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Spring is in the air! A sure sign that nature is waking up is the arrival of pink and white almond blossoms along the German Wine Road (Deutsche Weinstrasse). From now through the end of April, these annual “Palatinate Almond Weeks” along the Weinstrasse offer a handful of villages where you can witness these beautiful trees in bloom.
The entire region joins in with festivals and culinary delicacies for the almond season. Vintners open their doors and invite guests to sample the newest vintage. Restaurants, bars and hotels also offer a multitude of specialties using almonds. So, if you are looking to take a Sunday drive and walk among the pink blossoms, this is the perfect time to kick-start your spring season.
Beautiful road trip in the Pfalz region
The story behind how these trees came to Germany is fascinating. Ancient Greeks imported the tree from Asia and North Africa, then brought it to Italy. In turn, the ancient Romans brought it northward to Germany.
Nowadays, modern travelers can just hop in their cars and take a road trip along the Weinstrasse. Start in Neustadt, which is just a quick trip from Kaiserslautern, and wind south. There, you will find multiple festivals starting from the beginning of March to early April.
We stopped first in Edenkoben to try their local wine made with almond blossom and took a walk in the vineyards. As with most of the festivals in small German villages, there were several vendors selling wine, food and crafts.
Pink Lights
As the afternoon turns to evening and daylight begins to fade, many fortresses, castles, churches and city gates along the Wine Route are lit up in pink lights (Rosa Leuchten). We decided to have a late day drive from the Edenkoben Almond Mile and ended at the Dionysius Chapel in Gleiszellen for their festival.
Almond Blossom Festival events
Scenic and delicious events await along the entire wine route throughout this season. Several event calendars are available online to help visitors make sure they don’t miss any great festivities. Two of our favorites are weekly culinary Wine Walks (available in multiple spots along the Weinstrasse) and the Almond Blossom Festival in Gimmeldingen, which generally takes place in April (the exact date is named to align with the maximal blossoming of the trees, so check online).
Pfälzer Mandelpfad
If you have several hours (or possibly the opportunity to make it a weekend trip), there is a route called the “Pfälzer Mandelpfad” that you can follow. It runs for about 50 miles, stretching between Bad Dürkheim all the way down to Bad Bergzabern, right on the French border. Almond trees have been cultivated in this area for centuries, and to date, you can find all sorts of treats made with almonds from sweets to liqueurs to pralines.
Other villages on the Wine Route
Some of the wine route’s most picturesque villages and good bets for blossom-spotting include Deidesheim, Neustadt, Maikammer, St. Martin, Kirrweiler, Edenkoben and Bad Bergzabern. There are also numerous tours during the days and evenings along the Palatinate Almond Trail. This very special hiking trail runs through the land of almond blossom across 77 kilometers.
Rosa Leuchten tours
During Rosa Leuchten, there are many different tour options available, including 4 day and 8 day tours, bike tours and walking tours. You can even plant your own almond tree! Visit Mandelblüte in der Pfalz (https://www.mandelbluete-pfalz.de/) or German Wine Route (https://www.german-wineroute.com/) for more information on events, tours and directions.
How to get there
The German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstrasse) is Germany’s oldest tourist wine route. Established in 1935, it is located in the Palatinate region of the state Rhineland-Palatinate.
Though running through several villages, Neustadt is a great starting point. It is just 50 minutes from Kaiserslautern, 1 hour from Wiesbaden and 1.5 hours from Stuttgart. Check with Deutsche Bahn for train information.
