Bad Dürkheim (
; ) is a district in
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (; ) is a town in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, 666 kilometers (414 m ...
,
Donnersbergkreis and
Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms () is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise) the district Groß-Gerau (district), Groß-Gerau (Hesse), the city of Worms, Germany, Worms and the districts of Bad Dürkheim (district) ...
, the city of
Worms
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms.
Content
The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...
, the
Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, the city of
Neustadt/Weinstraße, the districts of
Südliche Weinstraße, the city of
Landau
Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...
(the Taubensuhl/Fassendeich forest part of the city), the district
Südwestpfalz, and the city of
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (; ) is a town in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, 666 kilometers (414 m ...
.
History
The eastern rim of the
Palatinate forest
The Palatinate Forest (; ), sometimes also called the Palatine Forest, is a List of landscapes in Rhineland-Palatinate, low-mountain region in southwestern Germany, located in the Palatinate (region), Palatinate in the state of Rhineland-Palatina ...
has been densely populated since the Middle Ages. Several medieval castles show the significance of the region during the early
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
.
The district was established in 1969 by combining portions of the former districts of Neustadt and Frankenthal.
Dialect
The dialect of Bad Dürkheim and environs is closer to the
Pennsylvania Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...
language—also known as
Pennsylvania German or as Deitsch, the native tongue of the
Amish
The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...
and others—than any other dialect of German.
Geography
The district is located on the eastern rim of the
Palatinate Forest
The Palatinate Forest (; ), sometimes also called the Palatine Forest, is a List of landscapes in Rhineland-Palatinate, low-mountain region in southwestern Germany, located in the Palatinate (region), Palatinate in the state of Rhineland-Palatina ...
a line of hills called the Haardt. The
German Wine Road (''Deutsche Weinstraße''), a scenic road along the best vineyards of the
Palatinate wine region, runs through the district from north to south. The district is sometimes called "the heart of the Palatinate".
The best wine-growing area is the ''Mittelhaardt'' ("
Middle Haardt"), where the
Riesling
Riesling ( , ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...
wine is cultivated, which is considered to be one of the best German wines.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays:
* The heraldic lion of the Palatinate
* Grapes symbolising the Wine Road and the vineyards
* The heraldic eagle of the former county of Leiningen
Towns and municipalities
References
External links
* (German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bad Durkheim (District)
Districts of Rhineland-Palatinate
Anterior Palatinate