Wherever you go in SouthWest Germany, the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, you are never far from a grand palace, a romantic castle, half-timbered houses – and something good to eat and drink. Stop in a café for coffee and cake; linger in a beer garden over a locally-brewed pint; taste wines at a traditional wine festival; sample schnapps and world-class gin in the Black Forest. Order traditional dishes in a Weinstube (tavern) and gourmet meals in Germany’s most Michelin-star studded region.

Here are 10 ways to combine glorious attractions with great food and drink in 2018.

EAT OUT AND REACH FOR THE STARS

Of Germany’s 300 Michelin-starred restaurants, a quarter (74) are in SouthWest Germany. The greatest concentration is in Baiersbronn, a Black Forest community, where three classy restaurants hold an astonishing total of eight Michelin stars. Then, there is Chef Marco Akuzun’s top air at Stuttgart Airport: every dish is a work of art and every mouthful is delicious in the world’s only Michelin-starred airport restaurant. Also unique is Ammolite, The Lighthouse Restaurant at Europa-Park (voted the world’s best theme park). Here, Chef Peter Hagen-Wiest has held two Michelin stars since 2014, a first for a theme park anywhere in the world.

www.baiersbronn.de

www.restaurant-top-air.de

www.ammolite-restaurant.de

CLEAN, GREEN AND LOCAVORE

The Swabian Alb’s unspoiled green hills are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. And in 2017, the region’s limestone caves were also recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, thanks to archaeological finds, such as the 40,000-year-old Lion Man, arguably the world’s earliest figurative sculpture (biosphaerengebiet-alb.de). In this away-from-it-all area, buy home-made cakes, chocolates and soaps in the Lagerhaus an der Lauter, in the village of Gomadingen-Dapfen. At Hofgut Hopfenburg, go glamping in a caravan, circus or shepherd’s wagon. And, munch a freshly-baked, authentic pretzel (Brezel) at the Uracher Brezelbäck Café in Bad Urach, where they were invented 500 years ago.

www.lagerhaus-lauter.de

www.hofgut-hopfenburg.de

POSH PALACES AND COMFORT FOOD

SouthWest Germany boasts some of Europe’s outstanding examples of grand architecture. Ludwigsburg’s 300-year-old palace is a fine Baroque building; Hohenzollern Castle may be 19th-century, but it’s easy to imagine Rapunzel on the ramparts. Best Renaissance palace? That’s Weikersheim, with its exquisite Baroque garden. As for monasteries, the best-preserved medieval complex in northern Europe is Maulbronn Abbey. Locals, however, know it as the birthplace of Maultaschen, SouthWest Germany’s comfort food. Back in the 17th century, Brother Jakob circumvented the Lenten ban on eating meat by “hiding” minced meat in ravioli-like pasta pockets. Maultaschen have been popular ever since.

www.schloss-ludwigsburg.de/en/

www.burg-hohenzollern.com

www.schloss-weikersheim.de/en/

www.kloster-maulbronn.de/en/

DISTILLING THE ESSENCE OF THE BLACK FOREST

The Black Forest offers much more than cuckoo clocks and hiking trails. Half of Germany’s distilleries are here, transforming the abundant plums, raspberries, pears and cherries into traditional Schnapps (fruit brandies). With 900 small, private stills, Oberkirch is Europe’s distilling capital, with a fun Schnapps Walking Trail. What is NEW is gin. Century-old skills now produce the world’s first truffled gin. Delicately flavoured with truffles from the forest, Boar Gin is winning gold medals around the world, while Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Sloe Gin is made with local wild fruit.

www.renchtal-tourismus.de

www.boargin.de

MANNHEIM, A CITY OF SURPRISES

With 170 nationalities, SouthWest Germany’s most diverse city is Mannheim, with ethnic restaurants galore. But there are also five exciting Michelin-starred restaurants. Leading the way is Opus V, with two stars, serving modern, imaginative, Asian-influenced dishes. The newest spot is Le Corange (one star), a superlative fish restaurant. As for the Fontanella Café, that is where Dario Fontanella created ice cream that looks like … spaghetti. And the strawberry and chocolate topping looks like tomato sauce! Special to the city is Mannheimer Dreck, a gingerbread-like spice cake with almonds, cloves and more.

