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

Heidelberg in Lights & Winzerfest Parade

Beautiful Heidelberg at Night

Last evening we visited Heidelberg for a lovely dinner and firework show. Only about 25 minutes away from our house, Heidelberg is famous for it's beautiful castle and international crowds. Set on the bank of the Neckar River, Heidelberg is the idealistic German town that we love to visit over and over again. With what is said to be the longest pedestrian shopping street in Germany, and maybe Europe, Heidelberg has so much to offer. And last night, after enjoying a lovely dinner of maultaschen with mushroom sauce (it was delicious!) at Perkeo on the pedestrian strip, we ventured across the river to stake a spot for the "Castle Illumination" and firework show. Three times each summer, the Heidelberg Castle is "lit on fire" to commemorate the burning of the castle by the French in 1693. We waited about 1.5 hours for the show to start, and enjoyed watching the boats glide down the river and park with their hundreds of spectators aboard. At 10:15 after all street lights went dark, the show started. The castle really did look like it was on fire, and it was beautiful in an eerie way. After the "fake fire" died away, a firework show began. It was a lovely and well-spent evening in one of our favorite towns.

The moon rising over the hills of Heidelberg

Derek with the rising moon over the Neckar River

Heidelberg at Night

The tourist boats lined up in the river. They were packed with people!

The Heidelberg Castle "on fire"

Firework Show

Firework Show

Firework Show

Today we rode our bikes a few kilometers south to Bensheim, the larger town close to Zwingenberg. This weekend marked the beginning of the Bensheim Winzerfest, a week-long wine fest, and we had a front row view of the kick-off parade. In Germany, it is very common to be involved in clubs outside of school. In fact, many high schools do not even offer sports and clubs within the school. People of all ages join community clubs, whether it be handball, fencing, band, etc. At today's parade, all of the clubs plus many regional wine makers were represented, along with a variety of Tracht (traditional dress). Derek and I watched the parade for about two hours and then made our way to the market center for a glass of wine and a snack. The town center was transformed into a vine village, complete with castle walls at each entrance. Winemakers even used the fountains as service bars. Here's just a few photos I snapped today.

Every town seems to have a wine queen. Here, she adorns the back of a barrel.

Float at the parade

One of the many marching bands

So creative with the Maypole!

A multi-use fountain!

At the entrance to the wine fest

Wine and pommes!