Travelling in the Pfalz
If you are travelling to the Pfalz, the Pfalz Tourist (Pfalz.Touristik e.V.) and Wine (Pfalzwein e.V.) Associations have good publications and maps. Email info@pfalz-touristik.de for tourist info and info@zum-wohl-die-pfalz.de for wine region information.
Wine tasting: There is no shortage of highly-regarded wineries as well as local cooperatives, most of which are open to the public. The German Wine Route with cycling path goes through the Pfalz and is marked with a yellow sign signifying “Deutsche Weinstrasse” with a grape cluster. There is also a hiking path which is marked on maps available through Pfalzwein. A map of the Southern Wine Route is on the english website: www.suedlicheweinstrasse.de/en
Where to stay: a very nice centrally located hotel is the Deidesheimer Hof Hotel and Restaurant in Deidesheim. It is an historic and charming hotel with a very good restaurant where my colleague – a professional chef – and I dined the two nights we stayed there. I had one of my most memorable German dishes there called saumagen and it is a specialty of the Pfalz. Saumagen is a pig’s stomach filled with seasoned pork, potatoes, carrots and herbs and spices. I had a slice of it sauteed and placed on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes and accompanied by more sausage. My colleague said that the plate was bigger than my head and I ate the whole thing. It was a perfect example of how extreme contrasts in food and wine pair beautifully, in this case, salty, unctuous sausages with a piercing riesling.
Deidesheimer Hof
Am Marktplatz
67146 Deidsheim/Weinstrasse
Telephone: 06326 96870