Living in Germany: A Tour of Zwingenberg

Our little town of Zwingenberg along the Bergstrasse in Hesse, Germany always surprise me. Every time we go exploring, we find new nook and crannies and intriguing pathways to explore. In addition to being the oldest town on the Bergstrasse, Zwingenberg is known for its vineyards and wine making. So, Derek and I went exploring this past weekend, and here's a peek at our little German home:

The photo below shows signs with a green wine glass. This sign is seen many times throughout the Bergstrasse region. The wine glass directs the way to the famous wine trail that connects Zwingenberg to Heppenheim. 

This tower is on the higher level of Zwingenberg, and dates back to the 1500s. This tower provides an historic and beautiful addition to the city.

Here is a view of Zwingenberg from the church on the hill. 

Cobbled stone streets fill many German towns. This one leads into the vineyards.

Below is our favorite Eis Cafe in Zwingenberg. There are two Eis Cafes in Zwingenberg, but we have actually only tried this one. We walk right up to the window on the left side of the building and order ein kugel!

Here is a road very close to our house, but leads away from Zwingenberg and into another small town. I enjoy taking walks and runs in this area.

In Germany, bike paths can take you anywhere. This sign says that the Zwingenberg train station is .2km away and Darmstadt is 19. Bike paths are readily available, and if there is no path, it is common to just ride on the road.

We shop a Netto- similar to Aldi- almost every other day. 

Here is a local pub with a biergarten in the back. We first tried Schnitzel mit Kochkäse here! It is a short walk from our house.

We visit this Kaffeehaus often - it has high-speed Internet! I'm actually sitting in here with a coffee and pastry as I type this sentence.

Zwingenberg has a nice park in the middle of town that hosts small festivals throughout the year. 

This is the main road of Zwingenberg's old town - it's filled with cute cafes and cobbled streets.

This is the marktplatz (main center) in Zwingenberg. It is home to several restaurants, perfectly shaped trees and a lovely fountain!

In Zwingenberg's old town, half-timbered houses are scattered everywhere. I thought this house was particularly charming!

Same with this house! Flower boxes adorn many of the half-timbered homes in Germany.

This cute garden is perched on the side of the hill near the church. What a view!

Derek is standing outside of the Bürgerbüro and town hall. We go here to pick up yellow garbage sacks for recycling. It is across the street from the Eis Cafe.

Here are some other random photos with captions:

A bike path under the train tracks

There is a tiny market in Zwingenberg Marktplatz every Friday morning. 

Beautiful vineyards close to our house.

"Don't poop here."

Water hole and bird sign near entrance to the Odenwald National Park