Travel highlights and activities in the Palatinate

Selected Palatinate Castles... Signposts of History

There is also Hardenburg Castle in Bad Dürkheim, which was one of the largest and most important estates in all of Germany and so is also certainly worth a visit.

Reichsburg Trifels Castle presides over the town of Annweiler. English King Richard the Lionheart was held captive here for three weeks in 1193. You can read about this event in the exhibition in the imperial castle and you can also view the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, which were temporarily stored here.

Also worth a visit is Hambach Castle, in which the German Wine Queen is elected every year. The "Hambach Festival" held in 1832, at which over 30,000 people gathered to protest, is also considered a symbol of the democracy movement in Germany.

Some of the best-preserved structures are the Castle Ruins of Landeck, which date back to the Stauffer era. The ruins include a wide range of sights and eateries and are also the venue for a number of different events, including the oldest Medieval Castle Festival in the Palatinate region.

Speyer

The largest Roman church in Germany has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1981 and attracts visitors from all over the world with its medieval beauty.

Once a center of politics and power, Speyer now captivates visitors with its breathtaking views and impressive historical Old Town. The Via Triumphalis, Speyer's shopping promenade, is lined by hundreds of open-air seats for 'spectators'. Between the cathedral and the Old Gate, a wealth of modern street cafés, traditional wine taverns and lively bistros are bunched together like pearls on a string.

Oleanders adorn your way through the romantic alleys, palms decorate the historic squares and the beautiful promenades encourage you to linger. Speyer is clearly a place of stylish romance! Speyer's highlight recommended by the German Wine Institute is the original Roman wine, which is the oldest fluent wine in the world (can be seen at the Historical Museum Pfalz Speyer).

Pretty in pink

The almond blossom season along the German Wine Route is a much-anticipated time of year, with the canopy of delicate pink buds signalling the end of winter. Among the highlights for visitors are the almond blossom festival, special seasonal walks, almond-based wellness treatments and mouthwatering almond delicacies.

Culture and Wine Ambassadors of the Palatinate

The Palatinate Culture and Wine Ambassadors offer an interesting programme, because they know their region like the back of their hand and have a way to convey their in-depth knowledge with fun and entertainment. They can provide anecdotes and insider tips at the drop of a hat, and will always have a good bottle of wine at hand.

Discover the secrets of vinotherapy

A grapeseed exfoliation treatment to enhance the skin's receptivity, followed by a massage with cold-pressed grapeseed oil - pure pleasure for body and soul, topped off perhaps by a glass of fine wine in the evening.
Grapes for a beautiful complexion? Today parts of the grape that were once discarded - the skin and the seeds - are used in vinotherapy beauty treatments. The seeds and skin of the grape contain polyphen oils, which can protect from free radicals and prevent skin ageing.
Also in the Palatinate the delights of the grape are used in beauty treatments, for example at the spa towns of Bad Dürkheim and Bad Bergzabern.