Things to Do in Frankenmuth
Where to Go for a Frankenmuth Wine Tasting
Michigan’s Little Bavaria might be best known for its chicken dinners and Christmas lights, but a Frankenmuth wine tasting has quietly become one of the better reasons to plan a weekend here. With an award-winning tasting room, a popular wine bar, and a boat tour built entirely around wine, Frankenmuth is a great choice for a wine-tasting weekend.
Start at St. Julian Winery, Michigan’s oldest and largest winery. The tasting room pours a wide range of wines made from Michigan-grown grapes, along with the winery’s well-known Solera Cream Sherry, crafted through continuous blending. Ask for a flight instead of a single pour. It’s the easiest way to taste the range between the dry reds and the sweeter fruit wines Michigan wineries are known for, and the staff walks you through each. Visit on a weekday if your schedule allows. Weekends get busy enough that the tasting room can get crowded.
For a slower pace, head downtown to Prost! Wine Bar & Charcuterie. The list is more extensive than you’d expect from a small town, and it pairs well with the charcuterie boards, especially the German Heritage board that leans into the town’s Bavarian theme. If you’re planning a romantic weekend, this is one of the top places to enjoy a date night.
If you have room for only one thing that’s genuinely unique to Frankenmuth, make it the wine and chocolate cruise through Frankenmuth FunShips. This narrated boat tour on the Cass River builds tastings directly into the itinerary. Seats fill quickly, especially in fall when the foliage along the river turns gold and red.
Time your trip right, and you can also catch Frankenmuth Wein & Stein, a summer evening built around sampling wine, beer, spirits, and hors d’oeuvres at stops around town.
If your weekend is tight on time, do St. Julian first thing, Prost! for lunch or an early dinner, and save the FunShips cruise for late afternoon so you catch the river at golden hour.
Where to Stay for Your Frankenmuth Wine Tasting Weekend
With over three million visitors each year, Frankenmuth is best for day trips, not romantic stays. Historic Webster House sits about 25 minutes away, in a quiet Bay City neighborhood, inside a restored 1886 Queen Anne mansion with six guest rooms and an on-site spa. This Bed and Breakfast is a short walk from many of the best things to do in Bay City.
Each guest room has its own character, and several come with jacuzzi tubs, dry saunas, or skylights that turn the room itself into part of the weekend. One private spa room includes an oversized whirlpool for two, a dry cedar sauna, and a built-in wine refrigerator, so you can finish the evening with the bottle you picked up at St. Julian.
Breakfast the next morning is a gourmet spread with dishes like a Lobster and Brie Omelet or Apple Pie French Toast, the kind of start that makes the whole weekend worth the drive back.
Spend your day tasting your way through Frankenmuth, then return to Historic Webster House for the part of the trip that actually feels like a getaway. Check availability and book your room directly today.