B2 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018

FRANKEN TOURISMUS/FWL/WURZBURG/HUB

View of Marienberg Fortress from the bridge. A Road Trip Europe Through ’s Packages starting at $1199 Franconian Wine Country

Continued from B1 on Hauptmarkt in the old quarter. Today the square is filled with ven- nia, folks head to the wine cellar. It dors selling farm-fresh produce. I catch only seems fitting then, to be sitting in the faint scent of gingerbread in the the cellars of a beautiful castle drink- breeze. That’s because Wicklein Leb- ing Silvaner. The Staatlicher Hoffkeller kuchen, one of Nuremberg’s most fa- Würzburg has been making wine since mous gingerbread makers, is just steps 1128, making it one of the oldest winer- away. ies in the world. With a wine heritage Nuremberg was once an important like that, you can bet they know what stop along the Spice Route, and spices they’re doing. like cinnamon and ginger were an im- portant ingredient in local foods. Wick- Road Trip in lein Lebkuchen offers a gingerbread One of the best ways to explore Fran- workshop, where you can make and conian Wine Country is by car. Our decorate your own Elisenlebkuchen (a road trip had started off with a stop large gingerbread cookie), while learn- in Volkach, a village of 9,000 sur- ing from an expert. rounded by vineyards. Generations Hawaii of winemakers still make their home Old Town Nuremberg here. The Max Müller Winery is one Though Nuremberg is large (500,000 Packages starting at $999 example. While their tasting room is residents), it’s best to explore its his- contemporary, their classical wines toric inner core by foot. Much of the combine time-honored traditions with city was destroyed during World War Save up to $500 your travel packages modern winemaking. Wines are stored II, but its medieval core has been rebuilt in the historical cellars below in the original style. the house. We stop for traditional Nuremberg 866-632-3901 Some 7,000 winemaking families bratwurst, thin grilled sausag- Promocode LG1174 farm vineyards in Franconia es which are a specialty of today. Most have small Nuremberg, at the Ar- plots of land, some on tisan Courtyard, an Special rates are subject to availability steep gradients. Though artisan village near labor intensive, this the City Gate. Then steep land produces we make our way high-quality wine. to the shopping

Though small wine- quarter, one of the TOURISMUS/FWL/HU FRANKEN makers can struggle biggest pedestrian with distribution, in shopping areas in the nearby town of Som- Europe. merach, they have an excel- Eventually, we hike lent solution. Founded in up the hill to the Impe- 1901, Winzer Sommerach Biking through Franconian rial Castle. During the is a winemaking co-op Wine Country. Middle Ages, the castle that allows winemakers to create and was an important part of the Holy Ro- distribute their wine. Sommerach has man Empire. It housed the Empire’s Emilia a modern tasting room and outdoor head of state. A detailed exhibition patio seating where you can enjoy your called “Emperor-Empire-City” shows wine in the summer air. how the Holy Roman Empire worked.

Next Stop: Bayreuth An Obligation to the Past Romagna Franconia is also rich with culture. Nuremberg has a complex and difficult In the small wine-making town of history. Beginning in 1927, the National Bayreuth, that heritage is on grand Socialists used it for their party rallies. display. Bayreuth was the home of When Hitler seized power, he built large 19th-century German composer Nazi parade grounds in Nuremberg. Richard Wagner. Wagner was drawn That is why the city was bombed to Bayreuth for its musical prominence without mercy in January 1945. At and established the Festspielhaus, an the end of the war, Nazi war criminals opera house where he showcased his were tried here before the International work. Military Tribunal. The Bayreuth Festival is a music fes- Today, you can visit the courtroom tival held annually, presenting perfor- where the Nuremberg Trials took place. mances of Wagner’s operas. Wagner’s Still a working courtroom, the building home is open to visitors interested in also houses the Memorium Nuremberg learning more about the life of the Trials museum. composer. The “Fascination and Terror” ex- But while many come to Bayreuth hibit at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds for Wagner, I’m most excited to see does not whitewash the past. Nurem- the Margravial Opera House. Built in berg has made a commitment to pro- IS THE REASON 1746–1750 by Princess Wilhelmine for moting peace and calls itself a “City her daughter’s marriage, it has been of Peace and Human Rights.” Every called the most beautiful baroque the- other year, it awards the Nuremberg YOU GO TO ITALY ater in Europe. International Human Rights Award Named a UNESCO World Cultural to someone globally working for hu- Heritage Site, the Margravial Opera man rights. CULTURE • FOOD & WINE • CARS • WELLNESS House has been beautifully preserved. In 2012, work began to carefully restore Franconian Wine Country Emilia Romagna is a region in northern Italy, extending from the opera house. Some 93,000 hours You could spend weeks exploring this the Apennine mountains to the Po river in the north. of work later, the Margravial Opera unique wine region in , but I’ve Its rich culture has constructed much of what Italy is loved for House reopened in 2018. seen a lot during my week here. As I —refined cities, cars, rich gastronomy, and wellness. I’m lucky enough to get tickets for an head out of town the next morning, Find out what you missed the last time you went to Italy: opera. With so many intricate wood I pass lush green vineyards, ripe for carvings and artistic creations in the harvest. theater, it’s hard to know where to Four bottles of Franconian wine look. While the opera on stage is very lie carefully wrapped in my suitcase. good, my eyes keep going back to the Someday, I’ll pull them out at home to theater itself. It’s not every day that you enjoy, a perfect reminder of my time in can sit for a few hours, surrounded by Franconian wine country. such a beautiful creation. Janna Graber has covered travel Nuremberg Past and Present in more than 45 countries. She is Nuremberg is Franconia’s best-known the editor of three travel antholo- VISIT EMILIAROMAGNATURISMO.COM city, and it’s my last stop. Nuremberg’s gies, including “A Pink Suitcase: 22 Christmas market is world-renowned. Tales of Women’s Travel,” and is the Each year, travelers from around the managing editor of Go World Travel world flock to the Christkindlesmarkt Magazine.