You are not a fan of the medieval times? It is too dark for you? Then let us travel along the time of the industrialization and the clock industry. You are wondering how this is possible? All this and more can be found in the interesting joined community that lays at the edge of the black forest. A medieval, proud Zähringer – city and at the same time a modern center in the Black Forest region with lots of industrial history. Have we peeked your interest? This place is located only about one hour away from Stuttgart, heading south on the A81 towards Singen; it is about a 67-mile drive. It’s also a great starting point for a weekend trip into the Black Forest.
That is Villingen-Schwenningen, a city, that gives you the sensation of traveling back in time.
Villingen-Schwenningen has not been a joined community for long. In 1972, the badish Villingen and the württembergish Schwenningen decided to join up. The end of the story was the “Baden-Württemberg city” with two exiting city centers, two very different histories, but one common future. When you decide to stop by for a visit, you will notice that even though it is one city, the suburbs are geographically separated. Both city centers are separated about 5 kilometers from each other. In the midst of that is the central area where, among other things, the common hospital campus is located and several other companies making sure the two cities are slowly merging together.
Schwenningen – a city of nature and clock manufacturing
Schwenningen is best known for its former clock manufacturing. The traces of that industry can be still found all over the city, even the German clock road was founded right there and begins there. The clock industrial museum takes you back to when the former "Württembergish clock factory Bürk sons" was still a running plant. Become a factory worker and experience what it was like to work inside a clock factory during the times of the industrialization. The one of a kind nature reserve Schwenninger Moos was founded in 1939 and is a 4,000-year-old bog that is a sight worth seeing during any season. Today a 3.5 kilometer walkway leads you through the bog and gives many exciting glimpses into this one of a kind scenery. This is also the place that springs the river Neckar. This was also the area that hosted the 2010 state garden show. Today, the park is a popular location to relax and invites with its beautiful flowers and a huge playground for kids.
Villingen – the 1,000-year-old Zähringer city:
The almost entirely preserved historic city center of Villingen takes you right back into the medieval history of the city. Surrounded by thick city walls and large guard towers, the Villingen Cathedral thrones in the midst of the many roofs of the city. Back in the 19th century, the deconstruction of part of the city was started to tear down the city walls. The three remaining gates to the city are today known as landmarks of the city. And those gates take you back to the old times by just looking at them. Sadly, the fourth gate was not saved from being torn down; the rubble was used to build the city hall and jail in the city. Luckily the rest of the city wasn’t torn down, or Villingen would have lost its status of being the historic Zähringer city within the Black Forest.
In the pedestrian area of the four main streets, modern shops, cafes and restaurants are inviting to customers. Medieval houses, some of them big and looming over the others, or colorful and just wide enough to fit a tiny flower shop invite people to window shop and walk through. There is much to be discovered in the tight alleys and corner nooks… cute boutiques, little fountains and magical little corners.
The massive cathedral “our beloved lady” is the center of the city Villingen, its fountain sitting next to the massive church tells the tale of the city. The market place in front of the church hosts the weekly market and, of course, the Christmas market during the holidays. All that makes the old town a one of a kind location full of history and old tales.
Since Earl Berthold von Zähringen received the mint, custom and market rights of Villingen in 999, the city developed into an important center throughout time. The little city stood its ground against all of the sieges and was spared from wars and fires. That special faith is granted by the “Nägelinskreuz,” at least that is what the citizens will tell you. Legend says that the city will be spared from fire and war as long as the cross is safely stored within the city, and that it is…within the cathedral.
A stroll along the almost completely intact town walls leads you around the back of the city where you can admire the old Romäus tower, named after the hero Romäus of Villingen who lived in the 15th century and committed many brave acts. A mural of him adores the tower; further down you will discover a few additional towers like the black powder towers and the emperor’s tower.
Villingen has been catholic for ages and many devout people have lived here since the city was home to a few monasteries. The Ursulinen monastery, which is attached to the Bicken gate, was one of them and is used as a school today. None of the monasteries are still used as such. Today, in the Franciscan cultural center, a former monastery, you can find the tourist info, a large concert hall and the Franciscan museum. You can also learn lots of information about the Black Forest in the so-called Black Forest collection and even houses a treasure. The royal Celtic grave was discovered in Villingen and exhumed. The former gravesite can be visited on a stroll around the Magdalenian mountain; just leave the city and follow the trail marked by the Celtic bird. The trail will also take you over the Huben hole, a little hill next to the city center that is home to a little park. Even though it’s not a large hill, this place features some very unique attractions, like Europe’s highest rose garden and a tower that offers a spectacular view of the surrounding areas. The Celtic bird on the sign then leads you to a housing area in Villingen, located in front of the Warenhill. Behind that you will find the famed Magdalenian Mountain with all its history. The best way to finish off the day is to stop at one of the many guest houses and cafes to indulge in some of the local specialties.
Hint: the Alemannian carnival is a must-see spectacle. It is part of the UNESCO world heritage collection. The carnival has been an important part of the political and cultural town history. Carnival is a custom that has its days of celebration dictated by the church calendar. Before the start of the Easter fasting time, Ash Wednesday was a day of large celebrations. Hundreds of people still flock the streets wearing their traditional Alemannian costumes and celebrate during large carnival parades in the inner cities.
This beautiful city has much to discover. We also offer guided tours in English, contact us to schedule ahead.
We are looking forward to your visit!
Pictures by Wirtschaft und Tourismus Villingen-Schwenningen GmbH
More information here: https://www.wt-vs.de/en/tourism.html
Flyers to Download: https://www.wt-vs.de/en/tourism/service-and-contact/prospektdownload.html
City Information and to book guided tours:
Tourist-Info und Ticket Service Villingen-Schwenningen
Franziskaner Kulturzentrum Villingen
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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phone: 07721 82-2340

