Ahrweiler-Bad Neuenahr (31 May 08)
The next morning after breakfast, we decided to take a walk to the Ahrweiler old town which is around 3 km to the west of Bad-Neuenahr.
It was a very lovely walk to Ahrweiler and reinforces the impression of the place as a wellness and resort town for the retired rich. Everything was at an unhurried pace and people were either cycling, jogging, strolling or walking their dogs. The weather was very cool and balmy, perfect for the long walk.
****3km to Ahrweiler
****scenic parks and river views along the walk
****the vineyards covering the hill slopes
****nearing Ahrweiler - the tower gate at the entrance of the old town
Ahrweiler is a very pretty and lively medieval town surrounded by ancient walls from the roman times. Most of the old half-timbered buildings are still intact and there are lots of shops, butcheries, bakeries, wine taverns and restaurants in the town.
We took some time to explore the place and got side-tracked for a while into a shop selling made-in-italy handbags at reasonable prices. Bought a mock-ostrich leather bag while my friend bought 2 leather sling bags and a leather pencil case.
****Ahrweiler pedestrian streets
Lunch hours are fairly strictly observed over here so at around 12.30pm, the streets seemed much less crowded compared to the morning. We peeped into a few restaurants - those that seemed promising were packed with people. We ended up at the Alt-Ahrweiler Restaurant near the market place. Luckily there was still a table left at the back of the restaurant.
I had a schnitzel 'jager' - breaded pork chops served with mushroom gravy and french fries. It was very tasty and the mushroom gravy went well with the fries. As with other meals, we also sampled the house red wines.
****Schnitzel ' jager' at Alt-Ahrweiler Restaurant
****the tourist train from the Ahrweiler market place to Steigenberger hotel in Bad-Neuenahr
We still had some time in the afternoon to do some sight-seeing and so decided to take a drive along the Ahr river to visit nearby wine towns like Dernau and Alternahr. After all the morning walks and heavy lunch, we ended up feeling too lethargic to do any more sight-seeing on foot particularly on a warm and sunny afternoon. So after doing some rounds in the car, we headed back to Bad Neuenahr. Just on the outskirts of the town, we saw a large supermarket 'Rewe' and decided to do some shopping. There was a good variety of products and foodstuff on sale and the prices were much cheaper than the supermarket in town.
After resting at the hotel, it was time again for another important decision of the day - where to go for dinner. We decided to checkout the Ascona restaurant which was recommended by Roelof and the friendly owner of a nearby pattiserie. The restaurant is in town near the riverbank, so just an easy 7-8 mins stroll away.
****Restaurant Ascona Bad Neuenahr
The daily set menus were reasonable priced compared to the prices in the Hague. I think it's generally cheaper to dine out in Germany than Holland. I opted for the duck menu with beef soup starter and pumpkin pie desert.
The soup was ok, a little bit salty and thin. The duck in orange sauce was very tender and medium-well cooked. The skin was nice and crispy and the portions were quite generous.
****beef bouillon soup
****duck in orange sauce with brocolli and almond flakes
Overall the service at the Ascona restaurant was excellent and the ambience very elegant. The cuisine was not exactly typical German but rather modern French-German fusion. It was a change from the traditional taverns and restaurants that we had visited so far.
After dinner we decided to take a walk to the Kurpark. It's a compact and lovely park with a large opera/concert hall. Apparently it also functions as a social place for the elderly with dances held there several times a week. It's also a rare park that does not allow pets and an entrance fee is required during the day.
****strolling in the Kurpark
**** the concert hall and restaurant in the Kurpark
****the casino adjoining the park
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