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A Little Piece of Germany, Burg Eltz 1, Wierschem (2026)

03/12/2024

Don’t forget! One of my favorite traditions to post about!
Since the Advent/Christmas season has begun and along with it comes many various traditions for families - it’s time to share again one of our family’s favorite little pieces of a Germany tradition that happens tonight🎁! For those living here and maybe still new to Germany, St. Nicholas Day is Dec. 6th! Which means he visits homes the night of Dec. 5th❤️

This is a more common tradition which is celebrated in Germany (as well as other European countries). Sankt Nikolaus (who was the Bishop of Myra, from the region now known as Turkey) was a Greek Christian bishop and was known for secretly giving gifts and also being the patron saint of sailors, little children and students.
St. Nicholas Day is recognized on Dec. 6th (the day he died in/around 343AD). On the evening of Dec. 5th, children give their shoes or boots (sometimes their stockings) a good cleaning, to show that they have been good, and leave them out because St. Nick comes for a visit that night. Many children would often only leave one boot or shoe out, so they would not appear too greedy. When the “good” children would wake, they would often find secret gifts, fruits, coins, chocolate or small toys left in their boots.
St. Nick is not to be confused with Santa Claus (or the other commonly recognized figures for Christmas - which may vary depending on the region) who visits homes on Christmas Eve. For some time, in Austria and the Bavarian region of Germany, St. Nick was actually more recognized than Santa.

Our family always celebrated St. Nicholas Day in the US as well (although not as commonly recognized) and it is one of my favorite childhood memories from this time of year.
So, if you choose to start or continue to recognize the tradition of St. Nikolaus, remember to have the kids clean their boots this evening and they may receive a couple surprises in them when they check them the next morning. ❤️🇩🇪🎁
(Pic from previous year)

17/03/2024

In the (almost) 5 years we have lived in 🇩🇪, our family has enjoyed MANY 🏰 visits; however, Burg Eltz still remains to be one of my all-time favorites!
The view never gets old….as you turn the corner on the bottom footpath or you walk down the hill, on the steeper side, from the upper parking lot - you get the breathtaking view in front of you.

We had a fun experience last night on their night hike event…with our flashlights in hand and exploring the circular hike - getting a view of the trail and castle illuminated in many different colors!

Burg Eltz will be OPEN again daily in one week- March 24th is opening day for the season! Approx 1.5 hr drive from Wiesbaden.

https://burg-eltz.de/de/startseite
❤️🇩🇪

21/01/2024

Fasching in Germany! 🇩🇪 🎉❤️
Depending on the region of Germany, you may hear this time called Fasching, Fastnacht, or Karneval. Whatever the name - it is a fun celebration and something to get out and experience - music, costumes, bands, treats thrown to the crowds.

The Fasching season actually starts on Nov. 11th (at 11:11am) every year and ends with the beginning of the Lenten season (Ash Wednesday - Feb. 14th this year). Fasching events and celebrations go all out the week before Lent and big parades are held in various cities around Germany. The first festival was in Cologne in 1234 - so this tradition goes back a long time!

Costumes are worn and you won’t stand out if you’re dressed up (similar to the US Halloween tradition, but not character-specific). The reason behind the costumes was a way to scare off the evil winter spirits - bring on spring time (especially feeling this NOW!)🥶
*For costume ideas - I recommend finding a Deiters store (the one in Wiesbaden is great!) - don’t be afraid to get colorful and fun!

At the parades, you will hear certain words shouted over and over, from the parade participants and the crowds. In Mainz and Wiesbaden, it’s “Helau!”

Specific to Wiesbaden - there is a children’s parade on Feb. 10th and a Carnival Sunday parade on Feb. 11th (check out the link for specific details):
https://www.wiesbaden.de/leben-in-wiesbaden/freizeit/feste/fastnacht/index.php

*Pictures below are from 2023. We enjoyed the Wiesbaden children’s parade and the big parade (as a family) and then went to the Rosenmontagszuges (Rose Monday procession) in Mainz (by train) without our kids. Both of the bigger parades were crowded and loud, but FUN (Mainz was more of the party atmosphere - especially by the Fastnachtsbrunnen or "Carnival Fountain", but there seemed to be some family-friendly areas for the parade as well). Our kids loved the big parade in Wiesbaden; they did get a little bored with the children’s parade🙃.

Hoping for beautiful weather to enjoy the festivities again this year! Have fun!!

