11 Dec 2013
Love wine and food? Prefer fast cars and the open road? Fancy staying in a real castle, complete with dungeons and a drawbridge? These are just some of the special experiences on offer in SouthWest Germany. Highlights in SouthWest Germany in 2014 include a village with yet another Michelin star, an unusual island perspective, an exciting new attraction at one of the world’s leading theme parks and significant anniversaries for three of the region’s scenic roads.
But SouthWest Germany has so much more! Half-timbered houses and cobbled streets are part of the charm of historic towns and villages. Museums, music and great shopping are a given in cities. Out in the unspoiled countryside, hiking paths and cycle trails wind through rolling mountains and past clean lakes. And this is the sunniest region of Germany!
When it comes to having fun, SouthWest Germany is the place to be in 2014. Week in, week out, the calendar on our website is packed with festivals in cities, such as Stuttgart, and in villages in the Black Forest and on Lake Constance.
HIGHLIGHTS IN 2014
The German F1 Grand Prix (July 18-20, 2014)
SouthWest Germany hosts one of the world’s great motor races: the German Formula One Grand Prix event at Hockenheim. The current circuit has hosted the Grand Prix since 1970. The track is 2.84 mile/4.574 km long, with 6 straights and 17 corners. This combination of long straights, slow corners and tricky hairpins test drivers, cars and brakes to the limit.
http://www.hockenheimring.de/en
Germany’s Cultural Treasure Chest: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
In 2014, the German National Tourist Board is celebrating the nation’s 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. SouthWest Germany boasts four contrasting UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
_Maulbronn Monastery: The former Cistercian abbey of Maulbronn is the best-preserved medieval monastery north of the Alps.
_Aalen: 2,000 years ago, the Limes Roman Defences were the defensive walls marking the northern border of the Roman Empire.
_Reichenau Island: This charming island on Lake Constance is home to three Romanesque churches dating from the 9th -12th centuries.
_Lake Constance: The 6,000 year-old Lake Dwellings and the Lake Dwelling Museum (Pfahlbaumuseum) in Unteruhldingen.
Europa-Park: Go eye to eye with a ladybird!
There’s always something new at the Europa-Park. This theme park in Rust was voted Europe’s top attraction on TripAdvisor 2013! Making its world premiere in 2014 is Arthur in the Minimoys kingdom, an indoor attraction based on the hugely successful film trilogy, Arthur and the Invisibles. In this action-packed fairy tale adventure, a blade of grass is as tall as a skyscraper and bees give jet planes a run for their money. See giant ladybirds, scary frogs and lolloping caterpillars fly, hop, and crawl over massive branches and rocks.
Island of Mainau: Flower power
On beautiful Lake Constance, the flower-filled gardens on the island of Mainau have been a major attraction for more than 80 years. For 2014, the theme is: “Beyond the Horizon ... Discovering new Views”. Mainau’s gardeners are installing “Focal Points”, where visitors can gaze out over the lake and pick out undiscovered landmarks. A high-tech innovation is the 360° camera installed in a towering cedar tree and linked both to a large screen and the island’s website. At ground level, there is a new exhibition of large sculptures. Again, the idea is to see the gardens and nature in a new light. Around the harbour, eat at the new roof top “Comturey” Restaurant, buy bread at the Täglich Brot bakery, relax in the beer garden.
Baiersbronn celebrates its 8th star!
What other village in the world can boast restaurants that between them have 8 Michelin stars? But that is exactly what Baiersbronn, an idyllic destination in the Black Forest, has just achieved. One of Germany’s best-loved chefs is Harald Wohlfahrt, who has long held three stars from the French foodie bible at the Hotel Traube Tonbach. Claus-Peter Lumpp also has three stars at Restaurant Bareiss. Now Jörg Sackmann has upped the stakes with a second star at the Restaurant Schlossberg. Using first-class produce, his modern, creative cuisine has a classic base, producing rich flavours.
ON THE ROAD: 3 great drives lead to castles, vineyards and a seasonal treat
The Castle Road
Cutting across Germany and continuing into the Czech Republic, the Castle Road (Burgenstrasse) links some of SouthWest Germany’s most romantic castles. See the grandeur of Mannheim Palace, Schwetzingen Palace and Heidelberg Castle, as well as Bergfeste Dilsberg in Neckargemünd. You can also dine and stay in castles and palaces that have been converted into hotels. Examples include the Schloss-Hotel Hirschhorn, high above the Neckar Valley; the 11th-century Hornberg Castle Hotel & Restaurant; the Castle Tavern at Guttenberg Castle.
Baden Asparagus Route
The asparagus seasons signals that summer is on its way. From the middle of April to June 24, gourmets flock to the 85-mile/136-km Baden Asparagus Route that runs from Schwetzingen, the “Asparagus Capital of the World”, to Karlsruhe, Rastatt and Scherzheim. Along the way are pretty towns, grand palaces and roadside stands. Restaurants and pubs feature Spargelkarte, special asparagus menus. Locals reckon that the best way to eat it is the simplest: steamed and served with melting butter. In May, Bruchsal hosts Europe’s largest Asparagus Market.
www.badische-spargelstrasse.de
Baden Wine Road
Between Baden-Baden and Weil am Rhein, this 100 mile/160 km drive down the Rhine Valley includes famous vineyards, local wine taverns and Weingartens, open-air “wine gardens”, as well as lovely countryside and the Kaiserstuhl hills. Baden is Germany’s southernmost and sunniest wine region. Think hot summer days, picture-pretty river valleys and endless vines, first planted here by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. Try a Baden-Baden Riesling or Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Join in the fun of village wine festivals.
How to get there
The quickest and easiest way to get to SouthWest Germany is to fly to Stuttgart Airport. Birmingham, Jersey, Guernsey, London and Manchester all have direct flights. Airlines include Germanwings, Air Berlin, British Airways and flybe. On arrival, Stuttgart Airport provides the perfect starting point to explore the thriving and diverse region of SouthWest Germany and its famous tourist attractions. Close by are beautiful, historic and exciting cities like Stuttgart and Heidelberg, as well as the picturesque landscapes of the Black Forest and Lake Constance. All are easy and quick to get to on the efficient public transport system, and also by car, as the airport has direct access to the A8 motorway.
CHRISTMAS TRIVIA TEST
QUESTION: Where is the church that has the tallest spire in the world?
ANSWER: SouthWest Germany! The spire on Ulm Minster soars an extraordinary 530 feet/162 m, with 768 steps to the top! Building on this Gothic gem began in 1377, but only finished in 1890.
PHOTOS
Find hundreds of FREE, high-quality, professional photographs in the Press/Media section on the SouthWest Germany website. Quick and easy to download, all you have to do is to register for instant access.
http://press.tourism-bw.com/Photos-Pictures-Images
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For further information please contact:
TourComm Germany on behalf of SouthWest Germany
Tel: +49 (0)6201 60208-24
Email: southwestgermany@tourcomm-germany.com
