Bergstrasse Attractions

Länder: Baden-Württemberg and Hesse

The Bergstrasse, the Roman strata montana, runs alongside the rift valley of the Upper Rhine, on the western slopes of the Odenwald, from Darmstadt to Heidelberg. The region is famed for its mild climate, and in spring - which comes here earlier than in the rest of Germany - it is a sea of blossom. The influx of visitors reaches its peak in late March and early April. In addition to fruit and vegetables the region also produces figs and almonds, and exotic trees grow in the parks.

From the hilltops, crowned by old castles, there are magnificent views. The finest of the hills is Melibokus (515 m/1,690ft), near Zwingenberg. In the picturesque little town of Bensheim the Bergstrasse cuts across the Nibelungenstrasse. Not far away is Lorsch, with its Carolingian gatehouse, one of the oldest buildings in Germany. Heppenheim has a charming market square surrounded by half-timbered buildings; above the town can be seen the ruined Starkenburg (11th C.; observatory). The old town of Weinheim is dominated by the ruins of Burg Windeck (12th-13th C.); in the park belonging to the castle of the Berckheim family are rare plants and old cedars. A short distance east is Birkenau, the "village of sundials". Above the town of Schriesheim are the ruins of the Strahlenburg.