Category: Traveling

21. Jan 2020

Tags: check Tips Culture sightseeing experience travel Community

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The CMT has been, for the last 50 years the place to be when it comes to vacation trends, holiday planning, camping, leisure, traveling and trips. Located at the Stuttgart Messe this convention has grown to be the largest of its kind in the world. You may wonder why a vacation fair is hosted in January, when no one is really thinking about vacation. Well, research has shown that most large vacations are booked in January. With over 2000 exhibitors from over 100 different countries and 360 separate regions you really can’t ask for a bigger selection. The Fair is visited by about 240.000 people annually, many of them head out there, specially to check out the new lines of recreational vehicles. This year they will be hosting about 1000 of them.
But there is more! The fair also covers leisure trips, hobbies and everything you might need for them. Golfers can cheer, there is several exhibitioners showing off their goods. All in all, the fair will make for a great tool to plan your time here in Europe, be sure to take advantage of it. You should check out the fair schedule for sure to check out some of the other great event the fair has to offer. Hopefully this gives you some great ideas to make your Europe tour even better, save travels and have fun!
For more information, check out their website here:
https://www.messe-stuttgart.de/cmt/en/
 

Category: Traveling

12. Jan 2020

Tags: check Tips Stuttgart travel Community Event

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Gluehwein, or mulled wine, is served in a novelty mug and enjoyed while hot. Usually the most crowded stands at any Christmas market are the mulled wine stands. Each town has their own unique mug design and the mugs are often taken home as a souvenir. If you don’t want to keep your mug, you can always return them and get your deposit back.  The mulled wine is often pimped with hard liquor like Amaretto or rum. The pimped mulled wine is called punch. Most wine booths do offer a nonalcoholic version for kids or designated drivers, so no worries, you don’t have to miss out on the hot goodness.
Spiced wines have been popular for centuries in central Europe. Even the ancient Greeks loved their spiced wine. From what we know today, the old Romans where the first to spice up their wines with expensive spices like cloves to preserve them and to cover up the often-sour taste of the wine. The first mention of a spiced wine is from an old Roman cook book from Apicius. It describes how they refined wines with cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves 2,000 years ago. Spices were extremely hard to come by and outrageously priced during Roman times, so the pleasure of drinking spiced wine was exclusive to the upper classes.
During the Middle Ages, spiced wines were popular, also. The people drank them cold and added honey to mask the sour taste. The honey not only sweetened the wine, but extended its shelf life (plus the honey and spices with its natural benefits and antiseptic properties turned the wine into a “cure all” medicine). The spiced wines from back then where probably pretty similar to today’s Gluehwein. A recipe from 1845 described the preparation of the spiced wine very much like it is prepared today.
“You start with half a bottle of good red wine. Bring it to a quick boil with 2-3 cloves and a dash of cinnamon. Cover and boil for 2 minutes. Strain and serve in glasses”
Premade bottled mulled wines have been available for sale since the 1950’s when a winery filled sweetened spiced wine into bottles and sold them. Since adding sugar to wine was illegal back then, the company got fined. The ticket today marks the sale of the first bottled Gluehwein in Germany. Stores today start carrying mulled wine around the beginning of October, since it is very popular during the winter months and, of course, the Christmas season.
