Cathedral, Speyer
Alps Wreathed with Fog
Another Spire in Speyer
Swiss Chalet
Vineyards, Malans
Speyer – House along the Speyerbach
Alps and Fall Color
Gallery November 2015
Monthly Archives: November 2015
Wandering with Wine and Cheese
Wine and Cheese, an iconic pairing. Swiss wine and cheese – not so often thought of. But that was exactly what came to mind on this hike.
Most people picture Swiss scenery as idyllic: alpine peaks, pristine villages, high meadows and green pastures. This hike offered it all, on a family-friendly trail that never ceased to amaze.
Wine Notes: Graubuenden Canton
What I Learned
The historical wine tradition in this area dates to at least 966, when the emperor gifted a vineyard in Malans to the nearby Bishop of Chur. But vines may have also been planted in earlier times.
Weinrunde Malans-Jenins: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Weinrunde Malans-Jenins or Rundweg Malans
Trail Type: Medium distance; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, and very well-marked.
Length: 10.4 km/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Chur, and Bad Ragaz, Switzerland; Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Marking: Rectangular blue and white arrows with white lettering: Weinwanderweg” (and sometimes red lettering “Rundweg Malans”) (See comment below)
Continue reading Weinrunde Malans-Jenins: Trail in a Nutshell
From the Rhine to the Wine
I loved this trail even before I rode it. The name says it all. And what could be better than an afternoon on the Rhine, with a glass of wine in hand?
The Suedliche Weinstrasse in the southern Pfalz is one of my favorite regions in Germany. It is a small area, bounded by the Rhine to the east, and the Haardt Mountains to the west, with little wine villages studding the countryside in between. Therefore, this trail covers it all for cycling families looking for the quintessential wine-themed bike ride in Germany.
Wine Notes: Suedliche Weinstrasse
What I Learned
Wine has been produced in the Pfalz since Roman times. This is especially true around Speyer. Formerly the site of a small Roman fort, as it grew, so did its wine production. As witness to this local wine production, in 1867 an intact bottle of wine was found locally in the sarcophagus of a fourth century A.D. Roman official. It was the only one of ten (!) to have withstood the ravages of time. It is now on display in the State Historical Museum in Speyer.
Vom Rhein Zum Wein: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Vom Rhein Zum Wein
Trail Type: Middle distance bicycle trail; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, and well-marked.
Length: total: 31 kilometers/19.25 miles
Convenient to: Speyer, Germany;
Marking: Profiles of Speyer cathedral and two cyclists in white, on a green rectangular background
