Tag Archives: Saxony

Saxony’s Sweets and Treats Take the Cake

Story and photos by Alison Ramsey

There’s something irresistible about German bakeries—the fresh brötchen and Berliners, croissants, and the bold espresso you can order alongside—something that makes it feel okay to stop at various locales throughout the day, even beyond just a morning coffee and pastry. It seems that a thick slice of cake and a mug of strong, steaming coffee any time of day makes a whole lot of sense when you’re in a region with such a rich baking history. Dresden, the capital of Saxony in Germany, and nearby Meissen and Leipzig have much to offer snack lovers when it comes to pastries and cakes. So pour a fresh cup, heat up a bun, and read all about the role Saxony played in the rise of gluten-filled goodness.  

The five locations of Kandler Konditerei in Leipzig are always stocked with sweet temptations.

Russisch Brot
During the late 19th century, Dresden-based master baker Wilhelm Hanke adopted the 1845 St. Petersburg, Russia, recipe for Russisch Brot (Russian bread), which are crunchy glazed cookies made from sugar, egg whites, water, and flavoring, and formed into the shapes of alphabet letters. These are sold under the Dr. Quendt label and remain a popular Christmas treat or a delicious snack to help teach reading. The letters “M” and “W” are too fragile to be stable, so Dr. Hartmut Quendt ensured bags contain mirrored 1’s that snackers can use to create their own “M” and “W” shapes. It’s clear permission to play with your food!

Stollen
Dresden is also the birthplace of the authentic stollen Christmas cake—the Dresdner Christstollen. When stollen was first baked in the 1400’s, under the supervision of the church council, the bread was not allowed to contain butter or milk during Advent, so it was a dry and bland pastry consisting of flour, yeast, oil, and water. Ernst of Saxony and his brother Albrecht appealed to the Pope and asked that the dairy ban be lifted, so they could replace the oil with butter, as butter was cheaper than oil at the time. The appeal was denied, but finally, five popes later, Pope Innocent VIII sent Dresden the famous 1491 “Butter Letter,” in which he granted permission for dairy ingredients to be used in the stollen—although the Dresden bakers must, in return, pay a fine to be used toward the building of churches.

In 1730, Augustus the Strong, a stollen lover, commissioned a group of 100 Dresden bakers to bake an almost 4,000-pound loaf, which was brought to the king’s table using eight horses. A giant oven was built especially for this occasion, and an oversized knife was designed specifically for the event. This is the basis for the annual Dresdner Stollenfest (or “Striezelmarkt”), which takes place in Dresden the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent. The festival is a highlight of the pre-Christmas season and celebrates the stollen baking tradition, featuring a colorful parade and the sale of varieties of stollen.

A huge stollen is still made annually and divided into smaller pieces on a specially shaped stollen cutting board—using a 26-pound replica of the original baroque knife from the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) Court Silver Collection of Augustus the Strong—with cake portions sold to raise money for charity. The Stollenfest knife design features a swooping stainless-steel blade and Augustus the Strong’s coat of arms and rose tendril.

Left: A Dresden bakery displays its stollen seal. Right: This life-sized figure of Augustus the Strong is displayed in the Dresden Residenzschloss.

Stollen has its own protected name and registered trademark, and the recipe needs to follow certain guidelines to earn the golden, oval “stollen seal.” The cake only passes the test for high quality and validity if it contains no margarine and no artificial flavors or preservatives. The Dresdner Stollen Association requires that each cake contain butter, rum-soaked raisins, candied orange peels and lemon peels, and sweet and bitter almonds to receive the seal. Outside of these requirements, the approximately 110 Dresden bakeries that produce this sweet each use their own secret spice mixture, passed down through generations, which results in varied and distinctive flavors from bakery to bakery. Each stollen is labeled with a 6-digit seal number, to identify and track the bakery of origin. Also identifiable by the European Union-protected geographical indication, true Dresdner Christstollen is marked with a blue and yellow Geschϋtzte Geografische Angabe (“protected geographical indication”) sticker. Dresdner Christstollen can only be produced within Dresden itself or within specific boundaries surrounding the capital. This cake is best enjoyed by removing slices from the middle and pushing together the ends, eating the cake from the center outward. It is seen as traditional Dresden “finger food,” with no need to use a fork.

