Spring is arriving in Bavaria, and with it, life. The birds are chirping again, the cherry trees are blooming, and more and more flowers are sprouting from the ground. A particularly large floral paradise awaits you in Rain am Lech, where one park follows another. The town is also known as the “Flower City” and is therefore perfect for a spring outing.
Georg Weber in the Flower City
Rain has just over 9,000 residents, yet boasts a large number of parks. It owes this in no small part to Georg Weber, the founder of the Dehner garden center chain. In 1940, Weber married Albertine Dehner, a native of Rain, and joined her parents’ business. At the age of 37, he finally founded his own wholesale seed-breeding business, and shortly thereafter, the first Dehner branch opened in Munich . Decades later, Weber was awarded honorary citizenship of Rain, and in 1980, he reciprocated by establishing a park.
Georg Weber Park covers approximately 4,000 square meters and is distinguished above all by its fountain and the many roses. The pavilion in the park dates back to the 1983 IGA in Munich. But it is not the only green space in Rain associated with Dehner. Next to the garden center lies the Dehner Flower Park, which the company had created. Spanning an incredible 30,000 square meters , the show gardens feature a wide variety of plants and even real flamingos! On the other side of the Lech River lies the Dehner Nature Education Garden, where you can explore trees, insects, and shrubs across an additional 12,000 square meters and walk along the barefoot path.
More parks and other attractions in Rain
Georg Weber and Dehner undoubtedly both had a major influence on Rain’s park landscape. But the small town on the Lech actually has even more parks that were created independently of the entrepreneur and his company. The former ramparts of the city fortifications first became pastures and farmland before transforming into gardens. Today, they surround the old town as a five-hectare city park. In the city park, you’ll find the perennial garden, which was created for the 2009 Garden Show. Here, the plants bloom in the most vibrant colors, evoking a true sense of spring. At the Kneipp facility, you can get your circulation going, and the chessboard will get your mind racing.
Rain also has a castle adjacent to a castle park, where you can also enjoy the sight of flowers and flower beds. The castle itself was built by Duke Stefan II of Wittelsbach. Due to its location on the Lech River, just before it flows into the Danube, Rain was an important ducal town, as customs duties were collected here. The old town itself, away from the parks and gardens, is also definitely worth seeing. The center is formed by the Rococo town hall at the western end of the main street. This street is lined on both sides by old townhouses, which lend the town its special charm. The Tilly Monument, the Schwabtor, the Marienbrunnen, and the Mariengrotte are also worth a look. Those who prefer something a bit spookier can visit the ossuary and view the skulls in one of Bavaria’s last ossuaries.
