Bright blue skies and puffy white clouds, all shades of red, orange and yellow starting to mix with the lush green of the fields and woods, the mossy yet warm smell of the ground – it is hard to not love sunny fall days. And if you pass by trees full of ripe, rosy apples on your walk through the fields, the day cannot get much better.
The Weser Uplands
The Weser Uplands region in Germany is probably best known for the particular Renaissance buildings in its charming towns. Many also know the region, because the tales of the brothers Grimm are set in the area. The two brothers travelled the region in the 19th century and collected local stories and legends and compiled them in their world famous fairy tale collection. It is still possible to visit the castle that The Sleeping Beauty slept in, wander through the home of Cinderella or follow the steps of the Pied Piper. What is less well known, that the region is part of the natural region Lower Saxon Hills, and offers many beautiful hiking paths and bike routes to explore the natural beauty of the area.
Apple Picking in Fall
My favourite time of year to do that is probably early fall when the leaves are starting to change and the mix of colours is at it’s best. And that is also the time when the trees are hanging full of fruits – not only in the private gardens but also along public countryside roads you can find apples,
However, even if you find trees full of delicious, red apples or pears or plums on public roads, it does not mean that you can just pick them all as you please. If you want to pick large amounts, you would usually need permission to harvest all the apples from a roadside tree. But if you just want to pick one or two for a little snack on the way, or you want to take home a few to make an apple pie later, you are welcome to take a few apples (or pears or plums) from the trees. Just make sure the apple you picked is not already home to someone else (a worm, or insects) before you eat it!
And be aware that most of the trees are already quite old (40+ years) so they often bear old apple varieties, which are generally more resilient and often suitable for allergy sufferers, but they are also often less sweet.
Fun fact: Did you know that apples are a member of the rose family? The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea and their fruits were the favourite of ancient Greeks and Romans.