Schweigen: Southernmost Point of Deutsche Weinstraße

(Deutsches) Weintor in Schweigen

Schweigen is the southernmost of Palatinate’s wine villages, very close to the French border. The valley of the small river Lauter separates the Palatinate Forest from the first hills of the Vosges. The next town on the French side is picturesque Wissembourg (more about Wissembourg here). Nowadays it is an easy walk or drive of about two kilometres between the two settlements.

We came over on foot from Wissembourg after a tour of the town. There are several paths through the vineyards, we took the shortest route along Rue Robert Schumann, which takes half an hour from centre to centre, because we were a) late b) hungry c) lazy. Other paths are a bit longer and lead higher up into the hills. Further up the view of the Rhine plain would have been wider. It was a sunny summer day and we were reminded that vines love sun and warmth more than some humans do. There is no shade along the way. Sensitive people should wear a sun hat or headscarf. I lent my little umbrella to one of my friends who was particularly suffering, to be used as parasol.

The EEC/EU has opened the borders. With the Schengen agreement in 1995, all border controls were abandoned. You simply walk along a country path and except for the two signs you won't even notice that you are crossing a border between two states. Aren't we blessed to be able to do this?
In former timest hat was different. History changes and borders change. This region has seen many many wars and changed owner several times. The French occupations of the late 17th century and the Napoleonic era are unforgotten.

The Napoleon Fountain tells of those times. It was originally located right on the border line between Alsace and Palatine. The village community of Schweigen erected it, as the inscription tells, in 1811 to celebrate the birth of Napoleon's son. The fountain has been transferred to the centre of the village later on and can be admired next to the protestant church. Similar fountains can also be found in Alsatian villages.

In Schweigen we had booked a table at a winery and restaurant for a hearty meal and of course the consumption of some local produce. There are several wineries with restaurants and taverns in the village where they serve their own wines with local food. I do not remember which one we visited.

The village is quite nice but not exceptionally beautiful. Schweigen's most famous monument is the huge Weintor („Wine Gate“) which marks the southern end, or beginning, of Deutsche Weinstraße („German Wine Road“).

Weintor: A Monument from the Third Reich

The Wine Road originally led right through this monstrous gate. In the meantime a new road has been built around it and the gate passage has been closed to traffic, so visitors can walk around unharmed.

This oversized gate in its rough shapes looks like Nazi architecture and it is Nazi architecture. The eagle on the facade is carrying a wreath which contained a swastika. The swastika has been half-heartedly erased after the war but the outlines are still recognizable.

The wooden platform in the middle can be climbed and offers a view of the village and the Rhine plain. Access is free and open any time.
The side wings contain a restaurant with a beautiful outdoor terrace under chestnut trees, the tourist information office, and a vinotheque.

Deutsche Weinstraße - German Wine Road

There are lots of tourist routes in Germany nowadays but this is one of the oldest: The German Wine Road that runs through the wine region of Palatine at the foot of the Palatinate Forest. It leads from Bockenheim in the North to Schweigen in the South.

The route was established in 1935. Calling it the „German“ wine road does of course have a political background. This region on the left Rhine bank had been occupied by the French three times in history, the latest occupation had just finished in 1930. The economy was down, the new route was meant as amarketing campaign. It was also meant as a political symbol, claiming the region as German territory. One year later, in 1936, the Weintor was erected at the Southern end of the route in Schweigen, only a stonethrow from the French border. This was certainly and definitely a political symbol. Of course it was named "Deutsches Weintor" then.

Nowadays there is no politics behind it any more. The border to France, with Wissembourg as the neighbouring town, is open and almost invisible. The route is a marketing gimmick like the many other tourist routes all over the country. It connects many pretty wine villages and small towns, hard to tell which of them is the prettiest. They are all in good shape, houses well restored, vines planted in the streets and flowers everywhere. During the warmer seasons there is hardly a weekend without a wine festival happening somewhere.

Palatine, the Pfalz, is my favourite wine region in Germany. Ah the white burgundy/pinot varieties... It produces a wide choice of both whites and reds. Many excellent wineries are located here, but there are also the average and below average producers. The quality of each wine depends on the skills of the individual winemaker. Doing a bit of reading in advance is worthwhile if you are ambitious. The mild climate of the Upper Rhine Plain is also great for fruit, nuts and vegetables. Foodies, try the local cuisine.