But it is not hard to make your very own mulled wine, so why not give it a try?
To make the traditional Christmas market Gluehwein you will need:
1 bottle of good red wine, a late burgundy, for example
1 sliced orange with peel (best to use organic fruit)
2 sticks of Ceylon cinnamon bark
3 cloves
2-3 Tbsp. of honey or sugar
if desired, a couple of cardamom capsules
optional, one vanilla bean
To make the mulled wine, add all ingredients in a large pot and heat it over medium heat. Keep a close eye on the pot to make sure it does not boil, otherwise you will lose the alcohol content. Once it is hot, remove your mix from the heat and let it sit for an hour. Then strain the spiced wine to remove all remnants of the spices. Reheat before serving.
Enjoy
Karin Stumph
Pictures by pixabay

Category: Community

08. Jan 2020

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He was showing off his new menu and invited me to stop by for a test dinner. So, I asked my close friend Hans-Peter, or HP, how we have all come to call him, to join me for some food and good conversation. Since HP has quite a thing for beef and delicious steaks, he was happy to tag along. We arrived Thursday evening at 7pm, after parking our cars in the parking garage right next to the restaurant…how convenient! If you don’t feel like paying for parking, the Maredo is easily reached via public transport; the S-Bahn stop Stadtmitte, or the city tram (U-Bahn) stop Rotebuehlplatz are not far from the restaurant.
The head waitress Nina was already expecting us and accompanied us to our reserved table. The restaurant was quite busy but service was still very speedy, so our drinks arrived in no time. Nina returned to the table soon after and explained to us all the different options and steaks they had on the menu. HP went for the Tomahawk Steak, cut from an Irish Black Angus beef and I decided on the prime rib – a dry-aged, on-the-bone cut of beef.
As appetizers we both choose the salad bar. The selection offered was huge, everything from tomato- mozzarella, assorted leafy salads or vegetable salads to hard-boiled eggs were available.
Soon after we finished our greens, the steaks arrived. Neither of us had ever seen a steak as large as that Tomahawk steak they set on the table! Both steaks were cooked to the point, perfect medium. They were juicy, tender and tasted great. As side dishes we had corn on the cob, mushrooms and some more salad. But of course, they offer much more like baked potatoes or fries. We almost were not able to finish our portions; it was so much food!
After we had finished the main course, Nina returned and checked if we were up for some dessert. There is always room for ice cream, and you really can’t argue with that. She urged us to try the lava cake. So, what gives… lava cake, here I come…My friend HP decided on a single scoop of walnut ice cream – since he did have the much bigger steak after all.
My verdict on the restaurant?
The food is delicious, service moves quickly and the staff is super friendly. Maredo is also very child friendly and offers a nice-sized play area for smaller kids. They also give out coloring placemats and colored pencils for entertainment. The salad bar offers an unbelievable selection of salads and dressings, and the quality of the meat is outstanding.
I would advice you to make reservations, especially on evenings and weekends. You can just call them at: 0711-221404. During the summer months, they have a nice outside seating area and AC inside the restaurant. Like I mentioned, it is easily reachable by public transport and, of course, had parking right by the establishment. We will return for sure.

