Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

DRIVE 15: The German Wine Route 167

(www.stadt-oppenheim.de), which
organ izes tours of the Oppenheimer
Kellerlabyrinth (tours Sat, Sun & public
hols), an exten sive subterranean
network of cellars and passageways.
Merianstrasse leads onto the central
Marktplatz 6 , dominated by the
17th-century Rathaus. Cross the
square to reach the Catholic church
of St. Bartholomäus, once part of a
now-vanished Franciscan monastery.
Follow Kirchstrasse to Wormserstrasse

to the Deutsches Weinbaumuseum 7
(Apr–Oct: closed Mon), with exhibits on
Germany’s wine making history. Walk
back up Wormserstrasse and turn left
into Rathofstrasse, following the street
around to the Rathofkapelle 8 , a tiny
chapel which is now a restau rant.
Beyond it, a plaque com memo rates
Oppenheim’s Jewish community on
the site of a synagogue destroyed on
“Kristallnacht” in an anti-Jew attack in
1938 in Nazi Germany. At the end of
the Rathofstrasse, turn left into
Krämer strasse, which ends at the

Gautor, a surviving gate of the town
walls, built in 1566. Exit through the
gate to return to the parking lot.
ª Leave Oppenheim along the B9/
Rheinstrasse to Guntersblum, turn
right, and continue through Alsheim
and Osthofen to Worms.

Jews of the Rhineland

Jewish culture was established in

the region in the 10th century with

settlements in Speyer, Worms, and

Mainz. The cities had a major influ-

ence on the development of

Ashkenazi Jewish culture, since it was

here in the early Middle Ages that

the Yiddish language emerged as an

offshoot of the Middle High German.

d Worms
Rhineland-Palatinate; 67547
One of Germany’s oldest cities,
Worms is closely associated with
Protestant reformer Martin Luther

and the Legend of the Nibelungen
from Germanic mythology. It boasts
a magnificent 12th-century cathedral,
the Dom St. Peter (open daily) and an
ancient Jewish cemetery, Heiliger
Sand (open daily), where the oldest
grave stone dates from 1076.
ª Follow Ludwigstrasse to the B9,
then follow signs for Speyer. At Speyer
follow signs for Zentrum along the B39.

f Speyer

Rhineland-Palatinate; 67346

The smallest of Pfalz’s three great

cathedral cities is also the most per-

fectly preser ved, with a broad main

street, Maximilianstrasse, which runs

west from the Kaiserdom (open daily).

One of the fin est surviving examples

of Romanesque architecture in

Europe, the imperial cathedral is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site.

VISITING WORMS

Parking

There is a parking lot opposite the Dom

on Andreasstrasse with limited paid

on- street parking.

Tourist Information

Am Neumarkt 14, 67547; 06241 250 45;

http://www.worms-de; Apr–Oct: open daily;

Nov–Mar: open Mon–Fri

EAT AND DRINK

OPPENHEIM

Restaurant Völker moderate

This restaurant was once home to Paul

Wallot, architect of the Reichstag in

Berlin. Excellent wines are available here.

Krämerstrasse 7, 55276; 06133 22 69;

http://www.restaurant-voelker.de; open

Wed–Sun

Restaurant im Zwo expensive

This stylish restaurant serves creative

dishes, and has an extensive wine list.

Friedrich Ebert Strasse 84, 55276; 06133

949 40; http://www.hotelzwo-oppenheim.de;

SPEYER

Ratskeller moderate

Brick-vaulted cellar-restaurant beneath

Speyer’s 18th-century town hall.

Maximilianstrasse 12, 67346; 06232 786

12; closed Sun dinner & Mon

Zum Alten Engel moderate

Cozy cellar-restaurant that is an

adherent of the Slow Food move ment.

Mühlturmstrasse 5, 67346; 06232 709

14; http://www.zumaltenengel.de; open

Mon–Sat dinner; open Sun in winter

DAY TRIP OPTIONS

The route can be broken down into

day trips for those with less time or a

special interest to pursue.

Wine country

Food and wine lovers should head to

Edenkoben 8 and stop at the restau-

rants and wineries along the route to

Freinsheim y. Oenophiles can take

the drive from Mainz o to Worms

d through some of the most

popular wine-growing villages.

Follow the driving instructions from

Edenkoben to Freinsheim, then follow

the route to Mainz. From Mainz, follow

instructions to Worms.

Castles and villages

Those interested in art and architecture

can explore fairy-tale castles and

charming half-timbered villages

along the route from Bad Bergzabern

2 to Burg Trifels 6.

Follow the driving instructions from

Bad Bergzabern to Burg Trifels.

Above Oppenheim’s Marktplatz, lined with tall buildings

Above Heiliger Sand, an ancient Jewish cemetery

in Worms

Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40