05/12/2023

Since the Advent/Christmas season has begun and along with it comes many various traditions for families - it’s time to share again one of our family’s favorite little pieces of a Germany tradition that happens tonight🎁! For those living here and maybe still new to Germany, St. Nicholas Day is Dec. 6th! Which means he visits homes the night of Dec. 5th❤️

This is a more common tradition which is celebrated in Germany (as well as other European countries). Sankt Nikolaus (who was the Bishop of Myra, from the region now known as Turkey) was a Greek Christian bishop and was known for secretly giving gifts and also being the patron saint of sailors, little children and students.
St. Nicholas Day is recognized on Dec. 6th (the day he died in/around 343AD). On the evening of Dec. 5th, children give their shoes or boots (sometimes their stockings) a good cleaning, to show that they have been good, and leave them out because St. Nick comes for a visit that night. Many children would often only leave one boot or shoe out, so they would not appear too greedy. When the “good” children would wake, they would often find secret gifts, fruits, coins, chocolate or small toys left in their boots.
St. Nick is not to be confused with Santa Claus (or the other commonly recognized figures for Christmas - which may vary depending on the region) who visits homes on Christmas Eve. For some time, in Austria and the Bavarian region of Germany, St. Nick was actually more recognized than Santa.

Our family always celebrated St. Nicholas Day in the US as well (although not as commonly recognized) and it is one of my favorite childhood memories from this time of year.
So, if you choose to start or continue to recognize the tradition of St. Nikolaus, remember to have the kids clean their boots this evening and they may receive a couple surprises in them when they check them the next morning. ❤️🇩🇪🎁
(Pic from last year)

02/09/2023

Fall time means pumpkins, festivals, beautiful trees…and corn mazes!
One of many options for a Maislabyrinth (corn maze🌽) is close to Wiesbaden, by the town of Rüdesheim!

For families/kids - now open until October 2nd -
(5€ for adults and 4€ for ages 4&up):
Saturdays (1-6pm)
Sundays (11a-6pm)

A couple special EVENTS:
Wine Walks 🌽🍷 (one remaining available date -
9 Sept, 5-10pm - must purchase tickets in advance; tonight’s wine walk is sold out);
NEW added wine walk date of Oct. 7th!
Night Walks - 23 and 30 Sept at 7pm

Pictures below are specifically from the Wine Walk - fun with friends! 25€ (includes glass) - get a stamp card and head out to try and find the 5 wine stands in the field! Food/drinks available at the entrance. Some of the corn you can easily see over and some is over your head. Beautiful sunset view over the field. Enjoy fall time in Germany❤️🇩🇪

All the info you need:
http://www.ruedesheimer-maislabyrinth.de

10/08/2023

Starting tomorrow (Friday) and going on for 10 days (11-20 August) is the 46th Rheingau Wine Festival (aka “the longest wine counter in the world”) in the Wiesbaden Schlossplatz!

This is one of our favorite local events….live music, food, drinks…just a fun atmosphere! If possible, I would recommend to get there earlier (opens every day at 11am), when it is not as crowded and easier to find a table/seat. The evening time is definitely pretty crowded. Personal opinion - this fest is not the most fun for kids (our kids get bored at it), but they may enjoy the music and snacks.

Water stands available, bathroom areas will be set up around the Marktkirche, the farmer’s market will still happen on Weds and Sat (from 7a-2p)….bring cash! Pick up your souvenir wine glass at one of the following stands: 20, 26, 41, 55, 87, 99, 111 or 122.

This article includes all you need to know, especially if this is your first time navigating through it!
https://www.wiesbaden.de/microsite/rheingauer-weinwoche-en/wine-festival19.php

Pictures below from 2019 and 2022. Check it out if you’re able to! ❤️🇩🇪

26/07/2023

Summer is flying by! Our family has been able to check out and explore several little pieces of Germany this summer (some new for us and some repeat favorites).

One Sunday, we spent a couple hours walking around the town of Fulda, which is 1.5 hours northeast of Wiesbaden, and is easy to park in one place (we parked at the Cathedral) and walk around the town.

The beautiful Stadtschloss Fulda (the palace) and the Fulda Cathedral (built in 1704) are two buildings to make sure to walk by and check out. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés to choose from for a nice outdoor lunch.
Currently, you can also see the “Everyday People Exhibition” around the city center (until October 29th). You can stop by the tourist center and grab a brochure, which includes a map of where the 44 sculptures, in 12 different locations around the city center, can be found. This was fun for our kids to go on a little scavenger hunt to try and find them, as we walked around the old town area. ❤️🇩🇪

https://www.christel-lechner.de/alltagsmenschen-fulda-2023

30/06/2023

Bremen, Germany🇩🇪
This is the most northern part of Germany our family has been to so far (5-6 hours coming from Wiesbaden).