Category: Restaurant review

24. Dec 2019

Tags: check Tips Stuttgart VAT experience Review Community Restaurant

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Usually held in the town square they offer traditional decorations, food and drink from open-air stalls. Some people go shopping and some only go to meet their friends and enjoy the festive atmosphere – especially at night when the lights twinkle it becomes really special.
The must-haves visiting a Weihnachtsmarkt or being in Germany during Christmas season – Glühwein (hot mulled wine) or Kinderpunsch (the non-alcoholic version), Lebkuchen (ginger bread – Nuremberg is famous for this), Stollen (a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit - Dresdner Christstollen is famous). But there is so much more to choose from – varying by region.
Some famous German Christmasmarkets are the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Berlin around the Gedächtniskirche, Dresden Striezelmarkt, Frankfurt Römerberg, Munich Christkindlmarkt, Cologne Weihnachtsmarkt am Dom and of course Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt in down town Stuttgart.
Not in Germany but also worth a visit are Vienna in Austria, Colmar in France, Prag in Czech, Basel & Zürich in Switzerland.
In the Internet you will find lots of information and also their opening times.
Kaiserslautern Area
Lautrer Weihnachtsmarkt
https://www.kaiserslautern.de/index.html.en
St Wendel Weihnachtsmarkt
https://tourismus.sankt-wendel.de/maerkte/weihnachtsmarkt/
Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt
In terms of numbers and visitors the biggest one in Germany – famous for its scenic setting.
https://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/en/
Wiesbaden Twinkling Start Christmas Market
Lots of attractions and a special program for the younger ones.
https://www.wiesbaden.de/microsite/weihnachten-en/index.php
Stuttgart Area
General information: https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en
enter Christmas Markets into the seach
Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt
In the middle of the city center – look above – the highlights are the lovingly decorated roofs. And if you want a Scandinavian twist - at the “Karlsplatz” you will find the Finnish Christmas market
https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/en/home/
Ludwigsburger Barock Weihnachtsmarkt – Baroque Christmas Market
Very special atmosphere with the surrounding arcades, stands and gates and the two baroque churches which are illuminated.
https://www.ludwigsburg.de/,Len/Home/Tourism/Baroque+Christmas+Market.html
Esslinger Mittelaltermarkt – Medieval Market
“For almost four weeks at the Medieval Market, merchants in historical garments offer their goods for sale just as they did hundreds of years ago. Craftsmen like pewterers, felt-makers, tinder-makers, blacksmiths, rope-makers, basket-makers, broom-makers or glass-blowers demonstrate their craftsmanship. Furthermore, in the streets and on various stages artists fascinate their audience with juggling, music and nonsense. All around, Esslingen´s medieval half-timbered houses create a unique and spectacular backdrop. The Middle Ages with all one´s senses, lock, stock and barrel.” Quote from their website
https://www.esslingen-marketing.de/en/the-esslingen-medieval-market-and-christmas-market
Reutinger Weihnachtsmarkt
http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-reutlingen.de
Smaller Christmas markets are everywhere – but mainly only open at the weekend or for one day
Nearly every little town as a smaller Christmas market, but they are also worth a visit and much quieter to enjoy.
Just some examples below:
In Stuttgart Area: Böblinger Weihnachtsmarkt, Weihnachtsmarkt Sindelfingen, Sindelfinger Wintermarkt, Weihnachtsmarkt Nagold, Weihnachtsmarkt Calw
In Kaiserslautern Area: The romantic Forest Christmas at Johannis Kreuz,Weihnachtsmarkt Pirmasens, Neustadt, Grünstadt and Speyer.
Please check dates & opening times in the Internet / Facebook. Some of them only open for a weekend, but the big ones usually open End of November right up to Christmas.
A lot of sites can be switched to English or even found on Facebook

Category: Culture

17. Dec 2019

Tags: Tips Culture sightseeing Stuttgart experience travel shopping Community

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We have the latest news and information for Americans living in Germany. Find out where you can go out, meet friends, eat well and what life is like in Germany.

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