NWR - Germany recs

L

Lyle Fass

Lyle Fass
Hey Disorderlies,

I am going to Germany on August 24th for 11 days for a tasting extravaganza from Koblenz to Ihringen. I got the wine covered, working on the food, but am most interested in adding a little non-wine and non-food culture to this trip. I will be going to the Residenz in Wurtzberg one morning, but that's it so far.

I'll be in Mosel, Pfalz, Franken, Rheinhessen, Nahe, Baden. Any cultural recs near these places would be great. Not more than an hours drive would be my only restrictions. Thanks all.
 
Trier and Marx. Trier in general.

Food in the Mosel - Nik Weis has his hand in something in the desolate hinterland known as the Hunsruck. Good resto, better hotel.
 
The Schloss in Wrzburg (that was what you meant, right?) is well worth visiting for a dose of medieval Gothic life. Goethehaus and the associated museum in Frankfurt is another worthwhile stop, especially if you plan on dining at Gargantua.

Mark Lipton
 
Yixin,

Will be near Trier, so will see that, but have seen it many times before. Will check out Weiss' project.

Think I decided on Rothenburg ob der Taber which is close-ish to Laible in Ortenau where I'll be visiting. Medieval town with cool stuff, it looks like. I'm a big Bavaria guy and want to see more than just wine towns, which I love, but since I have extra time this trip, I think I'll spend the extra time there. I love Trier but for this city kid, the hills of Bavaria are my first love in Germany.

Mark,

Yes the Schloss with the gardens in the back with the huge fresco under the stairway entrance. Looks like a German Versailles. Frankfurt I will just be flying in and out of. I reside in NYC so I want as much small town stuff as possible. Wurtzberg is a small town to me. Iphofen is like a village to me.

What is the Gargantua?
 
originally posted by Lyle Fass:

What is the Gargantua?
Click to expand...

Gargantua is the name of a popular "New German" restaurant in Frankfurt, pricey but with a decent wine list. Not worth an excursion IMO if you're not staying in Frankfurt, but a good meal if you're looking for one there.

Mark Lipton
 
Koblenz has good old town and Kurfrstliches Schlo (crown prince's castle). Other than Trier, it's just the wine towns in Mosel and some may have older churches, etc. than others. Not really a lot I know of to see the Nahe. If you like old people, there's probably a lot of them for the Kur in Bad Kreuznach.

Rheinhessen -- Mainz and Worms have important Romanesque cathedrals, Mainz has pretty old town (also a pretty one across the river in Wiesbaden). Worms also has the Liebfrauenkirch and oldest synagogue in Germany (1034) plus Jewish cemetery with graves back to 11th C. (so you can prove you're not self-hating ;) ). Heidelberg is just a little further than Worms.

Nierstein is said to have very good old town, Oppenheim has beautiful 13th C church that I've only seen passing by, also some 17th and 18th C buildings that are said to be attractive.

Pfalz -- Don't miss Speyer -- one of the great Romanesque churches; much of it today is 19th C restauration but still very, very impressive and a nice town, too. 13th C Altportal is one of the oldest city gates left in Germany. If you don't already know Deidesheim, it is very pretty and has some interesting buildings. Freinsheim is supposed to be pretty with old medieval walls still surrounding it, Max Slevogt painting collection in Endenkoben; Wissembourg, just across the border from Schweigen, is pretty to walk around and has second largest church in Alsace (Strasbourg cathedral is largest). From Neustadt to Strasbourg is only about 90 km and Strasbourg!!! From Schweigen (Beckerland), it's even shorter.

In Baden, it's tough to resist going to Strasbourg and/or Colmar (the fucking great Isenheim Altarpiece!!!!!! that Bode infamously refused for the Berlin collection) and who says you should resist?, but Freiburg also has a lot to offer, especially the Mnster and Augustinermuseum.

Wrzburg should suitably occupy your time in Franken.

What's your schedule? We may run into each other someplace on the first few days of your trip.
 
Not a cultural thing, but last fall we took the trail to climb Calmont, the steepest vineyard in Europe, supposedly. A welcome exercise after a few days of food and wine. The climb isn't bad, and the views are spectacular, in part because Mosel does a crazy bend in that spot. The trail starts in Bremm.
 
Claude,

Did Koblenz with Knebel last time around. Had a big lunch at a restaurant there and walked around for a while after. Great town.

Done Mainz 3-4 times. Like it. Done Worms too but have not hit the Jewish cemetery. Sounds like a comic picture spot for gag pictures. I had no idea how much stuff I saw till after I saw your post.

Done Nierstein and Oppenheim too. Love Oppenheim.

I will try and to all that Pfalz stuff too. I am staying in Deidesheim as it is one of my favorite small towns. Plus around the corner from Von Buhl.
 
From Koblenz you should see a few castles, either the ones just up across the Bopparder Hang or, towards the Mosel, the Burg Eltz, http://www.burg-eltz.de/e_index.html, maybe the most amazing castle anywhere.

Depending how far south in Baden you get, you could do some contemporary stuff: The Vitra museum in Weil am Rhein (the very interesting winery Ziereisen is close by) and just across the border the Fondation Beyeler in Basel.