www.mannheim.de/en/discovering-tourism

GREAT WINES, GREAT FESTIVALS

SouthWest Germany has two major wine regions. Baden has Germany’s most southerly and warmest vineyards. Stretching from Heidelberg to the Swiss border, between the Black Forest and the Rhine, they produce award-winning Alsace-like wines. The Württemberg wine region’s vineyards are small and on steep slopes along the Neckar River and its tributaries. They grow mostly red varieties, like Trollinger, a local, easy-drinking favourite. Learn more by talking and tasting at the ‘wine villages’, the annual wine fairs. Early July brings the Freiburg Wine Festival, held on the cathedral square; September sees the 11-day Heilbronner Weindorf. In mid-October, the tradition in Fellbach’s festival is serving wine in Viertele, 8-ounce (25 centilitre) glasses.

www.tourism-bw.com/Wine-Dine/Great-Wine2

THE STUTTGART BEER FESTIVAL – 200 YEARS OLD

Celebrating 200 years in 2018, the Cannstatter Volksfest, the Stuttgart Beer Festival, is the world’s second biggest beer festival (September 28 to October 14). This 17-day-long event kicks off with the traditional keg tapping: the mayor draws the first beer from a barrel of specially-brewed Festbier (festival beer). On the Canstatter Wasen, meadows on the edge of Stuttgart, are seven vast tents where thousands come for beer, crispy pork knuckles, whole roast chickens and live music. But this is also Europe's biggest funfair, with roller coasters and big wheels, an old-fashioned carousel and tons of family fun.

www.cannstatter-volksfest.de

HISTORIC CASTLE, HISTORIC BREWERY

The seat of the powerful Hohenzollern family for nearly 500 years, Sigmaringen Castle, overlooking the Danube, is known for its antique furniture and medieval weapons. In 1849, one Friedrich Müller leased the royal brewery here; then, he changed his name to Frederick Miller, sailed to the USA and founded the Miller Brewing Co. in Milwaukee, which became a giant of American brewing. Across the river, the 173-year-old Brauerei Zoller-Hof pays tribute to Miller with their “Old Fred” amber lager. Run by the 6th generation, this family brewery uses regionally-grown ingredients, including SouthWest Germany’s world-famous Tettnang hops. To produce fuller flavours, they mature their award-winning lagers for six weeks, much longer than usual. Learn more on a brewery tour.

http://schloss-sigmaringen.de

www.zoller-hof.de/en/

OOOH! CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate making is an art form in SouthWest Germany. Start with the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, the real Black Forest Cake, best eaten in the Black Forest: dark chocolate, fresh cream, sour cherries and lots of Kirschwasser (cherry brandy). Try it at Café Schmidt in Freiburg. Familiar around the world is Ritter chocolate, the familiar square, fit-in-your-pocket bar created back in 1912. Watch the process in the Waldenbuch factory: taste and buy a wide range of flavours. Then, see the company’s art gallery next door, where all the artwork is … square. Heidelberg’s ruined castle has long inspired romantics – and university students, who first wooed young ladies with Student´s Kisses (Studentenkuesse) 150 years ago. These praline-nougat chocolates are still hand-made at Café Knösel.

www.cafeschmidt.de

www.ritter-sport.de/en_US/Visiting/

www.studentenkuss.com

THE TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

Nowhere is more Christmassy than SouthWest Germany, where half-timbered houses are a backdrop for Christmas markets with beautifully decorated stalls piled high with hand-made tree decorations and special gifts. There are choirs, brass ensembles, carols – and delicious smells and tastes, such as sizzling sausages and Gluehwein, hot spiced mulled wine (buy the mug as a souvenir). Look for specialities of the region, made only at Christmas. Springerle biscuits are quite hard, with patterns pressed into the dough using wooden moulds. Hutzelbrot is a rich fruit bread; think dried fruits, almonds, walnuts, orange peel and schnapps. As for Dambedei, these look like gingerbread men, but are made of a chewy, sweet, soft, dough. Delicious!

http://www.tourism-bw.com/Christmas-Markets

Photo: © Christine Garcia Urbina