Wiesbaden Neroberg Kletterwald: Channel your inner Tarzan!

Channel your inner Tarzan! Swing down ropes and climbs within the trees at the Wiesbaden Neroberg Kletterwald!

Located on the top of Wiesbaden, in the beautiful Neroberg, this high ropes course offers adventure for the thrill seekers and also those who have a slight fear of heights. Their experienced staff teaches you the proper belays for hooking your rope during each part of the course. You can have one on one training, a work team building event, or a small family group.

The course is absolutely beautiful and you feel so close to nature being among the vast trees. The floor is covered with soft and fresh smelling woodchips. First you pay at the ticket booth, then you receive your equipment. Next you receive a 30 minute instructional and safety briefing from a trained staff member. You are then given 3 hours to explore the ropes course, but if you want to stay longer you just have to pay more. Trainers are watching at the bottom to offer any help and of course come help you at any time.
 

They offer snacks and drinks for sale on site and they have fest tables available. They allow you to bring your own food! If you can’t find a fest table available, there is a huge gorgeous park surrounding the ropes course, and you can have a picnic there or use some of the public BBQ pits. If you aren’t one for eating on the lawn, there is also another option of eating at the restaurant Wagner which is right next to the course.

 

You will leave the course feeling, energized, exhilarated and also so proud that you accomplished a course like this! Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. You can climb even in the rain with raingear.

They even have a playground area free of charge for the younger ones or if you are just exploring the Neroberg area.

Next beautiful day, literally climb you way to the top of the trees of Wiesbaden at the Neroberg Kletterwald! When you are on the final zip line, don’t forget to belt out your best Tarzan yell! Aaaaah-ah-ah-ah-aaaah-ah-ah-ah-aaaah!!

Follow their facebook page for more updates and also watch their video of the new Freefall part of the ropes course! https://www.facebook.com/kletterwald.neroberg/

Address:
Neroberg 1, 65183 Wiesbaden, Germany

Prices:
(Including for 3 hours. Instruction and climbing equipment)

€ 19, - Adults

€ 15, - apprentices, students, pensioners (+ ID)

€ 12, - children, youth, students (+ ID)

€ 7, - children's course

€ 54, - Family ticket: 2 adults + 2 children (each additional own child 10 €)

* If you use the Neroberg train to get up there, you save 10%.


About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Opel Neroberg: Swimming and Dining High Above Wiesbaden

Opel Neroberg: Swimming and Dining High Above Wiesbaden

The Opel Neroberg is a hidden paradise perched high above the city of Wiesbaden. Here you can sun worship and swim then also dine in their restaurant.  

Dining

The Opel Neroberg restaurant is called Wagner. You can dine and sip wine while looking at possibly the best view in Wiesbaden. On a clear day, view of the horizon is just breathtaking. With tables on the patio and also inside, the restaurant offers quality food with a beautiful presentation. The meals and drinks are reasonably priced for the location but could be perceived as more expensive than dining in the city.

We went for lunch at the Opel Neroberg and I felt like I was on vacation. A pretty surreal place to go for your lunch break from work. We were pointing to buildings we could recognize and were guessing which hills were in the distance. I could sit there all day with a good bottle of wine, just taking in the view with a friend. The wait staff was very friendly and they treat you like you are longtime friends.





Swimming

Directly below the restaurant and surrounded by hillside is the Opelbad Neroberg public swimming pool. Here you have the same spectacular view of Wiesbaden while you swim or sunbath. 

The pool was created and funded by Dr. Wilhelm von Opel in 1934. With today’s technology it now has solar technology to keep the water at a constant temperature of at least 24 degrees Celsius.

The pool area atmosphere is very calm and it is a great getaway destination which is conveniently right in our own city!



Opening Hours May – September:
Daily: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Final admittance: 7 p.m.
Closing time: 7.30 p.m.

Single ticket:
Children 3 - 13 Years 2.00 Euro
Young People 14 - 17 Years 3.00 Euro
Adults 8.20 Euro

Address:
Wagner Gastronomie
Auf dem Neroberg 2
65193 Wiesbaden

About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Rambazamba: Indoor playground

Rambazamba: Indoor Playground

Ramabazama is a fun filled paradise for children of all ages and an indoor playground that parents enjoy going to as well. Located in Mainz, Rambazamba is perfect for when there is inclement weather, for a special fun day in the summer and a great place for a child’s birthday party.

