I’m always looking for new things to do, especially on Sundays.  Today, I was inspired by the continuing beautiful weather to take a trip to a place Bill and I had never been to before.  I remembered that one of Bill’s coworkers had suggested a cool Biergarten in Seewald.  After searching all my bookmarks, I suggested it to Bill, who had originally planned for us to visit the commissary.  I’m pretty glad I talked him out of that, especially after our little road trip today!

Although Unterjettingen is not all that close to the military installations near Stuttgart, it is in a great area for finding things to do.  Yesterday’s trip to the Barfuss Park was pretty painless; it’s only about a half an hour from where we live.  Likewise, Seewald is also within about a 30 or 40 minute drive.  I was keen to try the Seeheiner Gasthof and Cafe.  I knew the Seeheiner was next to a lake.  What I didn’t know is that the Seewald is a great place to hang out, swim, boat, have a picnic, and enjoy nature.  In fact, many Germans were doing just that today.

I snapped this shot as we sat at a light in Altensteig, a picturesque town we passed through on our way to Seewald.

 

As we approached the biergarten, I noticed there were many, many cars… and even more bikes!  Seeheiner’s parking lot was full of motorcycles.  Plenty of people were parked on the side of the road and most of the parking lots were full.  Undaunted, we parked in P2, which is a lot a bit past the biergarten.  We made our way there, enjoying the majestic beauty of the lake, surrounded by evergreens and full of people having fun.

A man checks out a commemorative sign…

My first unobstructed glimpse of Seewald.

Plenty of people brought all manner of boats and rafts. 

Bringing your dog?  Seewald has you covered.  Unfortunately, not everyone availed themselves of this Hundestation.

At last, we reached the biergarten.  We wanted to sit outside, but every table was taken.  People were especially eager to take the tables on the slowly rotating platform that offered 360 degree views of the lake and the surrounding areas.  Seeheiner has lots of outdoor seating.  Besides the rotating platform, there are a couple of wraparound balconies offering views of the lake.  There’s also seating out front.  We didn’t want to wait for a table outside, so we decided to eat inside.  That was actually okay, since Bill and I drove the Mini convertible and already got some sun on the way to and from the lake.

Beer!

A shot of the rotating platform.  It moves very slowly round and round…

And another shot of the bikes… Bikers obviously love Seeheiner!

It was a beautiful day!

Bill checks out the menu.

 

Seeheiner has warm food throughout the day, though some dishes are only available at certain times of the day.  If you want a traditional lunch, you should arrive between 11:00 and 2:00pm.  The food is very typical hearty Swabian cuisine.  I saw only a few options for vegetarians, though there is a menu for kids.  The wait staff was working very hard and it took some time for them to get to us.  The food turned out to be well worth the wait.  Not only does Seeheiner boast a great location, it also offers delicious food.

Bill and I both had Hefeweizens.

And we had salads, though our dishes were so large that we probably shouldn’t have.  I could only eat about a third of this.

Bill had Schweinebraten.  He said it was probably the best he’s ever had.  I have to admit, this pork was super tender and flavorful.  It was delicious!

I had fresh Nagolder trout. As you can see, it’s liberally sprinkled with toasted almond slivers and accompanied by parsleyed potatoes.  The fish was also excellent.  It was super fresh, moist, and flavorful.  I managed to eat a little over half before I had to stop.  I thought about taking it home for lunch tomorrow, but thought better of it when I realized we were going to want to walk around a bit.  What a shame!

 

I noticed quite a few delicious looking desserts heading out the door… lots of ice cream creations and cakes.  If we were going to be spending the night in Seewald, I might have come back later for a late afternoon sweet.  As it was, we were too full to even consider having dessert.  Our bill was just over forty euros.

A better shot of the sign as we were leaving.

We took a walk around the lake and I found myself wishing I’d worn my bathing suit.  I have been itching to take a swim for some time now!  Maybe we’ll go back next weekend, if the weather holds up for us.  The following are some photos I took as we explored Seewald, a name that now means more to me than just Jessa Duggar’s new last name.  😉

The Seeheiner is one of several nice looking biergartens in the Seewald area.  I also noticed there were lots of people camping in the area.  There is also a small snack bar near the Seeheiner for those who just want a snack and don’t want to battle crowds at Seeheiner.  I also noticed a pubic restroom near where we parked.

When we got back to our car, the guy who was parked next to us had his door open, blocking me from entering my vehicle.  Bill told the guy in German that we were going to leave.  He came around and closed his door.  I got into the car.  As I put the top down on my convertible, he smiled and asked in German if we wanted to trade cars with him.  He was driving a minivan!  Nein danke!

What a beautiful day to go to the lake and enjoy the sunshine.  If you’re looking for a way to spend a warm sunny Sunday, Seewald is a good bet!

But get there early…  Parking is a bit tricky!  At least it doesn’t cost anything!