Deidesheim is a small, picture perfect village nestled along the German Wine Road in the Rhineland Palatinate, with quiet winding cobble stoned streets, timber-framed houses and rustic wine taverns. It was made world-famous, when former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who lived close-by and fell in love with the place, brought high-ranking visitors such as Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Spanish King and Queen Juan Carlos I and Sofia to town and introduced them to local Palatian fare such as Saumagen at the Deidesheimer Hof.
Deidesheim was also one of the first places in Germany to become a member of the Cittaslow movement, the Slow Cities league, which was started in Italy. Here, quality of life is king, cultural diversity and traditions are honored, and locals and tourists alike savor life out of the fast lane.
So how can enjoy the relaxed pace of Deidesheim best? Let’s begin with the basics: In Deidesheim, quality of life starts with good, local food; besides the "Deidesheimer Hof", which houses the rustic restaurant St. Urban, the gourmet restaurant Schwarzer Hahn, and a 5-star hotel (Am Marktplatz), you should also check out Zur Kanne. The Michelin-starred restaurant offers regional and seasonal dishes and dating back to 1160, is the oldest restaurant in Rhineland Palatinate (Weinstrasse 31).
But wherever you go in Deidesheim, you will find organic, locally grown food; thanks to the mild and Mediterranean climate in Rhineland Palatinate, there’s an abundance of exotic fruits such as figs, almonds, lemons, and oranges – a rarity in Germany. If you head to Deidenheim’s little street called Feigengasse, you’ll see a fig tree planted in front of every house. For some sweet souvenirs, check out the family-run Biffar estate, the only candied fruit manufacturer of its kind in Germany. For four generations, family Biffar has created candied fruits and ginger, chocolates, and crystallized flowers. A special treat: candied black walnuts and Palatinate green almonds (Niederkircherstr. 15).
