From castles and palaces to ancient taverns and half-timbered houses, SouthWest Germany matches anywhere in Europe for heritage. But Germany’s sunniest region is no museum: everyone is welcome to join in the festivals and traditions that date back centuries and are still part of everyday life in cities, towns and villages. Dance in the street; bake a Black Forest gateau; see how the world’s best-loved teddy bear is made; taste award-winning local wines. You can even drive your car round a world-famous motor racing circuit!

5 HISTORIC TRADITIONS in SouthWest Germany

History is all about people and every community in SouthWest Germany has age-old traditions. But, these are not staged for tourists: these have been handed down from generation to generation and are part of everyday life. Best of all, they are great fun!

The Black Forest: Bollenhut hat

With its eleven bright red pompoms, the traditional Bollenhut hat symbolizes the Black Forest. But these hats are much more than a fashion of long ago. The red pompoms signify that a woman is single; black pompoms indicate that the wearer is married. In fact, the Bollenhut hat is special to just three Black Forest communities (Gutach, Hornberg-Reichenbach and Wolfach-Kirnbach), where they are worn with pride for weddings and festivals.

www.blackforest-tourism.com

Fasnacht

Fasnacht is the equivalent of ‘carnival’ or Mardi Gras. So, expect elaborate costumes, ghoulish masks, parades, music, a party atmosphere and a last fling of jollity before Lent begins. Wrap up warmly and enjoy the party! Rottweil, for example, is famous for staging three rip-roaring carnival parades. If you miss Fasnacht itself, you can see the masks in museums, such as the Narrenschopf in Bad Dürrheim.

www.narrenzunft-rottweil.de

www.narrenschopf.de

Tübingen: Stocherkahn Fest

This handsome University City straddles the River Neckar, where students go punting in a Stocherkahn, a long flat boat, propelled only with a pole (as in Oxford or Cambridge). Each year, thousands line the banks and bridges to watch dozens of boats race over 1.5 miles/2.5km. It is a wild and crazy competition, with teams allowed to use fair means and foul to prevent rivals from winning! The first over the line receives a barrel of beer; the losers have to drink a glass of cod liver oil.

45 minutes south of Stuttgart.

http://tuebingen-info.de/index.php?id=727&Fsize=0

Heidelberg: Romantic memories

Heidelberg is rated as one of the world’s most romantic cities for its ruined castle and its picturesque old town, where the Heiliggeistkirche, the Church of the Holy Spirit, is on the Marktplatz. With its serenity and soaring arches, this is the city’s best-loved church. It was built in the 14^th century by Ruprecht III, King of Germany, who is buried here, along with his wife. On wedding days, couples often leave flowers on their grave, but visitors, too, are inspired to make similar romantic gestures.

www.heidelberg-marketing.com

Ulm: Nabada

Ever since 1397, July in the city of Ulm brought a solemn ceremony, where the mayor swears to uphold the town’s constitution. Then the fun begins! A procession of boats and barges makes its way down a 5-mile/7-km stretch of the River Danube. Some are proper vessels, others home-made and silly; live music provides accompaniment. It’s an excuse to mock the politicians … and the day ends with free concerts throughout the city.

An hour southeast of Stuttgart.

5 TRADITIONAL WAYS TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST in SouthWest Germany!

Sunny SouthWest Germany boasts 2,000 years of wine making and beer brewing. Enjoy a village wine festival; chat to award-winning wine makers; join beer fans at Stuttgart’s annual Cannstatter Volksfest in September 25 – October 11, 2015, Germany’s second-largest and most authentic beer festival.

http://cannstatter-volksfest.de/en/volksfest/

Wine: A tradition since Roman times

SouthWest Germany has two major wine-making regions; both offer lovely countryside and wines worth discovering. The Baden vineyards lie on the eastern bank of the River Rhine. Follow the 100-mile-long (160-km) Baden Wine Road from Baden-Baden to Weil am Rhein. Württemberg, to the north and south of Stuttgart, is the only German region where red wine is the speciality. Drive all or part of the 318-mile-long (511 km) Württemberg Wine Road from Weikersheim to Heilbronn, Stuttgart and Metzingen. Throughout SouthWest Germany, try award-winning wines: Tauberfranken Müller-Thurgau, Lake Constance Pinot Noir, Hohenlohe Trollinger and Rems Riesling.

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

Beer: Taste sensations

For variety and quality, SouthWest Germany is a beer lover’s paradise. From thirst-quenching Pils to refreshing wheat beer and strong export beer, some 1,000 different beers are brewed in the region. Countless small, family-owned breweries still use centuries-old traditional methods. Check out “Brauer mit Leib und Seele”, an association of 10 family-owned and run breweries; visit Ehingen, the Beer Culture City, whose 8,000 residents can choose from four breweries, brewing 43 different beers.

www.die-brauer-mit-leib-und-seele.de

www.bierkulturstadt.info/,Len/Beer+Culture+City/News.html

www.tourism-bw.com/Wine-Dine/Beer

Schnapps and liqueurs: Sunshine in a glass

With its sunny climate, orchard fruits and berries, SouthWest Germany has a long tradition of distilling. A glass of Schnapps, like a fruit brandy, is usually offered at the end of a meal, to aid digestion. Favourites include Williamsbirne (pear) and Kirsch (cherry). In the Black Forest alone, there are some 14,000 approved distilleries, including Schladerer, founded in 1844, and now run by the 6^th generation of the family. Take a tour; taste their classic Black Forest Kirsch, Raspberry Brandy and Williams Pear Schnapps.

In Staufen, 30 min south of Freiburg.

http://www.schladerer.de/en/home.html?L=174

Drink like a local: Traditional wine taverns

Nowhere is more typical than a Besen, a small family-run tavern/restaurant. For centuries, a broom (Besen in German) was hung outside a house to show that it was open for business. In some areas, this wine tavern is called a Strausswirtschaft. These specially licensed pop-up taverns are only allowed to serve their own wine and food, have no more than 40 seats and are open just 100 days or so a year. Where are they? Which are the best? Ask a local!

www.tourism-bw.com/Wine-Dine

Grafenhausen-Rothaus: Baden State Brewery

There are brewery tours everywhere. One of the most fascinating is in Grafenhausen-Rothaus in the Black Forest. In the past 200 years, what was a small monastery brewery has grown into the Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus. The German Beer Purity Law of 1516 dictates that beer is made with water, malt, hops and yeast. And nothing else. Go behind the scenes on a 90-minute brewery tour that includes an entertaining multimedia show and ends with one of Germany’s favourite brews, Tannenzäpfle. Two hours southwest of Stuttgart.

www.rothaus.de/en

Photo: Kaisterstuhl, Shutterstock