For many years, the last weekend in August has been reserved by the city administration for the town twinning with Radebeul. It has become a lovely tradition that citizens' trips to and from Radebeul take place. This year as well, it was the turn of the people from St. Ingbert to visit the partner town in Saxony.
After a smooth bus journey, 40 fellow travelers checked into their hotel rooms in Radebeul on Friday afternoon. On the same evening, an official reception took place on the grounds of the Karl May Museum. Following a warm welcome by the First Mayor Dr. Jörg Müller, Dr. Volkmar Kunze, and Christine Kollmeder from the Radebeul Partnership Committee, there was a small barbecue where the participants of the citizens' trip could get to know each other better. The subsequent tours, one through the Karl May Museum and the other up to the church tower of the Luther Church, also called the "Red Church," were spectacular in every sense of the word. The breathtaking view over nighttime Radebeul was the perfect conclusion to the arrival day.
On Saturday morning, the program continued after breakfast with a city tour to various sights. The first stop was at Schloss Wackerbarth, the first experiential winery in Europe. Here, the travel group was able to take a short walk in the drizzle before it started pouring down heavily. As a result, the guests from St. Ingbert unfortunately could only enjoy the city tour from the bus, but still learned all the important information from a tour guide from Radebeul, who enthusiastically presented her hometown. At Spitzhaus, which towers high above the city, a few daring individuals got off to walk to the Bismarck Tower in the pouring rain. However, their effort was not rewarded, as the usually magnificent view of the Elbe valley was denied to them due to the rain.
The Saturday afternoon and Sunday were free for personal activities. Most participants had already planned a sightseeing program at home. They benefited from the 9-euro ticket, which could be used for trips both within Radebeul and to Dresden or other nearby cities. Thus, the guests from Saarland visited Dresden, the capital of the Free State of Saxony. In addition to the Frauenkirche, the city offers many other attractions, such as the Semperoper or the Zwinger located right next to it. In the beautiful old town, one can also find an impressive Renaissance building, the Residenzschloss of the Saxon electors and kings. Others embarked on a unique journey through time to the Baroque era between 1695 and 1760 by visiting the Panometer Dresden. The artist Yardegard Asisi captivates visitors with his 360-degree panorama, immersing them in the bustling daily life of the Saxon residence city. Another group from St. Ingbert took the train to Bautzen. The district town is especially known for the medium-hot Bautz'ner mustard. On Sundays, the steamships of the "White Fleet" were also a popular excursion destination. Last but not least, in the afternoon, the various wineries in Radebeul were naturally visited in wonderful weather. The "Open Winery Day," which always takes place on the last weekend of August, is very popular not only among locals.
The days in our twin town passed much too quickly, perfectly organized by Maria Pieter, staff member for town twinning at the St. Ingbert town hall. Not only members of the partnership committee attended the farewell on Monday morning, but also Mayor Bert Wendsche: "I am very happy when friends from St. Ingbert visit our city. It is important to continually live and rejuvenate this partnership." He wished everyone a safe journey home, and then it was back to their homeland.
