Category Archives: Germany

Cycling Markgraefler Vine-Country

 

The German region of Baden stretches from north to south for a couple hundred kilometers along the Rhine. The southernmost part of it, down by the Swiss borderlands at Basel, is known as Markgraeflerland. This area has some of the warmest and sunniest weather in Germany – great conditions both for growing grapes and bicycling!

So it was on a warm, sunny, Spring day, that I found myself enjoying the bike trails which cover miles of vineyards in this quiet corner of the Rhine river valley. And being a German holiday, the perfect weather lured more people than usual onto the well-marked and well-maintained trails. But no matter, a festive atmosphere prevailed along with the sunshine for the whole day! And I do mean festive: being a German holiday in the Spring, many wine taverns were open, some even with live music.

Cyclists on the Trail
Cyclists on the Trail

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Wine Notes: Markgraefler Rebland

 

What I Learned

The Markgraeflerland district is along the southern-most section of the Rhine as it borders France, in the region of Baden, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. It is the southern-most wine producing district in Germany. It begins in Weil am Rhein, just outside the Swiss city of Basel, and continues almost to Freiburg. The vineyards lie on the foothills between the river valley floor, and the Black Forest mountains to the east. About 3000 hectares, and 90 cooperatives, cellars and wine estates are dedicated to the production of this region’s wine, carried out the in the villages and small towns that dot this area.

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Markgraefler Vine-Country Bike Tour: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Markgraefler Rebland Radtour

Trail Type: Middle distance; bicycle circuit almost exclusively paved, largely on dedicated bike trail or lane; well maintained and signed, albeit not specifically marked for this trail.

Length: total: 35 km

Convenient to: Freiburg

Marking: Green and white bike directional marking only. (No marking specific to this trail.)

Green Directional Signboard with Some Trail Icons
Green Directional Signboard with Some Trail Icons

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Discovering Silvaner’s German Roots

 

This outing served my purpose well: a trip into the Franconian wine region’s Steigerwald district, to view vineyards; hike, then drink some quality wine; and do it all in under 7 hours.

Castell, a small village, far from bustling towns, but possessed of quality vineyards and a very good wine estate, fit the bill. A series of circuits meanders through its surrounding vineyards, all the while circling the tiny, picturesque village they support.

Duck Pond, Castell
Duck Pond, Castell

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Wine Notes: Steigerwald’s Castell

What I Learned

This post focuses on the Steigerwald district of the Franconian wine region, and more specifically on the village of Castell.

The Franconian Wine Region has three distinct wine districts: The Mainviereck, the Maindreieck and the Steigerwald. Unlike the first two, the Steigerwald wine district is not located along the Main River. This means that the climate-moderating effects of a river do not apply here. And since here is in central Germany, spring frosts can come later, and fall frosts can come earlier, then elsewhere in this region.

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Casteller Wine Walks: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Casteller Weinspaziergaenge

Trail Type: One circuit of the outside segments of four shorter wine hiking circuits; gentle inclines on either paved, or hard-packed surface; well maintained and mostly (but not always) marked with the circuit name.

Length(s):

Large Trail: Casteller Weinspaziergaenge: circa 12 kilometers/ 7.5 miles

Segments: (each circuit total)

Greuter Bastel Circuit: 7.6 kilometers/ 4.75 miles

Schlossberg Circuit: 2.3 kilometers/ 1.4 miles

Hohnart Circuit: 2.5 kilometers/ 1.5 miles

Kugelspiel Circuit: 4 kilometers/ 2.5 miles

Convenient to: Kitzingen, Germany

Marking: Varies by circuit name, although “Casteller Weg” follows the outside edges of the inclusive circuit around Castell, and is mostly identical with Casteller Weinspaziergaenge. (See photo above for signage.)

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Green Creek and Red Mountain Land

 

Posts last month (here) detailed the first three stages of my hike through the southern-most portions of the Wuerttembergische Weinwanderweg (W4, for short), using only public transportation from Stuttgart. I ended the first half of my intended stages at the small town of Remshalden. This post (and the Nutshell) covers the remaining stages, passing through the wine growing area of Remstal, all the way to the historic city of Esslingen.

First Vineyards of the Remstal
First Vineyards of the Remstal

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Wine Notes: Wuerttemberg’s Remstal-Stuttgart

 

What I Learned

Wuerttemberg is a large and diverse wine region. Throughout the region red varietals tend to predominate, especially the Trollinger variety. The part of the trail through greater Stuttgart essentially covered two of Wuerttemberg’s six wine districts. This post includes the Stuttgart and Remstal districts. These are right along the Wuerttembergische Weinwanderweg trail, slightly north and east of Stuttgart, and as far south as Esslingen.

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