The best traffic-free bike rides around Heuchelheim-Klingen

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Knight Stefan von Mörlheim, co-founder of the Cistercian monastery of Eußerthal, donated his manor, including a chapel, to the monastery in Mörlheim around 1148. After a turbulent history, the dilapidated St. Martin's Church in Mörlheim passed into Catholic ownership in 1705. The monastery church in Eußerthal and the church in Mörlheim still display a mitre and abbot's staff alongside the cross on their steeples – ecclesiastical symbols that Heinrich Wilhelm, Baron von und zu Sickingen, was permitted to wear as a layman. In 1754, Heinrich Wilhelm, Baron von und zu Sickingen, had the Mörlheim church rebuilt. It was consecrated on September 14, 1754. One hundred and fifty years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, the church had once again fallen into disrepair. The swinging of the bells in the bell tower had weakened the church ceiling, and the cramped space was no longer sufficient for the congregation. One hundred years ago, on July 1, 1912, the reconstruction of the church into the present one began, based on plans by the architect Johannes Albert Boßlet. It was extended to the west, and the existing beamed ceiling was replaced by a Baroque-style lath and plaster ceiling suspended from the roof truss, visually resting on newly added wall piers. Finally, a church tower nearly 30 meters high was erected. Two bells call the faithful to prayer, and the city of Landau owns the clock and its large clock faces. The reconstruction of the church, and especially the construction of the new church tower, was made possible by the Bavarian Church Community Ordinance of 1912. According to this ordinance, even landowners outside the parish could be assessed for the construction and maintenance of religious buildings. A good 75 percent of the land in Mörlheim subject to these assessments formerly belonged to outsiders, the so-called "outsiders." The extensive renovation of the church in 2008 has given the Mörlheim church a great splendor. (Egon Ehmer)

The French Gate at Obertorplatz (Upper Gate Square) marked the southern boundary of the city of Landau in earlier times. Its counterpart, the German Gate at Untertorplatz (Lower Gate Square), bordered Landau to the north. In medieval times, these two city gates were the only possible entrances to the city. The construction of both structures as part of the Vauban fortress dates back to the French architect Sébastien de Vauban and thus to the time when the city of Landau belonged to France. During this period, these two city gates were the only possible access points to the city. Both gates are identical in their design: in the style of Roman triumphal arches, they display the coat of arms of the Bourbon dynasty and that of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Even today, the heart of Landau's city center unfolds between the two gates, which are located approximately 900 meters apart. Source: http://waterclerk-on-tour.de/2019/04/01/franzoesisches-tor-landau-in-der-pfalz/

The Catholic parish church of St. Mary stands in Landau's city center, directly on Marienring. With its imposing size, it is the most magnificent church in the entire Southern Palatinate and is built in the Neo-Romanesque cathedral style. The three-aisled basilica, in late Romanesque and early Gothic forms, impresses with its massive twin-tower facade, its exterior with open buttresses, and its interior with its three-zone wall elevation. On June 12, 1908, the foundation stone for St. Mary's Church was laid according to plans by Josef Cades of Stuttgart. By 1910, the church was structurally complete, with the exception of the two towers. On June 12, 1911, the church was solemnly consecrated by the Bishop of Speyer, Michael von Faulhaber, the future Archbishop of Munich and Freising. ...The Catholic parish church of St. Mary stands in Landau's city center, Landau's city center, and the church stands in Marienring One hundred years later, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, also initially Bishop of Speyer and later Archbishop of Munich and Freising, celebrated the anniversary Mass in his home parish. The construction of the church was estimated to cost around 1 million gold marks at the time (equivalent to approximately 42 million euros today). It is 73 meters long, 40 meters wide, and the nave is 20 meters high. The imposing west towers each reach a height of 60 meters. The church's footprint covers 2,236 square meters, and its volume is 44,673 cubic meters. Approximately 60 single-family homes could fit inside St. Mary's Church. Speyer Cathedral is five times larger. The most recent interior renovation, completed in March 2014, cost 1.3 million euros. The organ (3 manuals / 70 stops), built by G. F. Steinmeyer & Co. and commissioned in 1924, is one of the most important late-Romantic instruments in southern Germany. The parish invested €600,000 in its restoration (2010-2012), with significant support from our Friends of the Church association. Selected works of art from various centuries adorn the church interior. Of particular note are a wooden relief of a late Gothic "Lamentation of Christ," created around 1510, and the "Holy Kinship," which dates from approximately the same period. The ambo, altar, and cross were created in 1974/75 by the Speyer artist Georg Günther Zeuner (1923-2011). In 2024, a light cross by the renowned artist Ludger Hinse (born 1948) was installed in the chancel. Source: https://www.kirchelandau.de/pfarrei-gemeinden/kirchen/kirche-st-maria/

