Last Updated on: October 23, 2021
Neresheim I had never heard about, before June 30th 2018. After the encounter I’ll never forget that name. Might make stop there again, one day in the future.
Farewell to Rothenburg
It had been a short but pleasant stay. Walked through parts on foot, but there’s lots I never got to see. Definitely one of those cities, or marvels one can visit, again and again.
Morning I packed up and, since they served no breakfast at the hotel, walked a few minutes, down to the main city square. A bakery opened at 9, got a table for myself and sat down to enjoy the morning view. Squads of Japanese and Chinese tourists drifted by, didn’t affect neither the view or the quietness much.
Morning at the main ssquare, oil paint style
I was in no rush. Checkout at 11, no train to catch and (still) no definite plans nor destination. The direction onward was sort of decided, continue south in direction of the Austrian border. Since more or less along a route I’d taken before, Füssen seemed a sensible entry point to Austria and mountains.
Smallways always
Or as often as possible. I can appreciate the need for freeway or autobahn riding on transport legs. But it’s a boring, monotonous option. Plus, and this especially applies to motorcyclists and motorcycles, tires may wear excessively, and fast. I had Metzeler Karoo Street, excellent tires by the way. Have blogged about them, twice actually (last update here).
Anyhow, I continued partially along the Bundesstraße (German highways) south, past Wörnitz, then Dinkelsbühl. Occasionally I took off to smaller roads, for variation and to get to see more.
Baldern Castle stretching above trees in the rear
The landscape in this part of Germany is flat’ish, agricultural, with occasional pockets of woods and hills. On these, you’re likely to find villages, smaller cities and, quite likely due to strategic means and purposes, castles. Schloss Baldern is one such castle.
As the temperature was hovering around 30+C noon’ish I didn’t stop. Another location and historic place for the notebooks, and one other adventurous day.
Neresheim Abbey
Neresheim Abbey gate
About 30 minutes past Baldern, still on smaller roads, I passed through a dense forest. Coming out on the other side the landscape sloped downwards, with fields opening while the road took a turn to the right, then left and across.
Down ahead, sitting where the road turned to the left, I could see something that looked like another castle.
One of the buildings sat closely to the road, with a gate. I’d been on the move for around 2.5 hours, it felt right to make a short stop. Besides, curiosity pulled as well. Took off from the street, rode through the gate and parked inside.
Wandered out to the gate, Neresheim Abbey it said on a plaque. Realized that what had looked like a castle was in fact something else.
Actually a whole lot more than something else, just how much more I would soon find out.
Neresheim Abbey is a well kept complex of buildings, featuring among others a hotel, a cafè or restaurant, a church plus a museum. For more details, see the homepage.
A place of beauty
The place radiated a rather serene feeling. It was noon, sunney and hot, sat down on a bench next to a fountain, while taking in the architecture of the buildings surrounding the little park.
Neresheim Abbey, the church in the rear left
It is truly a beautiful place, one I can recommend to anyone. Sitting there in the shades I observed people going in/out of the church building Got up and went inside. The church opened up in all its beauty.
At the very moment I sat foot inside the church organ, covering almost an entire side of the building played up. It was magnificent, beautiful, enough to make an older fart whimper. I recorded a short clip of it you can listen to here.
Inside Neresheim Abbey Church
I’ve been in a lot of religious building in my life. Few in better upkeep and more meticulously restored than Neresheim Church. Ditto few with an atmosphere like one finds here.
Neresheim Abbey Church dome, the clarity of the fresco was awesome
Perhaps it is due to the dome like roof, the church room, windows, or the stunning architecture in general. Whatever the reason, don’t mind stopping by here another time, another year.
To the foot of the Alps
Having spent quite a bit of time at Neresheim I got back on the road, and continued south in direction of Füssen. Had still no concrete plan but decided to get a into Austria before calling it a day.
Burg Katzenstein, a medieval castle and hotel, in the rear
Meanwhile, the landscape stayed the same, Bavarian farmlands with hills, woods, villages and small towns. Burg Katzenstein could have been a interesting new stop-over, but a mere 10 minutes from Neresheim too close. Maybe another time!
I now kept on, almost without stop, till I had the Alps in sight. More on Bundesstraße than earlier in the day, with occasional detours for greater variation.
View around Seeg, north of Fussen
Two and a half hours later the Alps appeared, always an exciting and welcoming sight! Not long after I rode through Füssen, made a short stop in the city center, then rode through and towards the Austrian border.
In Fussen center; that seat must be spongy in the wet!
Austrian indecision
Crossing the border I still had no idea about where to go. West, south or east? The indecision materialized itself rather well on the tracker when I checked later.
GPS tracker proof indecision
Finally I managed to make up my mind and steered southeast towards Imst.
Austrian Landing, ad hoc style
Having decided on a direction (finally) I took the 179 to Nassereith, and the 189 to Imst, past on 171, then had it with “highways”. It was getting later’ish, needed to make a decision (again!) regarding where to stay for the night. Found a smallway past Artzl in Pitztal.
Up on winding roads, the nature and scenery is definitely worth capturing.
Austrian landscape & scenery. What is there not to love
Now the road headed along the mountains eastwards. The sun was going down and, I’d been on the road for over 10 hours. Made a short stop to check on booking options. Preferably outside of any city. While I stopped, the below lightshow unfolded itself.
There are indeed times when, regardless of where you are on our planet, it does look like heaven.
So where to stay
I had taken this route before and passed several of the towns in the valley. Didn’t feel like staying in a town, or a valley. I wanted to get higher up! So I rode through the town of Roppen and began climbing up. Booking.com had suggested some places in Ober Mieming.
Sounded good to me, price was even decent. This time around I didn’t reserve anything prior to arrival. As I arrived in Mieming, the “Ober” (upper) part, I found one of the hotels on booking.com.
Alas, there was not much action, in fact there was not much of anything! It was very closed. And that despite the optimistic sign on above the entrance.
The closed Open 24/7 365 days a year hotel
Perhaps I read it wrong, that it would open in 365 days and 24 hours! Well these things might happen when you are out and about, on an adventure. These things will happen, when you dislike making definite plans. to let yourself and your adventure be controlled by in-advance bookings, arrival times and definite destinations.
A Bio Hotel & solution
But all the adventurous freedom in the world could not reject nor remove the inescapable fact that I was getting tired. Fortunately, both Google and booking.com suggested there was another hotel close by. In fact, only 300 meters up the very road I was on.
Bio Hotel Schweitzer, hmm, sounded good! Good reviews too, so I booked it online, even if I would arrive shortly after. Discounts you know, one ought to pick’em up where possible! Now, just how Bio this hotel really was, I’d find out later. You however, can find that out by checking out this page.
I liked the atmosphere of Ober Mieming, I mean, what is there not to like, with a backdrop like this.
Towering mountains in the rear of Ober Mieming
Mere minutes later I parked outside Bio Hotel Schweitzer. Quietly sitting in a residential area, radiating quality from outside. I didn’t look too hard, somewhat preoccupied with getting settled.
Well enough for now, more later.
Go to: next blog post/chapter.