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> Germany > Rheinland-Pfalz
> Deutsche Weinstrasse > Leiningerland
(Bockenheim, Asselheim, Gruenstadt, Neuleiningen, Kleinkarlbach, Kirchheim a.
W., plus Freinsheim and Kallstadt)
Other Chapters in the Weinstrasse
section: [ Southern Wine Road ] [ Trifelsland ] [ St. Martin ] [ Landau ] [ Neustadt ] [ Bad Duerkheim ] [ Leiningerland ]
The northern section of the Deutsche Weinstrasse
is probably the most touristy section of all, because it is the closest to a
major autobahn (Autobahn 6, southern Germany's major east-west
thoroughfare). The good news is that this is a remarkably beautiful and
popular section of Rheinland-Pfalz, with
some of the largest and best known wine festivals around. The bad news is
that some of the true local flavor that one might experience in the Southern
section of the Weinstrasse is sacrificed in the process. That said,
however, the Leiningerland, as this part of the Pfalz is called, has a few
places -- Freinsheim and Neuleiningen among them -- that should be included in
any Rheinland itinerary.
The ideal time to visit most of these towns are during the main wine
festivals in early September. (On the other hand, for those of you who
don't like crowds, that may be the least desirable time to go.)
This gallery covers eight different towns and cities in the area (technically
the first two are not explicitly part of Leiningerland, but geographically they
are close enough for the purposes of this site). These towns are shown
roughly south to the northern end of the Weinstrasse at Bockenheim.
Enjoy!
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| Freinsheim -- Friensheim was one of those classic
German villages with a fully-intact city wall and old-style stone towers,
from which the modern city has built upon. This section of the city
wall has been built up into houses, but whole sections are still original. |
Along with that, I also found Freinsheim to
be one of the most colorful and lively cities around. The Rathaus,
left, was really beautiful with the red flower boxes. The wine
houses were very decorative, and with this being a rather hot Sunday
afternoon, many of them were plenty full of people. Freinsheim was
definitely a highlight of my Weinstrasse adventures. |
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| Kallstadt -- Kallstadt was a nice
little village, situated on the Wine Road between Freinsheim and Bad
Duerkheim. It was a remarkable example of a village that changed
with the formation of the Wine Road -- the wine houses on the Road, like
the ones shown above, were absolutely beautiful and there was a brilliant
wine equipment display across the street and lots of booths on the
road. Away from the Road, the village appeared very rustic and
down-to-earth... shall we say. |
Kirchheim a. d. Weinstrasse -- The
town of Kirchheim was having its own little wine festival on Sunday
morning, hence the children's plaything on the street. The street
was empty because everyone was crowded in the wine bars, like the huge
building in the background. Kirchheim's festival had a couple live
jazz bands that were serenading the thirsty public during the early
afternoon. |
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| Kleinkarlbach -- Kleinkarlbach, like
its sister town Großkarlbach, is a tiny village built in a gully under
vine-covered hills. The brilliant white houses and cheerful flower
boxes of reds pinks made this a very pleasant quick stop. It only
had a couple wine houses, but they too were packed were people.
Also, it was here that I watched as a Sunday bicycle race passed through. |
Neuleiningen -- People driving on
Autobahn 6 in Rheinland-Pfalz will probably recognize this hilltop town,
but not necessarily by name. As A6 inclines up the Pfälzer range,
there is a huge castle town on a rounded hilltop that A6 passes close
too... close enough to get the kids to press their noses against the rear
window. Neuleiningen is that town, comprising mostly of the ruined
structure of the Burg Schenck, shown up close here. I was truly
amazed that this town was not included in any of my German tour books! |
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| Asselheim and Grünstadt --
Grünstadt is where A6 intersects with the Weinstrasse, and I would
qualify it as a typical Autobahn town (or Interstate town, if you are
American). New, commercial, a place to live but not necessarily to
visit. On the other hand, Asselheim, one of Grünstadt's
neighborhoods, is really very pretty, and sits on the side of a steep hill
overlooking the pristine Rheinhessen vineyards to the north.
Asselheim also had an old, distinctive Gothic church. |
Bockenheim -- And finally, about four
miles later, the Deutche Weinstrasse reaches its end in this fabulous
little town. The Haus der Deutsche Weinstrasse is shown here,
marking the northern boundary of the Weinstrasse. It is primarily a
tourism trap and restaurant like its cousin, the Weintor in Schweigen, the
southern entrance. When I was there, the fields around the Haus were
holding a little fair at the start of a thirty-kilometer Sunday biking
tour that encompassed several of the Leiningerland towns. |
Other Chapters in the Weinstrasse
section: [ Southern Wine Road ] [ Trifelsland ] [ St. Martin ] [ Landau ] [ Neustadt ] [ Bad Duerkheim ] [ Leiningerland ]
Trip taken 15 June 2003 -- Page last
updated 01 September 2006 --
(C) 2002 Tom Galvin
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