The most beautiful weekend destinations for wine lovers in Germany.
Are you a wine lover or a wine connoisseur? Then it is high time for a trip to one of Germany’s many wine towns. Germany is known for its large wine regions. With plenty of nature and often historic towns, wine towns are the perfect destination for a weekend, or maybe even longer!
Würzburg
The city of Würzburg is located in the north of Bavaria and attracts many tourists every year who come to see the medieval old town and its sights. There is much to discover in Würzburg. First of all, of course, the Marienberg Fortress and St. Kilian’s Cathedral. Both buildings are of great importance to the city and have a huge impact on the cityscape.
But the sights are not the only thing you can see here. Surrounded by vineyards and nature, you have the opportunity to leave the city and go for a walk or an easy hike if the weather is good.
As a tip: in good weather, the so-called “Würzburger Brückenshoppen” takes place on the Alte Marienbücke. At this event, Würzburg citizens and tourists walk across the bridge while enjoying the view and a glass of wine, such as a “Würzburger Kirchberg”.
Freiburg im Breisgau
Freiburg im Breisgau is known as the southernmost city in Germany, but that is not all there is to know about it. Freiburg is located at the western edge of the Black Forest and stands out for its beautiful city centre. The old town of Freiburg is one of the most beautiful in Germany and invites everyone to explore its streets and alleys.
Famous attractions in Freiburg are the Münsterplatz, where a large weekly market is held most days of the week, and the Freiburger Bächle, which can charm young and old.
It is especially worthwhile to visit the city in July, when the annual Freiburg Wine Festival takes place and you can taste and buy various Baden wines on site.
There are also many wineries in the area that offer tours and wine tastings.
Merseburg
Merseburg is a city in Saxony-Anhalt and attracts many hundreds of visitors each year. Known as a cathedral and university city, it is one of the oldest cities in central Germany and has much to offer in terms of culture, art and history.
The city is characterised by its museums and galleries. Particularly interesting excursion destinations are the cultural history museum in Merseburg Castle or the art house Tiefer Keller, where you can find the cathedral gallery.
Besides the famous historical buildings, such as Merseburg Cathedral, the city is also known for Martin Luther, who preached here for a long time.
Nowadays, however, many tourists also come to the city to taste the wines that have been cultivated and produced in the Saale Unstrut region for more than 1,000 years. Varieties such as Pinot Blanc or Müller-Thurgau are particularly recommended.
Freyburg
Freyburg is also a city in Saxony-Anhalt and is located in the Saale-Unstrut wine region. The town is rich in history and is especially famous for the Rotkäppchen sparkling wine that is produced here. The factory building can be visited even today and you can learn a lot of interesting things about the history and origin of the sparkling wine.
Other sights in the town that are worth visiting are Neuenburg Castle and St. Mary’s Church. September is also a special weekend. Every second weekend of September, a small wine village is set up in Freyburg’s market square. Freyburg then celebrates the largest wine festival in all of central Germany, and many of the large wineries in the city let visitors in. There are also many traders offering their products, and you can taste a new wine at every corner.
Cochem
Cochem in Rhineland-Palatinate is Germany’s smallest district town with a total of 5,000 inhabitants. Despite its small size, the town has much to offer. The best-known landmark of the town is Reichsburg Cochem, which is one of the attractions of the town. But also the castle ruins of Winneburg, the historic mustard mill and the historic old town with its beautiful alleys and houses can inspire thousands of tourists every year.
In addition to these attractions, there is also the Calmont hiking trail that leads through the wine region along the Moselle. In August, the town also celebrates the Cochem Wine Festival, which also attracts many visitors. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the regional wines and the view of the Moselle valley.
Bacharach
The town of Bacharach is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Obermittelrheintal valley and is located in Rhineland-Palatinate. The town’s name is derived from the name of the god of wine, and it lives up to its name. A wide variety of wine taverns can be found on every corner of the city and many of the beautiful half-timbered houses in the city centre are surrounded by vines.
The Postenturm (tower of the post office) in particular catches the eye, as it is easily recognisable even from afar. But also Stahleck Castle, St Peter’s Church or Werner Chapel are great destinations for an exciting day out.
Apart from these historical sights, it is also worthwhile making a trip to the surrounding wineries to visit them and taste a Riesling, which is very famous in this region.
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is located in the Ahr valley in Rhineland-Palatinate and is especially worth a cultural trip. You can visit the documentation of the government bunker or the Roemervilla museum. Famous sights in the town are the Kalvarienberg Monastery and the Laurentius Church.
But not only the old town of Bad Neuenahr is worth a visit. The town is surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Ahr valley, which is one of the best places to taste a Spätburgunder. Especially recommended is the red wine hiking trail, where you can walk from wine village to wine village and taste a wide variety of red and rosé wines.
A wine cooler is particularly useful for such a trip, or of course for your own home. You can find them on the website www.coolenator.com, which even offers personalised wine coolers. Such a wine cooler can keep your bottle cold for up to eight hours and is easy to transport. For more information on wine coolers, visit the Coolenator site!