11th largest city in Germany, with some really nice (and very small & narrow) charming streets!
If you are familiar with the Brothers Grimm’s fairytale “Town Musicians of Bremen” (I still remember this story from my childhood), you will find the popular statue of Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten (the 4 animals) by the Town Hall in the Altstadt. It has been there since 1953 and make sure to touch BOTH legs of the donkey for good luck 🫏🍀😌

The Böttcherstraße is one of the more popular areas to walk through; a narrow street with little shops. We enjoyed walking along the Weser River and finding a nice shaded Biergarten to enjoy as well! Bremen is also home to Beck’s Brewery🍺(founded in 1873 by Heinrich Beck).
If you are in the area of Bremen (1.5 hours from Hamburg)…don’t just pass by, but take some time to check it out❤️🇩🇪

22/06/2023

Rothenburg ob der Tauber❤️❤️
Bird’s eye view from the Town Hall Tower.
If you can handle the heights and the walk up the steep, narrow stairs…definitely worth the view!
I just love this town every time we visit; it’s like stepping back in time🇩🇪

01/06/2023

Sharing from last year! This is happening this weekend (June 3rd and 4th) for those close to Eltville (very nice small town - 20 min or so from Wiesbaden).

Event page for details:
https://facebook.com/events/s/eltviller-rosentage/797811621778097/

29/05/2023

Medieval festival at a castle 🏰 - still going on today until 7pm (Monday)! FB link with event info in the comments.

Burg Ronneburg is a 13th century castle (just under 1-hour drive from Wiesbaden) that sits overlooking a beautiful countryside! It is referred to “a castle for living history” - great for kids! Our family went to this market this weekend and enjoyed watching the knights’ tournament, trying some food, shopping the vendors’ crafts and walking around the castle (one room inside the castle had an actual fire going for cooking soup🤤).

We were impressed with this castle (which we had never heard of before) and upon looking further at their website (check for specific details)….it looks like they offer all types of events and classes, where you can really see the times of the 12th-17th centuries come to life. There is a restaurant and beer garden, paragliding school, falconry, different markets throughout the year (Christmas and Easter market), castle revivals (cooking classes, bow-making seminars, sword fighting, etc). We plan to go back again!

https://burg-ronneburg.de/

Also…for those interested in finding medieval markets around Germany…I would suggest following the FB page “Mittelaltermärkte”
❤️🇩🇪

25/05/2023

Camping in a sleeping barrel or hut! 🏕️
For those of you in the Wiesbaden area, there is a nice (and unique!) camping area right along the Rhine River (just 25 min from Wiesbaden - located in Geisenheim, 4km before Rüdesheim).
We like to call this “glamping” - at the Rheingau 524 site, there are different options for sleeping accommodations.

Our family of 4 stayed in the larger barrel and enjoyed a 2-night stay over a weekend in May. Our weekend involved beautiful weather, biking, dining out and wine stands along the river, and even a random festival (gotta love that about Germany) just down the path from our campsite…it was fun, relaxing and cost-friendly! The barrels are quaint and cozy….honestly, one of the more comfortable beds we have slept on in all of Europe!

A few quick good-to-knows about Rheingau 524:
🏕️ Linens and pillows provided
🏕️ Bring your own towels
🏕️ Breakfast “box” available to order for the morning (we biked into Rüdesheim for breakfast)
🏕️ Friendly and helpful staff
🏕️ Vehicle can be parked right next to your barrel or hut
🏕️ Nice Pizzeria restaurant onsite
🏕️ Dogs NOT allowed
🏕️ Communal bathroom on site (very clean!) or private bathrooms available for extra cost
🏕️ For the most part, 2-night stay minimum
🏕️ Small fridge in larger barrel
🏕️ Electricity and heat available

Check out the website for all the info (can book directly thru website):
https://www.rheingau524.de/

Also, on the same property, is a camping site for RVs and tents:
https://www.rheingaucamping.de/en/home/

This was a fun weekend activity before the weather gets too hot (there are windows in the barrels, but I would guess it may get pretty warm during the hotter summer time).
❤️🇩🇪

A Little Piece of Germany