The Best Apple Orchard in Mainz, Germany

October 19, 2020Samantha Juhan

I grew up in a small, Southern town in Georgia just down the street from several farms. During college, I would stop by to pick my favorite fruits and vegetables on the way home from clinical. Picking peaches and berries was a part of my normal weekly routine. One thing I always wanted to experienced, however, was picking apples at an orchard. Whelp, Germany finally fulfilled that dream for me!

If you live close to Mainz (aka Wiesbaden and Kaiserslautern residents) then a quick drive to Appel Happel will make for a wonderful day trip.

Parking & Prices

Parking: Free

Park in the grassy area located along the orchard fencing (next to the railway). Please note that during the holidays and weekends, parking fills up fast. If you find yourself struggling to locate a parking spot, drive closer to the autobahn. There are a few public parking spaces located near the bus stops that can be utilized.

Admission: Free

There is no cost to enter the grounds. This includes entering the orchard itself.

Family Friendly

Dogs: Animals are only allowed in the grass by the outdoor seating areas (Where the snacks are served). If you wish to pick apples in the orchard, I recommend leaving your dog at home. Dogs are not allowed in the orchard or inside the buildings. When I reached out to inquire about bring my service dog, the facility informed me that the agricultural office has forbidden dogs from entering the orchard. Why? Appel Happel collects the fallen fruit to juice & allowing a dog into the orchard would pose a sanitation risk. Please be mindful of these rules.

Children Areas: In the front gardens, there is an adorable apple themed seating area and even a large apple kids can go inside! If you head out back (behind the restaurant), there is a small play area for children.

When we visited, the farm was offering pony rides and tents filled with Fall crafts. Generally, these activities are only available during special events or on specified weekends. Check the Appel Happel website for dates & times.

Tip: The grounds are mostly stroller accessible, but the orchard itself would be quite difficult to navigate with a stroller.

Pick Your Own Apples

This was our first experience picking apples and I have to say, it was really fun! When we entered the grounds, we were a bit lost on what to do. Luckily, there is a sign at the orchard entrance that notates pricing per kg as well as where you are allowed to pick.

When we entered the orchard, I spotted the most adorable wheel barrels. I was so excited to just take pictures of them, but a friendly worker informed us that they were free to use! I was delighted to say the least.

Not interested in using a wheel barrel? They have wooden crates stacked by the entrance that you can utilize as well. Please note: Both the wheel barrels and the crates must be returned.

Bringing your own containers? This is 100% allowed! Guests who bring their own containers must stop by the yellow tent (pictured above) to have their containers weighed before entry to the orchard.

After your container is placed on the scale, staff will inform you of the weight in grams. Remember this number for every container! Once you have returned from the orchard, you will inform the staff of each container’s weight before they place your pickings on the scale. This allows staff to subtract each container’s weight from the overall weight, which ensures you are only charged for the apples.

Reminder: Dogs are not allowed in the orchard.

How to Pick Apples

If you haven’t picked apples before, here are some tips:

Don’t pick apples that are joined together at the stem. Why? Apples that are conjoined together as a pair will always come down together. Sounds great, but it’s likely that one of the apples will be flawed (Example: bruising or bugs). The orchard recommends avoiding conjoined apples.
Don’t pull straight down. For easy harvesting, twist the apple and pull upwards (not down). This is easier on both you and the tree.

Once you are finished in the orchard, take your apples to be weighed at the yellow tent.

Tip: If it is a slow day, staff may not be available at the yellow tent. Instead, visit inside the farm store to have your apples weighed.

Our Favorite Apples

The orchard has quite the variety of apples. We decided to pick a few of each kind when we visited. Hands down, my favorite is the Pink Bella! They are sweet (similar to a jolly rancher) and have a crisp crunch when you bite into them. Honestly, they are the tastiest apples I have ever tried. Cool fact: Pink Bella apples turn a beautiful reddish pink on the inside when they ripen.

The apples available vary throughout the season as each variety ripens at a different time. Don’t be sad if the beloved Pink Bella apples are not available when you visit. Kenny is also a fan of the farm’s Fuji apples as they are bright red, slightly sweet and have a great crunch. I personally favor Gala apples as I enjoy their crisp flavor.

Tip: Bring your own reusable bag to save on purchasing a bag during checkout.

Food & Beverages

Kenny and I are self proclaimed foodies, but basically we just enjoy eating good food.

For treats, we tried a brownie and a chocolate covered apple. Out of the two, the brownie was our favorite. The apple was small and not hard to bite into. I would recommend it as a snack for kids (On select dates, the farm operates a chocolate apple station where kids can add their own sprinkles).

I’m not much of a drinker in Fall/Winter, therefore, I opted for hot apple juice. Sounds horrid, right? I dislike cider and was not expecting to like hot apple juice, but it was absolutely divine. I wanted to order three more cups. If your kids give a hard nope to warm apple juice, there is also cooled apple juice as well as cider available.

As for alcoholic beverages, you really can’t go wrong. Kenny opted for an alcoholic spritzer, also known as “gespritzt” in Hessen. It is essentially a mixture of lemonade (Sprite) and Apfelwein (apple wine). It was refreshing and light for an evening picking apples.

Cost: For our snacks and drinks, we paid under 15 Euro total. Our recommendation is to pay with cash as there is a retainer fee of 1 Euro for each glass (which is refunded to you when the glasses are returned). Most items ranged from 2-4 Euros in price.

Toilets

After downing a bunch of juice, you may need the restroom. There are free toilets located on property. Enter the large barn to the farm store’s left. Toilets for men, women and disabled individuals are located inside the barn’s front entrance. Pictured above is the back of the barn where food and drinks are served.

Tip: There are no toilets in the orchard or the farm store.

Farm Store & Market

Running short on time and can’t pick apples? Head into the market next to the orchard entrance. Inside, you can purchase farm fresh apples, ice cream, vegetables and a variety of beverages (including our favorite apfelwein). If you visit during Fall, there are pumpkins available for purchase as well!

What do I recommend buying? Try a seasonal staple in Germany, Federweisser! This alcoholic drink is often referred to as “young wine” or “new wine” because it is wine that has not fully fermented. It is an exceptionally sweet drink and it tastes similar to white grape juice (with a sniff of alcohol). As this wine is only sold in a few countries around the world, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Sadly, Federweisser must be consumed within a few days and cannot be shipped/taken on a plane. Why? Not only does this drink have a short shelf life, but it is stored with an open lid. This means the bottle either has no cork, an unscrewed cap or a hole drilled in the lid. Additionally, it cannot be jostled too much or it may explode… literally. While this may be overwhelming to read, I promise it is a drink worth trying. Just be sure to keep it upright at all times!

Watch The Vlog: