse--Wine Road--dates back to 1100. Many homes and buildings showed the various dates of their establishment. The streets were narrow and twisting, built in a time when horse and buggy were the means of transportation. Each building was unique and beautiful in its own way. It was a place to walk through, not drive by: beautiful, quaint, and timeless.

The town was nestled in the greens of vineyards, fig trees, and beautiful gardens. We hiked and biked up through the vineyards on the hills, and looked out over the village, over row upon row of beautifully laid out grape vines, leading to the town with its red clay roofs and church spires.

The food was great. Wursts and salamis, pates, fresh breads, fruit, grapesaft, cheeses, and, of course, delicious German beer and wine.