Eierschecke
For something slightly sweeter, the Dresdner Eierschecke is a popular pastry choice. It’s a 3-layer confection consisting of a cake base topped with a custard-like quark cheesecake center, and a layer of sweet vanilla egg white on top, dusted with powdered sugar. Only found in Saxony and neighboring regions, this treat is often served with coffee or tea, and makes its way into celebratory menus for birthdays, weddings, and holidays. Some bakeries add chocolate, dried fruit, and sliced nuts, but the original recipe is simply the three-layered stack of varied texture.

Eierschecke and other traditional Saxon specialties are served at the Pulverturm.

Eierschecke is on the dessert menu at the Pulverturm restaurant next to the Frauenkirche. A historic vaulted powder tower containing portions of the original walls, Pulverturm delights guests with Saxon specialties, homecooked suckling pig, and rousing tableside performances by lively, costumed, character musicians. Be sure to try your hand at funnel-drinking here—a practice that stems from Augustus the Strong’s love of Saxon wines but his court’s dislike for washing numerous wine glasses. The court created a special funnel fit to Augustus’ mouth measurements, so servants could pour the wine directly through the funnel into his open mouth. At the Pulverturm, a variation on this method involves drinking herbed liquor from tiny funnels. Named “Cosel’s Tears,” the drink’s herbs were said to grow from the tears of Augustus’ former mistress, the Countess of Cosel, whom he banished to Stolpen Castle for more than 40 years because of her interfering interest in politics. After a satisfying Saxon meal, have a sugar-dusted slice of Eierschecke and cup of espresso to complete the full Pulverturm experience.

Pulverturm restaurant in Dresden is a full-service, medieval-themed entertainment and dining experience.

To make your own Eierschecke, try the recipe provided by Meissen porcelain manufactory underglaze painter Marlies Moser in the cookbook Cooking With Meissen. A 30-minute drive from Dresden, the Meissen manufactory creates fine porcelain vessels on which to serve tempting treats. At this company that labels its pieces with the forgery-proof “Crossed Swords” trademark, Moser worked for 40 years in production, painting underglaze onto unfired, porous porcelain—a skill that requires much training, a high level of precision, and years of experience—because the paint immediately penetrates and spreads, making later touchups impossible. The work of an underglaze painter is especially important for iconic Meissen designs like the 1731-created “Blue Onion,” whose luminous, metal oxide cobalt blue color only releases upon final firing. Moser now works in the demonstration workshop at the House of Meissen, and contributed her “Leutewitz Eierschecke” recipe for the company cookbook. Imagine a piece of this cake presented on a beautiful artisan-decorated Meissen porcelain dish!

The Meissen company cookbook features 24 recipes from appetizers to desserts. Saxon potato soup, Saxon meatballs, beef sauerbraten, quark dumplings with plum compote, and an inverted apple tart are among the list, and each submission includes a biography of the Meissen employee who contributed it. This beautiful, full-color hardbound book shows the food plated on fine porcelain tableware and includes sections about dining etiquette and the history of the craft.

Meissner Fummel
Eighteenth century legend tells that Augustus the Strong, who first commissioned the now-famous Meissen porcelain, used to send couriers back and forth between Meissen and Dresden with factory status updates. The town of Meissen is known for its excellent wine production (try the romantic, antique-filled Vincenz Richter wine restaurant!) and the couriers would often arrive back at the Dresden court intoxicated. Augustus’ solution was to instruct Meissen bakers to invent a pastry so fragile that it could remain intact only if delivered by a sober courier. The result was the hollow, brittle, extremely delicate Meissner Fummel cake, which had to be safely delivered to the Saxon Elector along with the progress reports about the porcelain. Made only with simple ingredients, Fummel is essentially a shell of flaky bread sprinkled with powdered sugar. Zieger Konditerei in Meissen produces this balloon-like baked good, which has been a protected geographical indication since 2000 and can only be manufactured in Meissen. The Fummel is often given to newly married couples in Meissen as a symbol of love’s fragility, and small gifts or cards are sometimes tucked into the center.

Left: A bust of Augustus the Strong appears in the interactive Zwinger Xperience, a multi-media immersion into the story of the baroque Zwinger building and festival area commissioned by Augustus. Right: This street window in Meissen displays loaves of Fummel along with a poster telling the humorous German story of why the bread recipe was initially invented.

