Shallow Waters: Burkheimer See
Moss Green Waters
Whimsical Recycled Art
Rippling Waters
A Wishful Cellar Visit
Water Mirror
Whirlpools
Mistletoe and Swan
Gallery December 2022
Tag Archives: Kaiserstuhl
Walking in a Wonderland
I had hoped to walk in a winter wonderland, it being mid-December. What I hiked instead was a watery wander-land, crisscrossed by trails. But even without snow, it fulfilled the sense of mystery and magic inherent in every Christmas season, and ended up being one of the hikes whose sights and sounds I recall most vividly.
Wine Notes: Baden’s Kaiserstuhl
What I Learned
Within the German wine region of Baden lies the Kaiserstuhl wine district. With almost 4300 hectares (over 10,500 acres), it is the largest of all nine wine districts in Baden.
This district is the warmest site in Germany, with the highest average temperatures and the highest average hours of sunshine. In this district, the vines are planted mostly in terraces, mostly on south facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl slopes.
The whole area looks and feels volcanic, as it was once one giant volcano. The volcano was active 16 to 19 million years ago, and since then, the terrain has eroded. Hence the underlying geology is volcanic. A layer of loess lies on top of what remains of the eruptions’ geological debris. The vines grow atop this geology in a series of terraces. The cuts in the terraces reveal the meters of depths (achieved over time) of this light-colored sediment. Two of Burkheim’s best known growth areas are Schlossgarten and Feuerberg (literally, “fire hill”).
Trail in a Nutshell: Rheinauen und Weinbergweg
Trail Name: Rheinauen und Weinbergweg
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; somewhat maintained with varied surfaces, tarmac to earthen (to include some wet ones), fairly good marking on the trail, but no trail-specific marking.
Length:
Total – 8.7 kilometers/5.4 miles
Convenient to: Freiburg, or Breisach, Germany
Marking: None specific to the trail, but all hiking trails in the area are marked with the generic yellow diamond on a white background trail signs.
Continue reading Trail in a Nutshell: Rheinauen und Weinbergweg
Warm Winter Wandering
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, a trail’s face changes with the seasons. While this is undoubtedly true for the Ihringer Winzerrunde West trail, even as I hiked it in early February, it seemed more a trail of the Spring, and for good reason: the Kaiserstuhl is consistently one of the warmest, if not the warmest area in Germany.
To be honest, I was not looking forward to seeing the trail’s winter face for a couple of reasons. First, the Ihringer Winzerrunde West trail has several inclines, as it passes through vineyards, which in addition to being sited on elevations formed by ancient lava flows, also has an extensive system of terraces throughout the area.
Wine Notes: Baden’s Kaiserstuhl
What I Learned
The Kaiserstuhl is a wine district within the German wine region of Baden. Baden has a large number of wine districts, and with almost 4300 hectares (over 10,500 acres), it is the largest of all nine wine districts in Baden.
This district is one of the warmest sites in Germany, with some of the highest average temperatures and the highest average hours of sunshine per year. In this district, the vines are planted mostly in terraces, mostly on south facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl, maximizing exposure to the sun in this already sun-drenched (relatively speaking) district. Another interesting aspect of this district is its base. It is volcanic, as this whole area was once one giant volcano. A layer of loess lies on top of the remnants of the old volcanic lava, which seems to retain heat to an amazing degree. The cuts in the terraces reveal incredible depths of the light-colored loess layer.
Winzerrundweg West: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Winzerrundweg West
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; well maintained and almost exclusively paved, marking on the trail good, but not foolproof
Length: 9 kilometers / 5.6 miles
Convenient to: Breisach or Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Marking: Red rectangular signs with the trail name in white letters (See the featured photo above)
Gallery September 2015
Heart (and Soul) of Old Breisach
Commemorating Grapes, Water, Men and Wine
A Kaiserstuhl Winery, Bickensohl
Through the Heart of the Kaiserstuhl
Market Day, Endingen
Town Pride, Endingen
Alsatian Shutters
Picturesque Corner, Eguisheim
Stork and its Nest
Castles outside Eguisheim
Vineyards outside Eguisheim
Quiet Alley, Eguisheim
Riding in the Emperor’s Seat
The Kaiserstuhl (Emperor’s Seat or Chair), rises in dramatic isolation from the flatlands of the valley of the Rhine. This vine-covered promontory allegedly got its name from the actions there of an early Holy Roman Emperor. Its majestic appearance alone is reason enough for the name, in my opinion.
The Kaiserstuhl promontory overlooks former imperial holdings north, south, east and west. It contains two wine districts in the German wine region of Baden, the Tuniberg and the eponymous Kaiserstuhl, and it abuts two others. Additionally, in the distance, on the other side of the Rhine, lie the vineyards of Alsace, France. Wine is definitely king in this southwest corner of Germany!
Wine Notes: Baden’s Kaiserstuhl
What I Learned
The Kaiserstuhl is a wine district within the German wine region of Baden. With almost 4300 hectares (over 10,500 acres), it is the largest of all nine wine districts in Baden.