German Wine Route: Bad Bergzabern

Bad Bergzabern is a town with 7800 inhabitants and an area of 10,7 km². Town ordinances and privileges where conferred in 1286 by Rudolph I. of germany. From 1792 to 1815 Bergzabern belonged to France.

Edith Stein, a Carmelite nun, martyr and saint of the catholic church who died in Auschwitz was baptized in the church of St. Martin on 1. january 1922.

Bad Bergzabern is a health resort since 1964 and therefore allowed to have the addition “Bad” in its name.

Castle Bergzabern, once the residence of the counts of Zweibruecken is the towns landmark in the middle of the city. A fortification castle was constructed around the 12th – 13th century, presumably by the counts of Saarbruecken. This castle was first documentarys mentioned in 1333. The former fortification was destroyed in 1525. Ludwig I. of Zweibruecken reconstructed the building in a mix of fortification and residence castle. The southern parts where finished in 1532, at that time the castle was still being protected by a moat.

The castle was widely destroyed by french troops in 1676 but reconstructed from 1720 – 1725, in 1794 french troops conquered the castle and auctioned it in 1803. About that time the moat was filled with debris. The town of Bergzabern bought the building around 1805, in 1909 the castle was largely destroyed by a fire, after comprehensive reconstruction in 19844 today it is the municipal administration.

Vineyards of Bad Bergzabern, Bad Bergzaberner Weinlagen

  • Kloster Liebfrauenberg, Grosslage; 2390 ha
  • Altenberg; 35 ha
  • Wonneberg; 25 ha