You’ll be sure to fumble that Fummel after a few glasses of wine here! Vincenz Richter wine restaurant in Meissen celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. The 500-year-old building that houses hundreds of antiques and historical items is known as one of Germany’s most romantic places. The family winery produces its delicious wine varietals on the steep slopes of Meissen’s Elbe River valley.

Leipziger Lerche
The Leipziger Lerche (“Leipzig Lark”) dessert was born as part of the animal protection movement in the 19th century. Songbird larks used to be hunted and baked with herbs and eggs into a pastry crust and then served as a hearty delicacy. This culinary luxury was enjoyed in Leipzig and beyond, and many bird carcasses were bound in twine and shipped from Saxony to various countries around the continent for others to cook. The bird-baking business boomed, and the bird population declined. In 1876, after overhunting and a severe storm had killed off many of these birds, King Albert of Saxony banned lark trapping. To combat the suffering of this Leipzig business, some clever confectionaries in Leipzig then created a marzipan-stuffed shortcrust tart as a substitute for the traditional meat quiche. Now served in a small, fluted muffin cup, like a miniature pie, this baked good features two strips of dough crossed over the top to represent the trussing used to tie up stuffed larks. Beneath the ground almond and egg white mixture of the tartlet, there is often a cherry or dollop of jam to symbolize the heart of the lark. Kandler Konditerei in Leipzig is a popular source for “Kandler Lerche” pastries of this style, baked fresh daily and as naturally and preservative-free as possible, with numerous packaged options sold for a sweet, Saxony-specific souvenir.

Save a songbird and let Kandler Konditerei tempt you with a Leipziger Lerche.

For a tasty variation of Leipziger Lerche, try the ice cream version served at Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig. This bundt-cake-shaped mound of ice cream is seated on a petaled crust and topped with a dark chocolate medallion stamped with “Auerbachs Keller Leipzig” and an image of Dr. Faust riding astride a wine barrel. Goethe and Martin Luther were regular guests of Auerbachs Keller, and it’s a treat to dine in the historic basement rooms of the Mädler Passage where they sat and to eat traditional Saxonian cuisine, including this new take on a famous regional dessert.

Auerbachs Keller Leipzig serves a special iced Leipziger Lerche with curd-cheese-lime-mousse and raspberry sauce.

Auerbachs Keller in the Mädler Passage is the most famous and second oldest restaurant in Leipzig, and was one of the most popular places for wine in the 16th century.

Visiting Saxony?
Take an audio guided tour through the Meissen Manufactory and visit the Meissen Porcelain Foundation Museum. Enjoy coffee and delicacies at the Café & Restaurant Meissen, where your snacks are served on fine porcelain and you can sample the specially created Meissen cake featuring the crossed swords trademark. Register for a porcelain casting class or creative workshop and make your own Meissen masterpiece—available for adults and kids alike—or personalize a Meissen coffee mug and have your unique creation safely shipped directly to your home. Sign up your kids for an etiquette class to learn the art of fine dining or join a themed specialty meal (brunch with organ recital, Advent dinner, Christmas dinner, or Ladies Crime Night dinner). The one-hour “Women at Meissen” social history class highlights the significant role women have played in the manufactory’s workforce since the 18th century. The “Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate” event is offered once a month and teaches participants about the three “pleasure drinks” that were popular luxury goods during the Baroque period and how Meissen porcelain played a role in providing many varieties of elegant drinkware.

Meissen porcelain tableware makes every cake look better. Sweets and special place settings are a suggested Saxony souvenir.

Enjoy Coffee in Leipzig: Hot, Strong and Sweet

Photos courtesy Leipzig Tourism and Marketing

Coffee and Leipzig, Germany are inseparable. It was in the Saxon metropolis where the first palm court musicians of Germany entertained their guests: Georg Philipp Telemann made music in the coffee shops at the Market Square together with the collegium musicum, founded in 1701.

For more than two decades Johann Sebastian Bach visited the Zimmermannsche Kaffeehaus on Katharinenstrasse twice a week. His Coffee Cantata is seen as the highlight of Saxon palm court music of the 18th century. The lyrics had been written by the Leipzig poet Christian Friedrich Henrici (pen name Picander) in 1732.

Even the canon “C-a-f-f-e-e” was invented in the coffee country of Saxony. The composer was a concerned music teacher from Zittau, who wrote the song to warn his pupils of the harmful effects of the “brown Turkish drink.”

