Several members of Historical Highlights of Germany's 14 consortium cities are offering a range of activities and festivals. The events include one of Europe's most popular jazz festivals, "Enjoy Jazz" in Heidelberg. Münster celebrates the fall with the region's oldest annual "Send" (Fun Fair), serving up family amusements and rides and a full range of culinary specialties; while Potsdam showcases its Harvest Festival, where regional exhibitors offer fresh local produce and handmade products at a castle where Prussian royalty once resided. For its part, Regensburg rolls out its centuries-old Herbstdult festival, featuring beer and wine tents, amusement park rides, music and more.
The 11th annual "Enjoy Jazz" festival runs Oct. 2 to Nov. 11 at the Heidelberg Castle, whose ruins are among the most significant Renaissance structures north of the Alps. The opening concert features American jazz great Charles Lloyd, a tenor saxophonist and flutist renowned as an innovator in the New Age jazz movement. Other artists performing throughout the six-week showcase include Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, Jan Garbarek and Cassandra Wilson. For more information, visit www.enjoyjazz.de.
Drawing more than 1 million visitors each year, Münster's "Send" fair, Oct. 22 to 26, features an array of activities. Set to the backdrop of the city's baroque castle, the fair offers an extensive carnival with upwards of 250 operators participating with rides that run the gamut, food and drink of all types, steam organs playing nostalgic selections and a huge fireworks display on the second night of the event. The first day of the festival is known as family day when the stands offer 20 percent reductions. For more information, visit www.muenster.de.
In Potsdam, the Harvest Festival takes place the weekend of Sept. 26 and 27 at the Krongut Bornstedt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Bornstedt Lake. The festival takes in the rural character of the region, featuring shepherds and breeders presenting their most prized animals, where, similar to America's 4-H fairs, the best of breeds receive awards. Regional exhibitors showcase handicrafts and fresh products, while culinary specialties are served in a nearby brewery's terrace and gardens. For more information, visit www.potsdam-tourism.com.
Regensburg's Herbstdult returns for an Aug. 28 through Sept. 13 run. The festival, whose roots can be traced to the 14th and 15th centuries, has been offered every year since 1929. The "Dult" takes on something of an Oktoberfest feel during the fall, with beer and wine tents, oompa music and marching bands, but also retains its more cozy nature, making it an ideal venue for families. Numerous amusement park rides, stalls selling an array of local products and crafts and fresh baked fish and other food specialties take center stage for many of the visitors -- and, of course, the opportunity to explore the historic city of Regensburg. For more information, visit www.regensburg.de. For general destination information, email [email protected] .
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