Here in Germany, Fasching has come and gone, although you can still
catch a “Laetare” carnival, those that occur the weekend of the fourth
Sunday of Lent (March 22 in 2009) in neighboring Belgium. So you may be
wondering what on earth could brighten your spirits in the days to
come. Well, those in the Heidelberg-Mannheim area can rejoice in the
fact that the first of the spring fests is kicking off this weekend.
The delightful little Bergstrasse town of Schreisheim hosts its annual
Mathaise-Markt, which runs March 6-13. While you’re on the Bergstrasse,
why not do a little hiking, or visit one of the castles along the
route? If you live in this general area, another date to mark on your
calendar is March 21. The Long Night of Museums sees a myriad events
taking place in venues in Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen and Mannheim up
until 2 a.m. the next day, with public transportation laid on late to
take you home afterwards.

If you live elsewhere in Germany, there are a few other events of
interest going on. The Nuremberg Messe is hosting a Leisure and
Recreation Fair, which could lead to inspiration for travel ideas, now
through March 8. Japan and scuba diving are some of the featured
topics. The town of Fürth is hosting its Poculatorfest, a festival
celebrating a strong bock beer, March 6-8. Or head to Munich, where
many a brewery is offering this seasonal beer. For more sober fun,
visit an Easter Egg market — they’re springing up around Germany over
the next few weekends; on March 7-8, you could visit the ones in
Seligenstadt, Maulbronn Monastery, or Eberbach Monastery.