Coffee beans from Ethiopia

In the first half of the 18th century, while in other places canon balls were cast, Leipzig became the most important place of coffee mill production. After the first load of coffee beans arrived in Leipzig in 1693, more and more coffee shops began to open.

Consequently, Europe’s oldest coffee shop (after the Café Procope in Paris) is in Leipzig. Adam Heinrich Schütze opened the Baroque Coffe Baum on Kleine Fleischergasse 4 in 1694 and sold the first coffee drink.

In the course of the following three centuries this became the place where the intellectual elite of the city met to enjoy the popular drink. Among the guests there was the literature professor Johann Christoph Gottsched, the painter Max Klinger, the poet E. T. A. Hoffmann and the composer Richard Wagner. Also Goethe, Lessing, Bach and Grieg were often here. In a room in the ground-floor (now the Schumann Room) Robert Schumann regularly met his circle of friends between 1828 and 1844. Even revolutionaries like Robert Blum, Karl Liebknecht and August Bebel established their “second living-room” here. In 1990 Helmut Kohl and Lothar de Maizière discussed the possibilities of German unification in this place.

The sandstone relief above the entrance to Coffe Baum is famous. A Turk with a big coffee is proffering a cup of coffee to a cherub. This symbolizes the encounter of Christian occident with Islamic orient. August the Strong is said to have donated of this relief in 1720 in gratitude for amorous services provided by the landlady.

On the third floor there is the coffee museum—one of the most important worldwide. In 15 rooms more than 500 selected exhibits from 300 years of Saxon coffee and cultural history are presented. Among the table roasters and coffee mills from different epochs, a high-tech sample roaster is an attraction for visitors.

Real bean coffee and original Meissen porcelain have always been the most outstanding identification marks of the “Coffee-Saxons,” who received their nickname from Frederic the Great during the Seven Years War. The lack of coffee resulted in a lack of motivation among the Saxon soldiers, and they refused to fight, complaining: “Ohne Gaffee gönn mer nich gämpfn,” which means in English, ” No coffee, no fighting!” The insulting remark of the Prussian monarch, who called them “Coffee Saxons,” did not disturb them in the least, as feasting on cake and coffee suited their taste much better than fighting on Europe’s battlefields.

But how do people like their coffee in Leipzig? “Siesse muss d’r Coffe sein,” says a Saxon proverbial expression, which means that the coffee must be sweet. When the caffeine drink is too weak the spoiled Coffee Saxons despise it as “Plempe” or “Lorke.”

As in hard times, even coffee fans of the wealthier classes had to count their coffee beans; they served so-called “sword coffee” when they had guests. The concentration of the coffee was so low that the blue swords from the bottom of the Meissen porcelain cups could shimmer through. Since 1729 this is also called Blümchenkaffee”—the coffee is so weak that you can see the little flowers (Blümchen) on the bottom of the cup. An anecdote from the 18th century tells about an economical host who roasted and ground 14 beans for 15 “Schälchen Heessen” (cups of the hot drink).

The basic rule for a good Leipzig cup of coffee could be the following historic statement of Cardinal Talleyrand:

“The coffee must be
As black as the devil
As hot as hell
As pure as an angel
As sweet as love.”

Leipzig’s guests who visit the cafés and coffee shops can confirm his words: coffee is magic, coffee is erotic and coffee is spirit.

Those who would like to learn more about Leipzig’s coffee history can join a two-hour guided city tours under the headline “Ey, wie schmeckt der Coffee süsse…” (“O, how sweet the coffee tastes …”).

For more information, go to: Leipzig Tourism

THE SAXONS AND THEIR COFFEE: BLIEMCH’NGAFFEE AND MUGGEFUKK

The first exhibition of coffee beans was the Leipzig Trade Fair in 1670. Lehmann, Chocolatier to the Royal Polish and Saxon courts, opened the first coffee stall in the marketplace in 1694. In 1719 coffee lovers were flocking to a café in the Kleine Fleischergasse, the “Coffe Baum,” which had been made famous by Robert Schumann.

A quick lesson in the Saxon dialect will aid you in understanding these strange terms.

Bliemch’ngaffee is the dialect form of “Blümchenkaffee,” or “flower coffee”—so-called because it has so much water in it that when the coffee was poured into a traditional Meissen porcelain cup, it was still possible to see the typical floral design on the bottom. You could say it’s a coffee that’s easy on the heart.

