Bergstraße (translated: hill street) is a Kreis (district) in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Groß-Gerau, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Odenwaldkreis, Rhein-Neckar, district-free Mannheim, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and district-free Worms.
The district was created in 1938, when the two precursor districts Bensheim and Heppenheim were merged.
Geography
The district is located in the Odenwald mountains. The Bergstraße is a touristical route which leads from Darmstadt to Wiesloch, the northern part of this route goes through the district and gave it its name.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is split into four quarters. In the top-left it shows the Starkenburg castle, which is one of the main castles in the district. The flower in the top-right stands for the flower-richness in spring. The cross in the bottom-left derives from the coat of arms of the imperial abbey of Lorsch, and the lion in the bottom-right is the sign of Hesse.
It was only then that the section of the Bergstrasse that stretches from Frankfort to Heidelberg was given an independent status as the smallest German wine region with 456ha planted...
Today, the wine growers of the area are beginning to produce wines made from Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes, and in the deep loess soil of the lower slopes Burgundy wines are also being introduced.
Hessische Bergstrasse in Wein-Plus Wine Guide - With a very complete modern history of the region, a discussion of the grapes and the wines produced and a map of the towns this site is a great resource.
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