Weikersheim castle and Garden - Rottingen Wine Village - Creglingen

Route: Frankfurt - Weikersheim castle and Garden - Rottingen Wine Village - Creglingen - Frankfurt
Duration: 9 h
Firstly we will visit the Weikersheim Palace which lies at the heart of the small town of Weikersheim. With its beautiful garden, the palace embodies the Renaissance ideal of a country estate. In 1586, Count Wolfgang of Hohenlohe took up residence in the former moated castle, and promptly ordered the construction of a new palace. With an unusual three-sided floorplan, the palace reflected the Renaissance style of the time, but foreshadowed the Baroque era that was to come. The richly decorated Rittersaal (knights' hall) is a highlight of Renaissance architecture. Dating from 1600, it is one of the best preserved halls from that era. The vast panelled ceiling, with its colourful hunting scenes, is famous. The eye-catching garden also was designed on his instructions, receiving a crowning touch - the orangery, which provides a picturesque backdrop. The most distinctive feature of the palace grounds is the many Baroque statues that populate the garden. Next we will visit to the Röttingen village where the tour leads us into the Medieval town centre, through streets with beautiful half-timbered houses, and past Brattenstein Castle, which provides a romantic backdrop for Röttingen’s annual Franconian festival. And outside the city walls, with their seven remaining well-preserved fortified towers, something quite different attracts us: a unique landscape of vineyards, gentle hills, orchards and stone structures. Also we will make a stop at the local winery where you know about local wines and you can tast some kind of wines. Next we will visit to Creglingen where on Assumption Day every year, as the afternoon is drawing to a close, something extraordinary takes place in Creglingen’s Church of Our Lord: at this time, the evening sunlight falls exactly onto the face of Mary ascending, making the famous Altar of Mary by Tilman Riemenschneider appear even more splendid. Many other attractions in Creglingen also leave a lasting impression: there’s the Lindlein tower with its fascinating history, the superbly designed Jewish Museum, the historic old town, and the countryside around the town, which, like the 'Miracle of Light' in the Christ Church, is simply magnificent. Creglingen itself was given the charter as a town in the 14th century, although the first written mention of it as a settlement came a good three centuries earlier. After we return to Frankfurt.
Price: per person