Muggefukk—”Moka faut” was the call of French soldiers as Napoleon’s troops entered Leipzig. This was a coffee with malt or large amounts of chicory mixed into it. The phrase “moka faut” was mangled by the Saxons into “Muggefukk.”

All This Country’s Culinary Delights Are There for the Eating…

By Don Heimburger
Photos by the author

Grabbing a “taste” of Germany today doesn’t mean just visiting its Medieval castles like Neuschwanstein or Wartburg Castle, or visiting its thousands of half-timbered buildings such as you’ll find in Wernigerode, Bamberg and Cochem, or being one of the millions who take pictures of the famous Cologne Cathedral.

A “taste” of Germany in 2018 takes on a special meaning: this year Germany’s National Tourist Board officially unlocks its treasure chest of culinary delights as part of its promotion of the country, and there are many appetizing foods to be enjoyed, and 16 federal states in which to enjoy them.

With eight straight years of record growth in tourism, Germany is primed for more tourists in the year ahead who can also appreciate this country’s flavorful foods. In 2017, a total of 83.9 million overnight stays by foreign visitors in establishments with at least 10 beds were recorded, according to Petra Hedorfer, chief executive officer of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

The German Tourist Board is trying to get travelers’ attention by saying “Attention foodies: Germany is now open for tasting.” And there are many towns and regions in which to conduct this culinary research, as well as numerous restaurants, wineries, breweries and farms that are eager to show visitors what Germany has to offer.

HANNOVER CURRYWURST
In Hannover you can stop in at an interesting restaurant called the Ständige Vertretung at Friedrichswall 10. The “StäV” as it is named, is not just any cafe, but a political reading book … where the history of political happenings and famous German politicians from past decades can be found on the walls and in photos. But go also for the famous “explosive” currywurst offerings. There’s the German Chancellor Filet “Schröder Art,” the Bundestag Filet, and the Chancellor Tarte, all part of the currywurst menu. All come with spicy sauce.

THE ARISTOCRAT OF VEGETABLES
At Fritz Bormann’s 25-acre asparagus farm near Nienburg in Lower Saxony northeast of Hannover, vast fields of white asparagus (Spargel) covered by large plastic tarps, sit waiting for harvest. In early spring, workers pour into the fine sand-like fields, armed with long, sharp cutting tools and a bucket to pluck the revered savory asparagus stalks from underneath the heaped mounds of dirt.

The “white gold” is then cleaned, graded and quickly delivered to farmstands and markets where it is snapped up by eager eaters. Combined with a hollandaise sauce or hot melted butter, and perhaps a plate of potatoes and pork or ham, the pale, long-stemmed vegetables are a nationwide sensation.

Germany sets aside about 62,000 acres for growing asparagus every year, and it’s estimated the country consumes up to 125,000 tons of it, but some of that is grown in other nearby countries. And nearly every restaurant in the asparagus-growing regions feature Spargel specials on their lunch and dinner menus. The picking season ends promptly on June 24 every year.

If you’re lucky, you can even meet one of the local Spargel queens, like the 2017/2018 queen, Nicole Cybin from Nienburg, or visit the local asparagus museum, part of which is housed in an original 1663 building. The museum displays, among other things, old tools which were once used for harvesting asparagus, dishes and serving plates with asparagus themes painted on them and even molds in the shape of a bunch of asparagus.

ASPARAGUS ROUTE
There’s even an Asparagus Route (Spargelstrasse) which begins in the town of Schwetzingen (it also claims the title of “Asparagus Capital of the World”). When you walk through the city, look for the statue of the Spargelfrau (literally means asparagus woman). The town holds an annual Spargelfest and in 2018 celebrates 350 years as a major Spargel grower.

While you are in Nienburg, be sure to stroll around this fascinating 1,000-year-old village and find the 16th century half-timbered Rathaus built in 1533, as well as the same period St. Martins Church. There are also medieval mansions, other carefully restored half-timbered homes, and a large town center with wide streets. The castle and town of Nienburg were once the residence of the Counts of Hoya, and their tombs can be found in St. Martins Church.

You can also visit the Dobberschuetz Fishery & Smokehouse alongside the banks of the Weser River which flows through the town and get the catch of the day. Eels are their speciality. Get there on a Saturday and enjoy their Saturday fisherman breakfast.

No sleepy little village, Nienberg today has as many as 100 trains a week stop there.

