One day in Weikersheim: the palace, the garden and a glass of Tauber wine

Weikersheim is small enough to see in a day, and that is its charm: no rushing between sights, just a palace, a garden, a market square and the hills of vines around them. This plan fills a relaxed day and ends with dinner and a glass of local wine.

The plan at a glance

• 9:30: Coffee on the market square
• 10:00: A guided tour of the palace and the Knights’ Hall
• 11:30: The Baroque garden and the orangery
• 13:00: Lunch in the old town
• 14:30: The town church and the Tauberländer Dorfmuseum
• 16:30: A walk up into the vineyards
• 19:00: Dinner and Tauber wine

Morning: the palace

Start with a coffee on the curved market square, looking straight down to the palace gate. Then cross into the courtyard of Weikersheim Palace and join a guided tour. The highlight is the Knights’ Hall, where life-size stags, boars and other beasts burst out of the walls below a painted ceiling. Check tour times on the palace website before you go.

Late morning: the garden

After the tour, step into the palace garden. Walk past the Hercules Fountain and the statues of gods and seasons to the curved orangery at the far end, then turn around for the classic view back to the palace. Do not miss the gallery of stone dwarfs, a row of comic figures that once made fun of the count’s courtiers.

Lunch

Find a table in a Gasthof in the old town and try a local dish such as Schäufele, slow-roasted pork shoulder, or a seasonal speciality. See our guide to the food and wine of the Tauber valley.

Afternoon: the town church and the village museum

The late Gothic town church of St George stands just off the market square, with memorials to the Hohenlohe family. Nearby, the Tauberländer Dorfmuseum fills an old building with farm tools, painted furniture and wine-making equipment from the villages of the valley. Check its opening days before you go.

Late afternoon: into the vineyards

Walk up the lanes behind the town to the vineyards on the slopes, where the view takes in the roofs, the palace and the green valley of the Tauber. In summer and autumn, the evening light here is beautiful.

Evening: dinner and wine

Back in town, end the day in a wine tavern or restaurant with a glass of Tauber valley wine. If you are staying a few days, spend tomorrow in Rothenburg and stay for the night watchman’s tour.

Tips

• Many museums in Germany close on Mondays. Check before you plan your day.
• Shops close on Sundays, but restaurants and the palace usually stay open.
• Wear comfortable shoes for cobbles and gravel paths.