Now that the weather has warmed up and the sun is coming out more and more, the festivals are starting back up again and I could not be happier about that. It seems that Germany has a festival for every season and taste so it should be no surprise that they have festivals to celebrate the blooming flowers of spring (Blutenfest)!
There were two festival options close by this weekend but we went with Freinsheim which is more of a wine festival with a side of flowers. The city center was lined with wine and food vendors and for $12 you buy a card for 16 1-oz pours throughout the 12 winery stands situated around the city. Let me just say that a “1 oz” pour is more of a suggestion to some of these stands and none of us made it through our whole card. Still, you drink each one in an actual wine glass so you feel a bit more like a casual, classy tipsy than a college drunk (even if you actually are the later after all those generous “tastings” haha). Most of the wine spots also had different types of food you could order to help you get through the day alive. We also had several bottles of water in my purse, which I recommend for any festival you are going to in Germany.
The city is surrounded by the remaining pieces of 15th century wall and fortification. It’s so interesting how they have just built their world around it. You’re walking along a modern looking store and then all of a sudden it bumps up against a wall you would imagine someone with a bow and arrow should be guarding. That is the beauty of Germany though.
If you managed to escape the city center you were able to walk to some beautiful trees in bloom and if you weren’t partaking in the wine card, there were several beautiful trails to walk and hike along. If you wanted to go the opposite and cut out all exercise, you could even take a horse drawn carriage in between the little winery stands! We opted for a casual 2 mile stroll of wine drinking.
How cool does this little tavern area look? It was a bit chilly so everyone opted to sit outside in the sun though.
It was a great start to the festival season. As more and more are scheduled I would give you these tips – don’t drink too much too fast, drink a couple bottles of water throughout, make sure you have a driver plan, and make sure you eat! I also like to drop a pin where we park the car in case we get lost in a city or village and aren’t sure how to get back to the car!
Can’t wait to see what other festivals will make the lineup this year!
Xx
Kali
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