OTHER GERMAN CULINERY DELIGHTS
At the sprawling Rotkäppchen winery in Freyburg, Sekt or sparkling wine is produced, with brothers Moritz and Julius Kloss and a friend establishing a wine store and producing Rotkäppchen champagne as early as 1856. The first 6,000 bottles were bottled in an apartment in the back of the house of the Kloss family.

In the large historic Rotkäppchen building in Freyburg, select grapes are used to make various cuvees, and the brand today is the most successful in Germany, and also holds a 30% international market share. This Sekt takes its name from the unique red cap on its bottles.

Every year the company sponsors a Jungweinprobe, where last years wines are sampled in the courtyard of the Rotkäppchen winery. It’s always a popular and crowded affair with everyone allowed to pour their own glass of wine from a staggering selection. Here, too, you can meet the local Wine Queen, and ask her which cuvees she prefers. In 2017/2018 the reigning queen was Juliana Beer, 22. Not just a queen in name only, she enjoys the aged wines, and can explain the nuances of wine growing and wine-making.

The Rotkäppchen winery boasts one of the largest storage barrels in Germany (from 1856) which can hold 160,000 bottles of wine. And you can also enjoy a great German meal as you sit near the giant wooden barrel and try to figure out how they made such an elaborate wooden vessel.

WEINGUT PAWIS IS A STANDOUT
Also in Freyburg, Weingut Pawis is a standout winery housed in a renovated stone building. As a 10-year-old boy, Bernard Pawis didn’t have much luck with a hoe in his father’s vineyard. But when he learned the wine profession in Radebeul years later, he was on his way to gaining national recognition with his wine production.

Taking over from his father in 1998, he constructed a new wine cellar and later rebuilt an old horse stable into a modern, welcoming and innovative winery with 30 acres of vineyards.

The family produces a number of wine varieties, including Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Riesling, Bacchus, Kerner, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, Portuguese, Dornfelder, Pinot Noir and Regent.

Their unique operating philosophy includes sustainable economics, conscious handling of nature, respecting the soil and the vine as their most important commodity, and they work according to environmentally friendly cultivation methods.

The innovative Pawises offer wine tastings, art exhibitions, guided vineyard tours, champagne receptions, a Christmas market, and even a lookout tower on the historic estate.

BLUEBERRY HEAVEN
At Bickbeernhof, you’ll find just about every conceivable way to serve blueberries that you can think of. Owner Sylke Herse has already done the planting, growing, and the packaging for you, and draws upwards of 1,000 visitors a day to her blueberry world in Landesbergen. “Very busy, very organized. Long wait lines at peak times, but worth it. Big juicy blueberries. Every year a must!” are the typical comments from customers.

Blueberry fields are located right behind the processing plant and company store, and there is a wide variety of blueberry-made products offered in the gift shop including blueberry wines, jams, juices, books about blueberries and much more. In their restaurant, customers can order salads with blueberry dressing, blueberry marmalade blueberry pudding, blueberry smoothies and many other blueberry delicacies.

BORN FAMILY VINEYARD
Motorcycle-riding Jochen Born and the small Born Family Weingut in Höhnstedt, located near the famous Luther Walking Trail, produces a variety of wines from its mostly “vertical” vineyards lining the slopes of the area hills. The hills around Höhnstedt contain a lot of limestone, and help from the sun, the wind and the rain make it an ideal place to grow grapes. Jochen is an amicable host and willing to tell his guests about the intricacies of his wine brands and its production in his compact and cozy tasting room adjacent to the wine gift shop.

SCHLOSS WACKENBARTH
Schloss Wackenbarth in Radebeul, is a well-situated, picturesque winery, and one of the oldest sparkling wine producers in Europe. On the well-manicured grounds is a Mediterranean-style palace erected by Augustus the Strong. Since the 18th century Schloss Wackerbarth has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors because of the charming setting, and of course the delicious wines.

Tours through the winery and grounds are conducted, and many social events, including weddings and banquets, take place on the grounds each year. Interestingly, the federal state of Saxony owns the winery. The winery calls itself an ambassador for the state of Saxony, and indeed it has the stature and appeal of something regal.

While every year Germany is certain to attract millions of visitors for its culture, history, sights and its uniqueness, 2018 calls out for a visit for all of the above, and especially its many and varied succulent, edible delights.
Guten appetit!

For more information go to www.germany.travel.com or www.germany.travel/culinary-germany