A bit of Tuscany, a bit of Alsace and many cities rich in history: the Palatinate is one of Germany's most appealing wine regions. The Weinstraße is jacketed by plump grapes, fruity figs and earthy almonds. And in the middle of it all lies your host, Pfalzhotel Asselheim.

Pfalzhotel Asselheim lies directly on the Deutsche Weinstraße and in the centre of the cultural landscape between the Mosel and Neckar rivers. From here, many historical and modern sights can be reached with just a short drive.

• Wine, forest and fortresses are the signs of the Leiningerland. The most well-known excursion destination is Neuleinigen, a medieval village with its fortress ruins (near Grünstadt). Opposite it, to the south, lie the ruins of Battenberg Fortress, with its view over the Leininger valley down into the Rhine valley. You can find out everything about the art of wine making by visiting the vintners' town of Bockenheim with its Haus des Weines ("House of Wine") and the wine-growing exhibition trail. A popular destination is the Weinwanderhütte ("wine hiking cabin") on Asselheim's Goldberg hill.
• Fortresses in Altleiningen, Battenberg, Neuleiningen, Wachenheim, Bad Dürkheim, Hambach and Neustadt
• Towns and villages along the Deutsche Weinstraße: Bad Dürkheim, Freinsheim, Deidesheim, Maikammer, Neustadt, Landau and more
  • Deutsche Weinstraße: The flair of the Bad Dürkheim with its "Great Vat" can be felt when visiting the salt production site and walking through the spa gardens. Worth visiting: Giant vat, Limburg monastery ruins Wachenheim is known for the Wachtenburg and the sparking wine producer in Steinhausserschen Hof. Worth visiting: The scale and weight museum, farming museum and craft museum. Near Neustadt an der Weinstraße lies the Hambacher Schloss (Hambach Palace), testimony to German democracy. Landau has the Schloss Villa Ludwigshöhe, the summer residence of Ludwig I, King of Bavaria.
• The cathedral cities of Worms (19 km) and Speyer (45 km)
  • Worms is famous for its late Romanesque imperial cathedral and the Nibelungs. You can trace the path of the Nibelungs at the Nibelung Museum and by visiting the Hagendenkmal (Hagen monument) on the Rhine and the Nibelung Gate on the Rhine Bridge. The synagogue and Jewish Museum serve as remembrance of the large Jewish community in medieval times.
  • Speyer combines the present with 2,000 years of history. The Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church), Judenbad (Jewish baths) and a modern shopping district characterise the face of the city. The thousand-year-old cathedral, with its imperial tombs, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Worthwhile: The technology museum, the historical museum of the Palatinate and Sea Life.
• Heidelberg with its castle, its intact old town and its romantic location on the Neckar is world-famous. Worthwhile: A ship cruise down the Neckar or Bingen am Rhine, the Kurpfälzisches Museum and the German apothecary museum.
• Trier is considered to be the oldest city in Germany. From here, Roman emperors ruled the western part of the empire for centuries. Evidence of its vast history are the Basilica, the ruins of the imperial thermal baths and the Porta Nigra. The Porta Nigra is the best place to start exploring the city. It is the best-conserved Roman city gate north of the Alps - an unforgettable connection between the ancient past and the modern city of today.
• Koblenz. With the settlement of the Teutonic Knights at the junction of Rhine and Mosel in the year 1216, this historic location earned its name "Deutsches Eck" ("German Corner"). In the year 1888, shortly after the death of Kaiser Wilhelm I, the idea was born of building a monument to the Kaiser, who accomplished the unification of Germany after three wars. The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal. Three years later, his grandson Kaiser Wilhelm II chose the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz as a suitable location.
• The Alsace region, a paradise for fans of French cuisine and wines, not to mention the French way of life, is directly adjacent to the Palatinate.
• Barbarossa and football city Kaiserslautern (35 km)
• Planetarium in Mannheim (30 km)
• Castle and castle gardens in Schwetzingen (50 km)
• Tip: The open-air bus tours the Deutsche Weinstraße on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from May to October.