2017 Wartburger Spring Festival

Nestled just outside Pietermaritzburg, lies a quaint town of Wartburg, having passed there a few times, you might miss it if you blink but many don't know about this little wonder and the history it holds. When I tell people about it, many respond, "what burg?", so here's a quick history lesson for you. The town was settled in the 1850's by German families, and is named after the Wartburg Castles in Eisenach, Germany. To this day, the Wartburg area has had a large population of German speaking citizens who predominantly farm in the surrounding area around town. Okay, enough with the lessons, time to focus on the main reason of this post, the Festival! In it's second year running, the Wartburg Spring Festival is getting ready to host the masses coming in to enjoy all things German.  The event will build on the long-standing traditions of the Wartburg Lutheran Church Bazaar, one of the most anticipated events on the town's calendar with its sale of processed German meats, advents biscuits and other fresh produce. 

This year the festival sees Orion Group's Wartbuger Hof Hotel joining in to host a fun family event in collaboration with the Wartburg Lutheran Church. The bigger and better festival will see stall holders and exhibitors from as far as Cape Town showcasing their artisanal items to the public. Some of the stallholders and craftsmen, include the top KwaZulu-Natal craft brewers, including Lion's River Brewery and Railroad Brewey. Nadia Gmeiner and Antoinette Kleyn, the event organisers, said that they were ecstatic to be involved in such an event. "The town of Wartburg is a beautiful gem and our hotel, the Wartburger Hof, owes a lot of its success and support to the people of this town. For us to be a part of the festivities and the camaraderie among the brilliant townsfolk is such an honor for us and we hope to increase the support and numbers to this years event."

The Wartburger Spring Festival promises to  delight the young and old alike. There will be a number of stalls which range from arts and crafts to artisanal food and beverages including traditional German cuisine that is sure to delight even the most discerning palette. The even will take place on Saturday, 21 October 2017, on the grounds of the Wartburger Hof Hotel. It is a nice excuse for many to explore the countryside and will be a great outing for the entire family. For those wanting to host a stall at the Festival, please contact Nadia Gmeiner on 011-718 6416 or email beerfest@wartburghotel.co.za. For more information, please visit www,wartburghotel.co.za or follow the event on Facebook. To buy tickets to the Festival, they are available online at NuTickets

BMW Driver Training

We all think we're good drivers, well most of us do and everyone else on the road is wrong. Then you get the select few who think we're expert race car drivers wasting our talents on the public roads, I say "we're" because I believe I'm one of them. Yes we all have this perceptions about our driving skills but how true is any of it? If we were faced with making a split second decision on the road to save you and others lives, are you prepared enough to avoid such an incident? There'll always be that element of doubt in our mind, because sometimes we just don't know what to do in certain situations. What if there was training available to help you in instances like that? Well there is, BMW offer a High Performance Driver Training course and the people in KZN are in luck, often we in the Zulu Kingdom miss out on many events but the kind people of BMW SA are bringing the program to KZN's Roy Hesketh Circuit in Pietermaritzberg in November.

With expert BMW instructors, participants can hone their sporty driving style behind the wheel of an exclusive BMW and gear themselves to understand braking distances, emergency lane changes and experience a whole new dimension of high-performance driver safety. 

One of the biggest causes of motor accidents is human error and the inability to adapt appropriately to potentially hazardous situations. BMW Driver Training chooses to address this by developing sophisticated driving skills that equip the driver to deal with impending danger. Those who want to master the art of vehicle control and to find their ideal line as well as enhance the fun and safety of everyday driving will find this course very useful. 

Other courses on offer include the BMW Track Night Experience, which aims to help participants gain insight into how a change in road conditions coupled with night driving impacts on a driver. Participants will also learn the theory of operating dynamics at the limits of handling, with information from the world of motorsport. After completing a few laps under the guidance of an instructor, participants will explore the optimum line around the bends on their own.

Just like a TV infomercial "but wait, theres more!" for the first time, BMW are offering their M models in the courses. So you could get behind the wheel of the legendary M3 or the M5 super sedan. Imagine taking either around a track at high speeds and ultimate precision, sends tingles down the spine of any petrol head

Details:

Dates:	Monday, 12 November – Friday, 16 November 2012
Times:	07:30 – 13:00 (morning) OR 12:30 – 17:15 (afternoon)
Venue:	Roy Hesketh Race Track
Cost per course (including 14% VAT): BMW 135i High Performance R3 200.00 BMW 328i High Performance R2 950.00 BMW M3 High Performance: R6 500.00 BMW M5 High Performance: R8 000.00

For more information, visit www.bmwdrivertraining.co.za , email drivertraining@bmw.co.za or phone on 011 564 5088