Maibaum Celebrations... and an Ode to Joy?

It's that time of the year, when German towns celebrate the arrival of spring by raising a decorated maypole in their central square. If you haven't made plans for the long weekend of April 25th, let's then have a journey to the Black Forest and witness the ceremony, as well as have a couple of hikes.

This trip will be #2 to Germany and is a sequel to last January's Carnival&concert journey to Loerrach (there will be a third Black Forest journey, later on at the end of June: be sure to save the date! It will be on the last weekend of June)

As usual, for witnessing the Maibaum festival there are many towns we can choose from: we'll probably pick either Hinterzarten or Kirchzarten, as we can easily combine hiking and parade there.

However, there's more than just maypoles scheduled next week. The German/Swiss town of Rheinfelden will be celebrating a beer festival. Even more interesting is what the town of Baden Baden has in store. Since Beethoven's Ode to Joy is celebrating its 200th birthday this year, they are arranging a flashmob with a full fledged professional orchestra, with singers from Strasbourg and Ludwigshafen... and us! Don't know how they are going to pull this idea off, I guess they only way to find out is by going ourselves to Baden Baden.

Train-wise, let's catch a train to Basel/Black Forest on April 25th (and, since Bahn allows it, let's have a one hour stopover in the thermal town of Baden, so as to see their natural hot pools)