Location and Geography
Meisenheim is located in the Naheland within the North Palatine Uplands, at a crossing of the Glan. The town belongs to the collective municipality of Nahe-Glan in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies at an altitude of about 158 metres and covers 10.33 square kilometres.
Landscape and Soils
To the west of the Glan, the Meisenheim Heights stretch out. The upland area, about 330 metres high, is divided by tributaries of the Glan and is considered to be a remnant of an older, wider Glan valley. The location in the lee of the Sien-Lauschied ridge is partly influenced by the dry, warm climate of the Glan valley. For the landscape, deep-rooted clay and sandstone soils are documented.
History
Archaeological finds include pottery from the Celtic period, Roman coins and Roman graves. In addition, a Roman pottery workshop in Meisenheim is documented. The town was first mentioned in 1154 and was granted town rights in 1315. In the historic old town, extensive medieval building fabric has been preserved; according to the town, Meisenheim remained spared in its history from wars and major disasters.
Vineyard Sites
The vineyard site Obere Heimbach is listed in the official directory of vineyard sites for Meisenheim. For a documented holding, 0.4 hectares are named on a 40 to 60 percent steep, south-east-facing slope at an altitude of 220 to 250 metres. The soil consists of weathered sandstone with a proportion of clay.
The vineyard site Schwalbennest comprises, according to the directory of vineyard sites, 3.5 hectares in the Meisenheim cadastral area and a further 1.8 hectares in Raumbach. It is assigned to the Nahe growing region, the Nahetal area and the large vineyard site Paradiesgarten.
