I’ve been to a lot of wineries for “Places to Love,” but this is the first time I’ve heard of the “future wine” movement! As Germany’s largest wine-growing region, Rheinhessen has become known for innovation just as much as it’s known for its Rieslings. One of those particularly innovative wineries is Eva Vollmer Winery. I had the chance to meet with its owner and namesake to learn precisely what future wines are and how her winery operates like an open-air laboratory.

Germany may be known for its biergärten culture, but when it comes to Mainz, it’s all about the weinhäuser – or wine houses. I stopped into one of the oldest in the city, Weinhaus Lösch. Back in the day it was once a blacksmith’s shop where many came to have their horses shod. Since the blacksmith also had a liquor license, he’d sell beer in the backrooms. Later, after the blacksmith shop closed and cars replaced horses, the newer owners opened a wine and beer restaurant since the building still maintained its liquor license! Today, they serve up all sorts of wines from wineries within 20 kilometers of Mainz.

For our next city in Germany, we’re headed to the capital of Hessen – Wiesbaden. One of the first things you’ll want to do here is visit Museum Wiesbaden to explore their rare contemporary art collection and their newly permanent Art Nouveau collection. Art Nouveau was a movement across Europe and the US that sought to explore a new style of art inspired in part by nature and youth. I walked around with the museum’s executive director, Dr. Andreas Henning, to learn all about the various pieces and what Art Nouveau really meant.

The beauty of Wiesbaden is that it’s all about relaxation. And one of the sweetest ways to relax here? With some chocolate treats at Confiserie Kunder. They’ve been here for over 125 years and have been owned by the same family to this day. I met with Wiebke Brand, a 5th-generation chocolatier, who helped me figure out what exactly to try. The first to try? The pineapple tart! When the shop’s founder, pastry chef Fritz Kunder, first made it in 1903, all the ingredients were considered very rare. The shop still makes the tarts the same way, and those with better self-control than me often manage to bring some back as souvenirs for friends and family! Of course, when you sit down to try it, be sure to order some hot chocolate as well. They serve the drink up in quite a unique way

Only a two-hour drive from Wiesbaden is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world – Rothenburg ob der Tauber. During the Middle Ages, it sat at the intersection of two very popular trade routes, Prague to Paris and Hamburg to Venice. This made Rothenburg extremely wealthy, which is why it’s filled with these beautiful, Medieval Gothic-style buildings today. I learned from local historian Lothar Schmidt that following the end of the Thirty Years War, it lost much of its power, and for centuries after, there was simply not enough money to renovate or build newer buildings. By the time the city was re-discovered in the 19th century, it looked like something out of a fairytale, and people from all over wanted to experience it for themselves

If you’re thinking of coming to Rothenburg only as a day trip, think again! Instead, stay the night at the charming Romantik Hotel Markusturm. The building itself was built in 1264 AD as a tollhouse for the connected Markus Tower and Röder Arch. It became a hotel in the 1500s and in the Berger family since 1898. I met with Lissy Berger, a 5th generation hotelier, over dinner to chat about what it’s like continuing to preserve such a historic hotel while also making changes for future generations.

Germany, and Rothenburg especially, is known for its holiday beauty. There’s nothing quite like visiting near Christmastime to explore the markets! However, if you happen to visit outside of the holiday period, don’t fret – Käthe Wohlfahrt is open all year long and is a Christmas-lover’s dream! With over 20,000 handmade items across 1,000 square meters, you’ll feel like you’re entering a Christmas Village even in the middle of summer. Even better? Third-generation owner Takuma Wohlfahrt let me know that not only is every single item handmade but they’re handmade in the German regions they traditionally come from.