Franconian wine country for connoisseurs and pleasure hikers

Franconian wine country - perfect for a romantic weekend

The Franconian wine country is a perfect destination for connoisseurs and slow travelers. Hiking in the Franconian wine country is fun. There are romantic wine places that are worth discovering. We got a taste for it! Franken has a lot to offer to romantics like Petar and me. Franconian wine country means lovingly maintained half-timbered architecture, its cobbled squares and winding alleys, its old city walls and narrow city gates take us away from the hectic pace of everyday life in a time when life was even quieter than today. It is almost as if we change our rhythm of life at the push of a button to slow down - and that's a good thing. Perfect for a romantic weekend for two. These tips show you a few romantic corners in the Franconian wine country southeast of Würzburg.

Franconian Wine Country: The vineyards of those of Castell

Immediately behind car exit 75 on Autobahn 3, which connects Nuremberg with Würzburg, we dive into this world. We get a foretaste of what's to come in the first place south of the motorway, in Rüdenhausen. Its municipal administration is a prime example of how much the region's half-timbered houses are valued and preserved. Every window is planted with geraniums that beautify the village architecture. Not far from the village administration, a reference to the former lords of the region appears behind the first curve.

It is a castle for those from and to Castell. The owners are known as the noble family, who married into the industrial nobility in the 19th century. She has been producing pencils in the Nuremberg region under the name Faber-Castell for more than a hundred years. Their family home is a few kilometers away in Castell, a village behind which vines wind up the mountain. We take a closer look at the vineyards, which offer views of the surroundings and the village of Castell.

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Franconian Wine Country: Through villages to Iphofen

At Birklingen we turn towards Iphofen. Birklingen is one of those villages in Franconia with a village pond, on the edge of which weeping willows dip their branches almost into the water. We watch a family of ducks cross the lake before continuing.

Iphofen is a gem of the Franconian lifestyle. A city wall surrounds the town center, which can only be reached via one of the city gates. We park our car in front of us and stroll through the cobbled streets of the city. Our way leads us past wineries, the gates of which invite you to taste the wines directly at the winery. The motif of grapevines and grapes appears again and again. Even in the decoration of the houses there are grapes, vine leaves or vines that give the cityscape something exquisite.

So excited we are looking for a restaurant for our lunch break. First, we try it in the "Golden Crown", which is in our Travel Guide Franconia * is highly recommended. But this guide must obviously also have all other guests of the restaurant, because it is occupied to the last seat. If you want to try it, you should reserve in advance. We choose one of the other restaurants in the town center and enjoy Italian food in a ristorante on the market square.

We continue our stroll through the city with a walk to the landmark of the city, the Rödelseer Tor, the oldest of the three city gates of Iphofen. With its tower covered with wooden tiles, the half-timbering and the bridge, it is a popular motif for photographers and painters alike. We turn in front on the path that leads around the city wall and can hardly see enough of the winding streets, the bridges and the Gothic towers that tower over the city.

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Franconian wine country: Sulzfeld, a model village from Franconia

Not far from Iphofen is the place Sulzfeld, which is a good stop on a romantic tour through the wine region of Mainfranken. We reach it via country roads and a detour to Marktbreit, where a bridge crosses the Main. On the other side of the river, we turn right and - accompanied by cyclists who enjoy the tour on the country road - reach the winegrowing village of Sulzfeld after a few kilometers. This place also turns out to be one of those winegrowing villages from the Middle Ages in which the tradition of wine growing can be felt. As soon as we have crossed the city gate, we see signs on which the owners announce that fruit brandies are being distilled in that courtyard and there are wines for sale behind this door. Significantly, the inn “Zum Stern” advertises a wine glass in its advertising sign.

The murmur and laughter of the guests, who apparently feel quite good, come from the windows of the inn. We watch one of them packing a box of wine bottles in his car. Obviously, visitors use the excursion to replenish their wine stocks with wine they have tasted themselves. We think it's a good idea and remember it for our next visit to Franconia. Today we take a stroll through Sulzfeld through the village before we continue to Ochsenfurt.

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Ochsenfurt in Mainfranken

The next place on our tour through Mainfranken is Ochsenfurt. We actually planned this city as the main destination of our weekend trip to the Franconian wine region. However, since we liked the small towns on the journey so well and had spent more time there than planned, we have very little time left to visit the town. Nevertheless, we get an impression of the charm that characterizes this city on the Main. We are here at the time of the fair, and the streets in the city center are full of market stalls of all kinds. There is everything from second-hand clothes to umbrellas to jams and handicrafts from the region that make the visitor's heart beat faster. We let ourselves be carried away by the turmoil of people pushing themselves through the alleys, but soon search for the quieter corners of the city, which we find along the city wall away from the hustle and bustle.

After a day full of impressions, we take a break in one of the hidden - and quiet - backyards of Ochsenfurt and enjoy a glass of local wine. We look forward to it all day - no wonder when driving through vineyards, past wineries and wine bars.

We take a good look at the side streets in the city center of Ochsenfurt. On this tour, we particularly notice the city towers, which - unlike in the places visited in Franconia so far - have no pointed towers. The builders came up with more ideas here. We find everything from round to curved tower ends - they are all beautiful.

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Only a few kilometers separate us from our day's destination, the town of Sommerhausen, an artist village in the middle of the vineyards on the north bank of the Main. If you want to do this tour, you should plan a whole day for it.

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Source: On-site research

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photo: © Copyright by Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline