Every Cologne resident has more than their fair share of zest for life and partying spirit – it's in their DNA. After all, Cologne is more than just a city – it is a matter of the heart, an emotion and an unfalteringly positive state of mind. At the root of this outlook are carnival, kölsch beer and, of course, Cologne Cathedral.
This UNESCO route through the west and south-west of Germany with the wine regions of the Moselle, Hessische Bergstrasse, Palatinate, Baden and Württemberg takes in a number of venerable sites of spirituality and hospitality. It journeys back to a time when industrial chimneys joined church towers as defining features of the landscape.
Route information
UNESCO World Heritage sites:
- Roman monuments, the Cathedral and Church of Our Lady in Trier
- Völklingen Ironworks
- Lorsch Abbey
- ShUM Sites Speyer, Worms and Mainz: Testimonies to Jewish Lives
- Speyer Cathedral
- Maulbronn Monastery Complex
- Le Corbusier's work in Stuttgart
Other towns and cities worth seeing:
Length: approx. 650km
Starts: Cologne
Ends: Stuttgart
Duration: 5 days
Recommended overnight stays: Trier, Heidelberg