Freinsheim may be a small rural town, but during my visit there’s been so much going on I have trouble keeping up.
Friday, Oct. 3 was German Unification Day (a celebration of the day East and West Germany re-united in 1989). It is a national holiday. My relatives all gathered in a terraced garden in the vineyard, in the shade around a massive stone table. Afterwards, we hiked to some Roman ruins — two of four sarcophagi discovered a few years ago in the fields, dating back to around 300 A.D.
Unification Day brunch in the wine garden on the Musikantenbuckel
Roman sarcophagi from 300-400 AD discovered in the hills outside Freinsheim
On Saturday, the Town Council Weinlese (grape harvest) took place — the grapes used to make the town wine. About 30 gathered in the vineyards to snip grapes and enjoy a wine-maker’s picnic.
A gorgeous day for a grape harvest.
Talk about a big toy — future wine-makers of Freinsheim.
A table spread with schwarzbrot and blutwurst and liverwurst, cheeses and wine schorles. Prost!
Then, on Sunday, a hike and delicious Pfalzer meal in the hills behind Bad Duerkheim. The Pfalzer Wald is the largest forest in Germany.
The Teufelstein in the Haardt Mountains.
James Fenimore Cooper hiked here and wrote about his visit, in The Heidenmauer, including the tale of the Teufelstein — Devil’s stone.
Heidenmauer in the Pfalzer Wald was built by the Celts around 500 BC
More about the Heidenmauer here.
Of course I drank Neuer Wein and ate Zwiebelkuchen!