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"Die Weinstraße Saale-Unstrut" (The Saale-Unstrut Wine Route) is the title of a travel guide that aims to open up one of the wine-growing regions around Freyburg, Naumburg and Bad Kösen, located furthest north in Germany, with tips and tours.

The tourist experiences the cultural landscape between Saale and Unstrut with sharp contrasts between Romanesque and GDR, lush vineyards and wide fields, Tuscany and tractor. The same applies to viticulture: on the one hand, it has an almost 1000-year-old tradition here, and yet cultivation is still young: it was only after the fall of the Wall at the beginning of the 1990s that winegrowers began to recultivate the vineyards using sometimes unconventional methods, thus revitalising the region.


Solid basic information for cultural tourists

The basic information in the book by Dr. Michael Pantenius from nearby Halle is solid and comprehensive. The detailed guide is divided into nine "tours" and offers tips as well as all the important information on sights, restaurants and wineries. It describes in detail the history of the towns and many places worth seeing. Telephone numbers, websites and opening hours are not missing. The individual wine locations of the areas are also listed.

It is a pity that the stations of the tours are neither on the overview maps nor connected in terms of content. Only places and sights that are easy to reach are described one after the other, without indicating comprehensibly compiled, larger routes. But especially for hikers and cyclists a few real routes, tips and descriptions would have done well. Well done, however, are the city walks, which are easy to follow.


Wine and winegrowers: a little too optimistic

The individual wineries are described in such a way that even those interested in wine can follow without prior knowledge. But in their descriptions, one aspect becomes clear that runs through the whole book: Pantenius formulates too nicely, too positively, too little differentiated. Thus, varieties are developed "with expertise, care, even true mastery". He repeatedly lists the medals won by wineries in the state and federal wine awards, describes sparkling wine with "aromatic assertiveness" or lets the products of a vintner experience nationwide recognition as "selected specialties". The book does not give clear recommendations where to buy top wines or where to enjoy uncomplicated wines by the glass in beautiful surroundings. Both are often right next to each other in the region. So the wine fan has to search for himself.

Little background on climate and soil

Wine lovers with a greater need for information also receive little background on soils, microclimate and growing conditions. The wine glossary and the list of cultivated varieties at the end of the book also make clear that the book is rather addressed to people interested in tourism than to wine fans.

Thus, it is almost inevitable that the guidebook focuses exclusively on the tourist attractions and conveys little of the contrasts of this interesting landscape and its wines. The descriptions of some hotels, sights and villages also turn out to be too optimistic. Those who set out and find the aforementioned property might occasionally be disappointed. In this respect, the travel guide "Saale-Unstrut Wine Route" arouses curiosity, but - despite partly good detail and tips - does not quite do justice to the region, its special charm and its wines.

This book at Amazon

Travel guide "The Saale-Unstrut Wine Route", Dr. Michael Pantenius, Mitteldeutscher Verlag, 175 pages, ISBN 3898124185, 11,80

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