Bottwartal Tour with Amy
I met Amy randomly on the S-Bahn one Saturday after work. Since then we've been hanging out and exploring the region together. Last Monday we walked from her home in Kleiningersheim (she lives and works in a castle, by the way) to Besigheim through the forest, and yesterday I took her on tour of the Bottwar Valley, with its "broom pubs" and fortresses. (Photo credits go to her for this post.)
We started our afternoon in Backnang, which isn't the Bottwar valley, but isn't too far away.
It's a small town with a lot of shopping and a gorgeous "old city" on a hill above the river. We strolled the cobblestone streets in our summer dresses until we found a good cafe along the river where we ordered "Eiskaffees." Sounds liked an "iced coffee," right? Wrong! It's like a root beer float with caramel ice cream and coffee instead of root beer, tons of whipped cream and a wafer waffle on top. Wonderful! We sat in the sun and chatted for a while before heading to our next destination...
... Burg Lichtenberg, above the town of Oberstenfeld. We came the back way from Backnang along the hills, on a street that opens up suddenly to a breathtaking view of the valley below, with the fortress straight ahead. We parked the car and tried going onto the fortress grounds (where the descendents of some duke are still living today), but it had been rented out for a medieval-themed wedding. When we arrived at the gate, a teenage boy dressed as a town caller asked for names while two knights in armor held their swords crossed, forbidding entry for those not on the invitation list. We took a few photos anyway, and then saw a bar wench on our way back to the car.
From there we drove down the valley and up its opposite side, to Burg Hohenbeilstein, where there's a fine restaurant, a beautiful overlook and a bird sanctuary. We arrived near the end of the day and witnessed one of the falconers trying to hoax an enormous owl back into his cage, and that bird was just not having it. Again, we snapped some shots and kept chatting.
Our final stop in the Bottwartal was the Besenwirtschaft in Kleinbottwar. A "Besenwirtschaft" translates roughly to "broom pub". They're also often called "cyclist's pubs" because many a weary bicycle traveler stops at them to order a bit of homemade sustenance and wine. I'm not sure why the broom, or "Besen" was originally included in the name. They're only open a few times in the month, and the way you know they're open is by watching when the witch's boom goes up outside their establishment. We parked the car back at my place and then walked up the hill to our Besen. We ordered a "viertele" - the Swabian term for 1/4 Liter - of rosé and some Maultaschen with potato salad. She and I sat underneath the sunset, then under the Christmas lights, until it was completely dark outside and a bit too chilly.
We started our afternoon in Backnang, which isn't the Bottwar valley, but isn't too far away.
... Burg Lichtenberg, above the town of Oberstenfeld. We came the back way from Backnang along the hills, on a street that opens up suddenly to a breathtaking view of the valley below, with the fortress straight ahead. We parked the car and tried going onto the fortress grounds (where the descendents of some duke are still living today), but it had been rented out for a medieval-themed wedding. When we arrived at the gate, a teenage boy dressed as a town caller asked for names while two knights in armor held their swords crossed, forbidding entry for those not on the invitation list. We took a few photos anyway, and then saw a bar wench on our way back to the car.
From there we drove down the valley and up its opposite side, to Burg Hohenbeilstein, where there's a fine restaurant, a beautiful overlook and a bird sanctuary. We arrived near the end of the day and witnessed one of the falconers trying to hoax an enormous owl back into his cage, and that bird was just not having it. Again, we snapped some shots and kept chatting.
Our final stop in the Bottwartal was the Besenwirtschaft in Kleinbottwar. A "Besenwirtschaft" translates roughly to "broom pub". They're also often called "cyclist's pubs" because many a weary bicycle traveler stops at them to order a bit of homemade sustenance and wine. I'm not sure why the broom, or "Besen" was originally included in the name. They're only open a few times in the month, and the way you know they're open is by watching when the witch's boom goes up outside their establishment. We parked the car back at my place and then walked up the hill to our Besen. We ordered a "viertele" - the Swabian term for 1/4 Liter - of rosé and some Maultaschen with potato salad. She and I sat underneath the sunset, then under the Christmas lights, until it was completely dark outside and a bit too chilly.
I'm practicing showing people around my new home so that I'll have a few good day trips planned for my parents' visit in October! Amy's planning a visit for her parents this summer as well. The trip reminded us how lucky we are to be living in southern Germany, making a living and being surrounded by natural beauty.
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