Right: The Saar River is in the southwest part of Germany and is a tributary of the Mosel.

Left: The Rhein River is known for its wonderful vineyards lining each side as well as the wonderful cruises enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.

Above: the Nibelungen Bridge in Worms spans the Rhine River

Left: a wintry little village in northern Bavaria

Right, top and bottom: Soon after the reunification, the small village of Grafenau in eastern Germany had its first sanctioned Volksmarch.

The Zeppelintribüne, at the Nazi party rally grounds southeast of Nuernberg, held the podium where Adolph Hitler held many of his Nazi speeches from 1933-1938. This structure was part of a much larger complex that was destroyed by the U.S. military after the war.

Above and below: Schwäbisch Hall is a city in the south central part of Germany. As early as the 5th century, salt was distilled here by the Celts. The town, over the years, has been impoverished and in ruins, mainly by war and fire, each time to be rebuilt in the architectural style of the time.

A very large beer for a very thirsty woman.

Surrounding photos: Bamberg is one of the coolest towns, in my opinion, in all of Germany. It is one of the few cities not bombed during World War II, thanks to a local artillery factory that was able to keep the bombers at bay. Therefore, the old buildings give the town the true authentic Medieval appearance that it is.

The tiny Trabant, fondly called the Trabi, was built and driven in the former East Germany.

Above and Left: Another town with a Medieval appearance is Büdingen, located just about in the center of the whole country. Today it has a population of more than 20,000.

The surrounding three shots are of the Wasserburg Anholt Castle in the central-western part of Germany. It is a moated castle in the town of Isselburg. It is one of many castles in Germany that has been turned into a hotel. For guests to appreciate the fact that they are staying in a real castle, the rooms and restaurants are typically kept in the style, as much as possible, as when the castle was active. The Wasserburg castle was built in the 11th century, but was heavily destroyed in World War II.

Above and Below: The one structure that impresses me more than all others in Europe is the Köln Dom - the cathedral in Cologne. To say it took more than 600 years to build this mighty church, from 1248 until 1880, is true, but needs clarification. It sat in limbo from 1473 until work resumed in 1842, when the spires were added as had been originally planned.

The church, a Catholic church, was hit 70 times by allied bombs in World War II, but it remained standing while the city surrounding it lay in total ruin.

Another castle hotel in Germany is this one, Schnellenberg in Germany's Saurland region. It sits majestically over the town of Attendorn. It was built in the year 1200 for the purpose of safeguarding the nearby city of Cologne.

The Felsenkirche - Church of the Rock - in Idar-Oberstein, a city in central Germany known for its gemstones.

St. George's Cathedral looms over the Medieval town of Limburg, northwest of Frankfurt.

The town of Pottenstein in northern Bavaria

Hameln, or Hamelin, Germany, has been known worldwide for more than 725 years as the town of the Pied-Piper. The building above is the town's Rathaus (City Hall). During the summer months, the legend is re-enacted for tourists, and each year on June 26, the day of the disappearance of the children, a special re-enactment is performed.

A typical beer hall at Munich's Oktoberfest

Above: a small church nestled among the trees in the central part of Germany

Left: All who volksmarch recognize the IVV direction signs.

Below: Vineyards dwarf this little town on the Rhine River.