Nuremberg

Nuremberg Bratwursts

Where the hilly Franconia changes into highly wooded plains, there lies the Franconian metropolis of Nuremberg, the city of gingerbread, bratwursts, toys and the Christkindlmarkt [the Christmas market]. The important role of the city is also characterised by the fact that it has such historically significant architecture. Admittedly, 90% of the Old City was destroyed in the Second World War, but the Middle Ages still remain to the present. All German Emperors from 1050 into the 16th Century held their courts in the Nuremberg Fortress. From Nuremberg, it is recommended to take an athletic side trip to the Herrenhof Golf Club (269). The golf course is situated 30 km southeast of Nuremberg in a naturally charming, gently hilly landscape. The 480-m-long Par 5 of hole 18 with a dogleg and sand trap is the “pearl” of the course and makes every golfer’s heart beat faster. This hole’s green is also protected by a large pond.

Residence Road swings around from Nuremberg to the west and leads to Ansbach, not only the most important traffic hub in the Rezat Valley, but also the location of a famous margrave castle and the famous St. Gumbertuskirche [name of church] with the “three Gothic towers without a roof”. The Ansbach Golf Club (270) lies along the foot of the old Hohenzollern Fortress, today a romantic and renowned hotel. The golf course hugs the castle hill. Undoubtedly, the club is among the most beautiful nature-wise in Middle Franconia. After the “ascent” to the fourth tee, there opens up a majestic view of the Altmühl Valley. Relaxing through the tranquillity, the ball can be hit far down into the valley in order to continue to enjoy nature and golf going both upwards and downwards.

Eschenbach and Asam – authors and painters

From Ansbach southwards, one quickly reaches the Lichtenau-Weickershof Golf Club (271). This lies in a favourable position with regards to transportation near the A 6 not far from Ansbach where one can allow oneself a round of golf before one confronts one of the greatest authors of the German Middle Ages (Wolfram von Eschenbach “Parceval”) a few kilometres farther along in Wolframs-Eschenbach.

The Residence Road continues on in a south easterly fashion via Gunzenhausen in Ellingen Station, one of the most popular little Baroque towns with a castle of the German Order which is worth seeing. The castle church was decorated by Cosmas Damian Asam, one of the greatest painters of the Bavarian Baroque. Via Weißenburg (Ellinger Gate, one of the most well-known gates in Germany) and a side trip to Treuchtlingen (with the city castle where the famous cavalry general of the 30 Years’ War, Gottfried Heinrich Graf von Pappenheim, was born. The saying “That’s how I recognise my Pappenheimers” (from Schiller’s Drama “Wallenstein’s Death”) refers to him. One reaches Eichstätt with the Willibaldsdom, the successor of the original cathedral which Eichstätt’s first bishop, Willibald, already had built in the 8th century. Among the numerous squares of the city, Residence Square stands out, one of the most stylish Baroque squares in Germany.

Upon the continued journey to Ingolstadt, one leaves the Altmühl Valley which was in sections changed greatly by the construction of the Main-Danube Channel and arrives via the Franconian Alb down into the Danube Valley. Upon the south side of the Danube, a special golf highlighting is to be recommended, a visit to the Rohrenfeld-Neuburg Wittelsbach Golf Club (272). Here, upon the park-like grazing pastures of the favourite stud horse of King Ludwig III., in the middle of more than 200 individual standing ancient oak and lime wood trees, there likes the square masterfully designed by the architect Joan Dudok van Heel which is located before the gates of the old Palatinate-Bavarian residence city of Neuburg on the Danube.

From here, to be recommended is the Reichertshausen Castle Golf Club (273) which is located halfway between Ingolstadt and Munich. The castle is certainly only still a beautiful eye-catcher between holes 5 and 6, but the golf course is worth visiting and the clubhouse distinguishes itself above all through excellent gastronomy.