A Stroll Through German Village {Columbus, Ohio}

Last weekend we seized the opportunity for a road trip and met up with my brother and his family in Columbus, Ohio. None of us had visited before, so we were pretty excited about our little adventure. Now that we are back, I am happy to say that we had a great time and would not hesitate to return!


Our first stop on our trip was the German Village. The German Village is a sizable historic district in Columbus largely settled by German immigrants in the early to mid-nineteenth century. The Village is populated with charming brick buildings with impressive craftsmanship and details. Although we visited on a Saturday, the neighborhood was pretty quiet and we enjoyed ambling along the streets admiring the buildings and brilliant spring gardens. I could walk there for hours!

Mary B's in The Red Stable--full of local art

The German Village does have a self-guided walking tour that you can pick up at the Meeting Haus for a fee. For this visit, we did not have the opportunity to take the tour but would love to in the future. We did, however, explore some of the stores in the village and enjoyed their unique flavor.
In Mary B's we found creations from local artists. My heaven! Helen Winnemore's down the street holds two floors full of American-made items. Some truly beautiful items crafted by gifted artisans! While in the area, do not miss The Book Loft which has 32 rooms of books. The Book Loft is truly an adventure and you may get lost inside--but that is ok since you will be in book heaven!

Helen Winnemore's cache of treasures.

A maze of books at The Book Loft.

Since we were traveling with youngsters--and walking worked up an appetite--we needed a bite to eat during our exploration. Really, there was no question about where to eat. We of course had to try Schmidt's--a Columbus staple! Schmidt's history goes far back and it has long been part of German Village! German immigrant J. Fred Schmidt opened a meat packing house in the location in 1886. Using some of the recipes from the sausage from the meat packing venture and dessert recipes from German women running the kitchen, Schmidt's restaurant was opened in 1967. Today, Schmidt's is still run by the family. So, how can you not visit? Such a fun place with fun energy!

Schmidt's is a tradition!

We did enjoy our authentic German fare at Schmidt's. The sausages especially are excellent. Thumbs up for traditional, homemade food! Schmidt's place as a Columbus favorite is definitely evident when you realize that there may be over an hour wait to be seated. The restaurant does not take reservations, so make sure to get there early. If you find yourself waiting, Schmidt's also has a fudge house that you can browse while waiting. Who can resist a sweet nibble or two? Oh--and they do have buckeyes! If you order desserts at Schmidt's, be sure to specify that you would like to eat it at the table. For some reason, ours were packed to go. But, we did love them anyway!

Fudge, buckeyes and more!

If the kids need to run a bit, head over to Schiller Park which has a nice playground area and plenty of space to stretch out. Such a beautiful and calm green space!

Time to play at Schiller Park!

Of course, we just scratched the surface in German Village! There are quite a few more places to see. Honestly, though, a low key afternoon of just walking around and enjoying the quaint neighborhood was just what we needed!