From a kids point of view, Rambazamba is a giant room that they can run free, climb, jump on trampolines and roll around on air filled castles. From a parent’s point of view, Rambazamba is a safe, enclosed, padded, no exiting, place for kids to have fun (burn energy!) and still be able to have a cappuccino while watching. Parents of course can join the younger ones through the huge climbing frame, but when they get a little older… they feel really ‘big’ doing this on their own!

There is a massive climbing frame that almost reaches the ceiling. Inside they have ball pits, obstacle like hallways and also an air gun that shoots out balls like you were a pirate on top of a ship.

 

  

Soccer fans can play inside the soccer cage without having to worry about the ball being kicked out. And there is the ever popular crocodile! The children craw up into his mouth when it is open and then on a timer, he closes his mouth. You have to hang on to his tooth or something or else you slide down his throat back to the ground! It is common to walk by and see a random kids dangling from the crocs mouth! My daughter is too scared to go in, but loves watching it and also likes the idea of going in once she is bigger and braver!

There are fun dinosaur go-karts on in its’ own track. But remember to bring some 1€ coins or you might have a very disappointed racer on your hands!

 

Another thing to remember to bring is socks. All kids and all parents must wear socks inside. If you do forget, they sell them for 2€. When you walk in there are cubbies for your shoes and bags. There are no lockers, so leave anything of value in the car or at home. I suggest to bring a small wrap around purse or keep everything in your pocket.

 

 

Children under 2 can still have fun and they are also free! There is a small play area for them with a climbing frame, slide which lands in a ball pit and big foam building blocks.

There is a kitchen and they serve warm food and sides. They have a great selection of drinks and also a freezer with ice creams.

Birthday Parties

 

 

Having a party here is a blast and also that means no cleaning your house afterwards! You book a nice long table and the birthday boy or girl sits in the head chair of royalty. They have special packages for the entrance fees for the young guests. It is normal that the parents would pay for their own admission at the door. You are allowed to bring in your own cake, but other food must be ordered there or bought with their meal and drink packages. They provide the table decorations, cups, plates and napkins. They also have their own cakes for sale as well. The standard size is 9,50 €, and the double size 14,50 €. Last but not least, they take the VAT form!

Booking a party: online http://www.rambazamba-mainz.de/?page_id=149&lang=en

Phone: 06131 5701770 or by e-mail: info@rambazamba-mainz.de

 

Entrance fees

Children from 2 years 8,50 €

Children under 2 years: free

Adults (18+) 4,00 €


Address:

Mombacher Str. 76a
55122 Mainz
Telephone: +49 (6131) 5701770

Have fun and really savor that cappuccino! ;)


About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Eltville Sekt Fest

Eltville Sekt Fest

Surrounded by vineyard’s and the Rhein River, Eltville is a beautiful town in the Rheingau region which celebrates with a Sekt Fest each year. Sekt is German sparkling wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While some would call all sparkling wine champagne, that version of sparkling wine comes exclusively from the Champagne region of France.

 

The Eltville Sekt Fest takes place on the banks of the Rhein River so you can sit and enjoy your sekt while watching the slow moving boats and soft wave of the river. The fest overall has a very relaxing and charming feel to it. The fest goers truly sample and sip their sekt while enjoying a meal from one of the many food vendors. One of the main entrances to the fest is through the courtyard of the gorgeous Electoral Castle. You walk down to the castles rose garden then enter the area of the fests’ main stage.

  

We started in the main area and saw that the main act was getting set up so we decided to wander more into the fest. Along the river there were food stands with local specialties and also international delights. Of course the main attraction of the fest is that you can sample the sekt from different vendors. Each sekt producer has a unique taste to their drink and it is really enjoyable to discover these different flavors.

  

  

  

I was surprised by how many vendors were there and that they had really nice items for sale. They had stands that sold handmade jewelry, baskets and even clothing. The items for sale were a good reflection of the relaxing and artistic feel from the entire fest.

  

We saw 3 stages and decided to head back to listen to the musician on the main stage. His name is Rick Cheyenne and he is well known in the Rheingau and Wiesbaden area. I have seen him play before at the café Lumen in downtown Wiesbaden and also at other winery parties, so I knew he would be great entertainment. He played some Blues, Soul, Rock’n Roll Country and Pop. He plays in this area quite a bit and he is definitely worth checking out. You can find his tour dates here: http://www.rickcheyenne.com/tourdates/tourdates.html

  

So we then bought one of the specialty dips from the Northern state of Hessen: Spundekäs. This dip consists of two parts cream cheese and three parts cream cheese (German Quark), then seasoned with salt, pepper and sweet paprika. It is so delicious with pretzels and often served along with grapes. It is a great compliment to Rheingau wine and sekt!