Loading…

www.design-museum.de

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www.beyeler.com

Please also note that Rothenburg ob der Tauber is nowhere near the Ortenau, it is in Franken, between Wuerzburg and Nuernberg.

The churches in Worms and Speyer, as mentioned above, are top notch.

If you want to have more food info, just let me know.
But since you will be in Ihringen, you should drive the 12km and go to Schwarzer Adler Oberbergen. Call definitely ahead and preorder the truffled chicken in pigs bladder for two (or more). Tell them to give you a table on the terrasse if teh weather is nice. Then discuss the massive wine list with the Sommeliere. And dont forget the digestives.....if you ever wanted to drink Armagnac of the year you were born for the price of a mediocre cocktail in NYC, this is the place....

Oh, and in case you are a car guy.....it might be a bit more than an hour, but both Mercedes and Porsche have opened stunning new museums in Stuttgart. For people who are into that kind of thing (and even for people like me, who usually don't care much...), absolute musts.
 
originally posted by Lyle Fass:

Think I decided on Rothenburg ob der Taber which is close-ish to Laible in Ortenau where I'll be visiting.
Click to expand...

i'm jealous. liables wines are fantastic. 2008 durbacher plauelrain trocken and kabinet trocken were both splendid last night with grilled copper river salmon.
 
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
originally posted by Lyle Fass:

Think I decided on Rothenburg ob der Taber which is close-ish to Laible in Ortenau where I'll be visiting.
Click to expand...

i'm jealous. liables wines are fantastic. 2008 durbacher plauelrain trocken and kabinet trocken were both splendid last night with grilled copper river salmon.
Click to expand...

And he makes some extremely good Grauburgunder , too. As well as aromatic grapes, Muskateller, Gewuerztraminer, etc.....
 
originally posted by georg lauer:
From Koblenz you should see a few castles, either the ones just up across the Bopparder Hang or, towards the Mosel, the Burg Eltz, http://www.burg-eltz.de/e_index.html, maybe the most amazing castle anywhere.

Depending how far south in Baden you get, you could do some contemporary stuff: The Vitra museum in Weil am Rhein (the very interesting winery Ziereisen is close by) and just across the border the Fondation Beyeler in Basel.

Loading…

www.design-museum.de

Loading…

www.beyeler.com

Please also note that Rothenburg ob der Tauber is nowhere near the Ortenau, it is in Franken, between Wuerzburg and Nuernberg.

The churches in Worms and Speyer, as mentioned above, are top notch.

If you want to have more food info, just let me know.
But since you will be in Ihringen, you should drive the 12km and go to Schwarzer Adler Oberbergen. Call definitely ahead and preorder the truffled chicken in pigs bladder for two (or more). Tell them to give you a table on the terrasse if teh weather is nice. Then discuss the massive wine list with the Sommeliere. And dont forget the digestives.....if you ever wanted to drink Armagnac of the year you were born for the price of a mediocre cocktail in NYC, this is the place....

Oh, and in case you are a car guy.....it might be a bit more than an hour, but both Mercedes and Porsche have opened stunning new museums in Stuttgart. For people who are into that kind of thing (and even for people like me, who usually don't care much...), absolute musts.
Click to expand...

George,

Been away for a bit but thank you for this post. I will be in Ihringen and plan to have dinner with some people at Dr. Heger. That dish sounds decadent. They really like stuffing things in pig's bladders in southern Germany. Had Saumagen in Bad Durkheim on Doris Eymael's reccomendation and it was out of this world. The Armagnac sounds great too.

Not a car guy and will have zero time. 33 visits in 10 days. And figured out my Rothenburg mistake last week bit thank you. I am bad with maps. I'll be near Koblenz potentially one evening when I am at Knebel so will try and squeeze it in. The Burg Eltz sounds amazing.
 
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
originally posted by Lyle Fass:

Think I decided on Rothenburg ob der Taber which is close-ish to Laible in Ortenau where I'll be visiting.
Click to expand...

i'm jealous. liables wines are fantastic. 2008 durbacher plauelrain trocken and kabinet trocken were both splendid last night with grilled copper river salmon.
Click to expand...

Laible is the best. Really excited to vist. Virtually an unknown entity still. They master all grapes. Weissburgunder, Schuerebe, Gewurztraminer, Riesling. The mineral backbone is just ridiculous. Also so unique in the Baden as Ortenau is so cool which results in these intense racy/mineral almsot Saar-like wines.
 
I thought you've been to Germany before? Sorry, never been, just jealous, especially with all of this heat saying bienvenidos a Miami...
 
Mark,

I've been many times but been too engulfed in wine each time to do any cultural stuff. This time I am making it a point to.
 
originally posted by Lyle Fass:
That dish sounds decadent. They really like stuffing things in pig's bladders in southern Germany. Had Saumagen in Bad Durkheim on Doris Eymael's reccomendation and it was out of this world.
Click to expand...

In contrast to the Saumagen, which is a stuffed stomach, the bladder is not eaten. The chicken is stuffed with rice, root veggies, foie gras and truffles. Truffles are also stuffed under the skin of the chicken. This is then poached in the pigs bladder. They bring it to the table looking like a football, and the moment they pick a hole in it, all the wonderful scents fill the air.... classic french dish, but not seen too often anymore.
 
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