The view of the Trifels is omnipresent in Annweiler.

The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Mary stands in the city center of Landau/Pfalz, directly on the southern ring road. It is the most imposing church in the entire Southern Palatinate. Due to its towering size and neo-Romanesque cathedral style, it is also called the Landau Cathedral. The church is listed in the register of cultural monuments of the independent city of Landau. In 1907, the Roman Catholic Church Council of Landau decided to build a new, larger, and more modern church in the newly developed Landau-Süd district, as the Augustinian church on Königsstraße had become too small. The foundation stone for St. Mary's Church was laid in 1908, based on plans by Joseph Cades of Stuttgart. By 1910, the church was structurally complete, with the exception of the two towers. In 1911, the church was solemnly consecrated by the then Bishop of Speyer and later Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Michael von Faulhaber. St. Mary's Church is, after Speyer Cathedral and the Otterberg Monastery Church, the third largest church in the Palatinate region, along with Speyer Memorial Church. The church is 73 meters long, 40 meters wide, and, including its two west towers, 60 meters high. The interior is characterized by late Romanesque architecture with early Gothic elements. Round-arched windows and buttresses modeled after those of Chartres Cathedral define the exterior. During World War II, the church's sacristy was destroyed by bombing raids. It was later rebuilt in a modern style. A particularly noteworthy feature of St. Mary's Church is the 3.5-meter-high wooden statue of Mary with the Christ Child. The church can be entered via the north side entrance on Marienring. `` The church is, after Speyer Cathedral and the Otterberg Monastery Church, the third largest church in the Palatinate, after Speyer Cathedral, the Memorial Church in Speyer Memorial Church, and the Memorial Church in Speyer Memorial Church, the third largest church in the Palatinate ... The organ of St. Mary's Church was built in 1924 by the organ building firm G. F. Steinmeyer & Co. (Oettingen) with 70 speaking stops across three manuals and pedal (plus two transmissions to the pedal), featuring electro-pneumatic slider chests and electric stop action. In the 1950s, the instrument was rebuilt and adapted to the prevailing tonal ideals of the time ("Baroque-ized"). The original organ case was also replaced with a free-standing pipework case. From 2010 to 2012, the organ underwent a comprehensive restoration by Romanus Seifert & Son (Kevelaer), with the aim of restoring its original late-Romantic state from 1924. Of the approximately 4,500 original pipes, about 3,500 remain, as does a large part of the mechanical components. ] † ... ...... Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtpfarrkirche_St._Maria_(Landau_in_der_Pfalz)

The French Gate – also known as the Lower Gate, formerly called the Porte de France – is a listed building in Landau in der Pfalz. It marks the southern end of the old town and is located at Obertorplatz 4. An epitaph for Joseph de Montclar, also a listed monument, is located there. The gate, built between 1688 and 1691, together with its northern counterpart – the German Gate – forms one of two remaining sections of the main wall of the Landau fortress. Until well into the 19th century, it was only one of two ways to enter or leave the city. Partly because this became an increasing obstacle after the opening of the Neustadt–Wissembourg railway line and the city's train station, the fortress was abandoned in 1871, and another, eastern entrance was created in the form of what is now Ostbahnstraße. ... The structure is a Baroque gateway, consisting of a partially three-aisled hall and a magazine building, dating from around 1690. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban was the architect responsible for its design. The gateway's design is a reference to the French King Louis XIV. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz%C3%B6sisches_Tor

Small stone seating area with some shade in the fields.