“One thinks Heidelberg by day – with its surroundings – is the last possibility of the beautiful; but when he sees Heidelberg by night, a fallen Milky Way, with that glittering railway constellation pinned to the border, he requires time to consider upon the verdict.” Mark Twain wrote this ode to Heidelberg in his humorous travel book, “A Tramp Abroad” (1880). During the three months that Twain spent in the city in 1878, many of his recorded experiences aren’t entirely dissimilar from activities that tourists and residents still enjoy today. Read the rest of this entry »

Historically, Germany’s wine has suffered with an “inferiority complex” fueled by the reputation of wine powerhouses France and Italy. And in modern times, they’ve tacked of “how to compete with a Bordeaux or a Chianti” by improving quality, while keep prices reasonable. Finally, German vintners are starting to reap the rewards. The world famous Riesling region, centered on the Rhine and its tributaries and in eastern Germany near Dresden, is the biggest success story to come out of Germany’s 13 wine growing regions. Read the rest of this entry »

When a resident of Cologne returns after even a short stay outside the city, it just isn’t home until they’ve seen the black towers of the “Dom” against the sky. Germany’s largest gothic cathedral can’t be described with the usual words – monumental, awe-inspiring, beautiful, majestic. It’s more than that. It’s been known to perplex visitors about what makes this cathedral so visually overwhelming. Read the rest of this entry »

Not long ago, researchers proclaimed that red wine could be good for the heart, but the baroque city of Würzburg has known that for centuries. The local wines are usually dry whites, and these “stein” wines, which grow on the steep and sunny slopes along the Main River, are said to be especially healthy because of the minerals they soak up from the chalky earth. Read the rest of this entry »

There were drawbacks to being a European monarch. For Friedrich II the Great, philosopher, flute-player and Prussian soldier-king, the public scrutiny of his royal life got on his nerves. He sketched out his ideal summer home, a cozy little private palace he could reign from, tend his hunting dogs and entertain the likes of Voltaire and Goethe. Read the rest of this entry »

The Loreley is a cliff that plunges into the Rhine River. As legend has it, Loreley is also a water nymph who sat high on the rock combing her golden hair and luring sailors to their deaths with her beauty and seductive song. The magical landscape along the Rhine, between Koblenz and Mainz, only helps to bring this legend to life for the growing number of travelers enjoying river cruises through the area. Read the rest of this entry »