  

The Eltville Sekt Fest was truly a wonderful experience and definitely stands out from the other fests in the area with its relaxation, beauty and class.

  

Spundekäs Recipe:

500g low-fat cream cheese (Magerquark), substitute: Philadelphia (German Frischkäse)

250g plain yoghurt or crème fraiche

1-2 onions (diced)

2-3 table spoons paprika

1 tea spoon salt

Preparation:

1) Mix all ingredients well together.

2) Serve with soft or hard pretzels.
Guten Appetit!

Fest Address: Burgstraße 1, 65343 Eltville am Rhein, Germany


About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Electoral Castle in Eltville: Kurfürstliche Burg

Electoral Castle in Eltville: Kurfürstliche Burg

Located in the Rheingau wine region, on the Rhein River, is the enchanting Electoral Castle which looks like it is right out of a fairytale! Surrounded by wine vineyards, timbered framed houses, rose gardens and slow moving boats going up and down the river, the 14th century Electoral Castle is a delight for your senses.

 

History

Eltville is the oldest town in the Rheingau region, receiving its’ town status in 1332. The castle was built in 1330 by Balduin von Trier, and completed in 1350 by Heinrich von Virneburg. The castle gets its name from from 14th and 15th century when the archbishops and electors of Mainz lived there. During the Holy Roman Empire, the princes who had the right to elect the German kings were called ‘Electors’.

 

In 1635, the entire castle, except for the tower, was destroyed by Swedish troops. The tower that I walked up has a Gutenberg memorial inside which pays tribute to the famous inventor of movable type for the printing press and letterpress printing. The famous inventor was officially honored here in 1465, the only time during his life. Still today visitors of this breathtaking castle get to learn firsthand about Gutenbergs’ accomplishments.



 

Visiting the Castle

I truly enjoyed my day walking about the castle grounds and it is one of the most beautiful castles I have been to in Europe. You first arrive in the courtyard and in the middle is a picturesque well. My daughter asked for a penny and made a wish! The courtyard was inviting and also cool in temperature even though it was over 100 degrees outside.

 

Then I walked into the Gift Shop and Tourist-Information which is at the base of the tower. The room of the gift shop used to be the recreation room for the castle servants. The shop offers a very nice selection of souvenirs, books, prints, gifts, wine samples and more. There you buy your 3 euro ticket to walk up the castle tower. The staircase is a winding stone staircase and along the way they have rooms with displays inside. I appreciated these rooms because I got to catch my breath at each room!

 

The 360 lookout room on top was a remarkable experience with a fantastic view. On one side you see the beautiful vineyard hills and the other a view of the Rhein River. The old lookout posts where the men would stand and look out the thin windows ready to shoot their arrows at any invaders still were intact. I liked to look out and try to feel how they would feel looking at the very same scenery but many many years ago.

 

Outer Courtyard and Rose Garden

After leaving the tower, I headed to the rose garden. I had to go into a wooden covered bridge so well preserved, it looks frozen in time. The garden was so gorgeous that pictured hardly do it justice. The sea of flowers with intoxicating smelling roses made me feel like I stumbled upon an area from my favorite childhood book, ‘The Secret Garden’.

  

Would you like your very own castle for a day?

I was so surprised to learn that you can rent the castle for any private events such as weddings and family celebrations. There are halls for rent and also the rose garden is available to rent. Sounds like making a fairytale party come true! Contact the tourist-information for more details: touristik@eltville.de

Hours and Admission
Opening hours of the inner and outer courtyard and rose garden:

October through March: Daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

April through September: Daily 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 pm

Free admission.



Opening hours of the Tourist-Information and Gift Shop in the castle tower April through October:

Mon, Tue, Thur 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (closed in the morning)

Friday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.



November through March:

Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (closed in the morning)

Saturday, Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.



Place to Eat: Gelbes Haus

Right before you enter the castle grounds, there is a beautiful restaurant called the Gelbes Haus, the Yellow House. They are also a traditional wine bar and serve seasonal local dishes. The picturesque building from the 17th century has a covered terrace which is situated right above the vineyard overlooking the Rhein. What a romantic setting to have dinner after exploring the incredible Electoral Castle! 

Castle Address: Burgstraße 1, 65343 Eltville am Rhein, Germany



About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.