Red wine and world literature ­ a gourmet cornucopia

Steeply rising hills and glorious sunshine: the Heilbronner Land, part of the Heilbronn- Franconia region, is one of Baden-Württemberg's top red wine areas, a rural idyll of vineyards and wooded peaks. The region, which takes its name from the town of Heilbronn, was once intersected by the Roman Limes; even today traces of history await at every turn ­ Roman forts, Württemberg's trench border defences and numerous castles and stately homes.

Swabian-Franconian Forest

Walkers in the Heilbronner Land can head up the Löwenstein hills or discover the rest of the Swabian-Franconian Forest nature reserve. There are many options for day trips and you're also close to the vineyards along the River Neckar, which have an almost mediterranean quality. With unspoilt rivers weaving through its undulating hills, the Heilbronner Land is perfect for racing cyclists and leisure cyclists too. Need to cool off? Then make a stop at Lake Breitenau, the largest swimming lake in north Württemberg, for fun in and beside the water.

Heilbronn

Heilbronn is in the heart of Germany's no. 1 red wine country, with 510 hectares of vineyards on the banks of the River Neckar. The 6km Wine Panorama Route on the slopes of Mount Wartberg features lots of historical wayside exhibits and offers insights into the fascinating art of viticulture. You can turn on the style and sample fine wines at the Wine Villa in Heilbronn or at the Heilbronn Wine Festival in September, when 30 growers and cooperatives present over 300 different wines and sekt against the backdrop of the town hall. After being largely destroyed during the Second World War, today Heilbronn is a thoroughly modern city. Several important historical buildings survived the bombings; others were rebuilt, including St. Kilian's Church and the Götzenturm tower, a vestige of the old town fortifications named after Goethe's Götz von Berlichingen. Heilbronn may be familiar to some through a fictional character: Käthchen von Heilbronn, the eponymous heroine of Heinrich von Kleist's play ­ also titled The Trial by Fire ­ which has entered the canon of world literature.

Bad Wimpfen

The Celts, the Romans and the Hohenstaufens all left their mark on Bad Wimpfen. The town's name reflects its Celtic origins, the etymology of Wimpfen being `rampart on the hill'. As for the Romans, they left behind a `heaven of the gods', a fine collection of deity statues now on display at the Steinhaus historical museum. Even today Bad Wimpfen is dominated by a monument from the Hohenstaufen era. The imperial palace ­ with its striking towers, Steinhaus, Hohenstaufen gate, chapel and arcades ­ is the most substantial preserved complex of its kind. Like Bad Rappenau, Bad Wimpfen is an approved saline spa resort. It became a sought-after destination after the salt evaporation works opened and the Mathildenbad spa hotel was built in 1835.

Jagsthausen

Jagsthausen is the birthplace of the legendary `knight with the iron hand'. Götz von Berlichingen, whom Goethe immortalised in his play of the same name, was born at the family castle in 1480. His prosthetic iron hand, which replaced the one he lost in the Landshut war of succession, is now on show in the castle museum. During the summer the Jagsthausen festival turns the castle into an exciting backdrop for world theatre.

Red wine and Germany's first patented chocolate

Wine and chocolate are a great match, as people in the Heilbronner Land recognised a long time ago; the Essigschleckerle was the first chocolate ever patented. Locally grown products, for example Lauffen new potatoes and Brettach apples, are typical ingredients in the hearty dishes that complement the region's wines. One prominent fan of Württemberg's regional cuisine was Theodor Heuss, the first president of West Germany.