Germany: Baden-Baden

This morning we checked out of our wonderful Cochem hotel and drove about three hours to Baden-Baden, which sits within the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) area of Germany.  It's a very old and very posh city known for its thermal spas and old money flair.

By the time we checked into our very snug room on the top floor of Hotel Rathausglöckel it was the afternoon and we were in need of a laundromat.  We found one not too far away and did a quick wash of some clothes.  Afterwards we had diner at Löwenbräu, a Bavarian restaurant that Hans and I could not help ourselves from labeling "Germany Disneyland".  Despite its kooky-ness the service was completely fine and the food was decent.  Nothing that a couple big half-liter beers won't hurt!

We had just enough energy and daylight left for an evening stroll along the stream.

 

 

Germany: Castles!

This is our last day in the Mosel Valley and we are going to get the Most-el out of it!  I will now wait for the reader to catch their breath after that incredible joke...

This morning we drove about an hour northeast to fairytale-looking Burg Eltz.  It sits upon a wide hill within a narrow valley of thick forests and has remained virtually intact for the last 700 years.  It has been owned by the same family for over 800 years!  The remaining main family branch still uses one of three original houses (the castle was originally built to be a home for three brothers and their families, with each residence an independent "tower").  The rest of the castle is open to the public for guided tours and has been decorated with original furnishings from the last 500 years.

 

In the 1300s the lords of Eltz had a feud with the Prince-Archbishop of Trier
and so a siege castle was built on the other side of the valley.  

After five years of unsuccessful and "annoying" cannon attacks the feud ended.

Unfortunately, photography was not allowed on the tour but we were able to take pictures from the impressive yet small courtyard.

The parking lot is about a half mile away from the castle entrance.  Along the walk we spotted some very pretty low-growing wildflowers.  The castle itself had a very nice terraced garden.

An hour further east in the town of St. Goar are the ruins of the mighty Burg Rheinfels.  This castle dominated the Rhine River for over 500 years.  It was torn apart by French Revolutionaries in the 1700s and like many ruins it was plundered as a quarry.  Today there are remnants of former structures and a hotel has been built into one of the remaining wall structures.  During our visit we had to avoid certain areas because of restoration work that was being done but the small museum on the grounds did a really great job of detailing how massive the place used to be.

This cavernous room was used for wine storage.  That's a whole lotta wine!

How it looked back in 1607

It was now getting to be late afternoon and I was in the mood for a pick-me-up.  We drove down into the village and stopped at a nice little cafe for some drinks and snacks.  We ordered a bread a dip plate and a freshly made pretzel and it was all top notch.  One of the bread dips was made with curry, which was unexpected but it also wound up being our favorite.

 

That's pretty much it.  We weren't terribly hungry for dinner after these snacks so we stopped at a Lidl store for some bread, cheese, and salad that we took back to our hotel in Cochem.  It was a couple hour's drive back so it was nice to have an evening with zero plans.  On YouTube we watched a documentary about sightseeing in Germany's Black Forest area (where we're heading next) and learned of the very strange resort called Bader Alm.

Germany: Ancient Trier

This post is photo-heavy so to spare the reader I'm keeping the facts short and sweet.

The drive down to Germany's oldest city, Trier, was uneventful.  Hans snagged a parking spot in a parking garage conveniently one block from one of the central ancient landmarks, the Porta Nigra.

The "Black Gate" is the only surviving ancient Roman gate out of four that originally circled the city.  The foundations were laid in 170 AD and the structure was built without mortar, so the sandstone blocks are held together with iron pegs.  The theory behind its enuring presence is that at one point it was turned into a church.  However, Napoleon "destroyed" it, which left the Roman structure relatively intact.  Visitors can pay an entrance fee to climb the three floors inside but Hans and I enjoyed it from street level.

One narrow street away from the main city market square is a very large peculiar building that dominates the view.  The High Cathedral of St. Peter is an amalgam of many different architectural styles and incredibly ornate interior monuments.  The cathedral site has been occupied by a place of worship since St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, originally deeded the site for a church.  Construction began in 326 AD.

 

 

Next door to the cathedral on the right is the Church of Our Lady in Trier

 

On the right is one of the coolest pipe organs I've ever seen.  The style is called "swallow's nest".

 

 

 

 

 

 This archbishop's memorial is the most metal ever.

 

 The beautiful Gothic cloisters were added in 1245 and connect the cathedral and church.

 

Exterior and interior of the Gothic church below

Not too far away from the marketplace center is an ancient Roman amphitheater.  It once had seating for 25,000 spectators and served as both an entrance to the city and entertainment venue.  What was cool about this site was that it was free to visit and also the underground was open for exploration.

The town marketsquare is a welcoming place to hang out and play "Eye Spy".  The Renaissance fountain and surrounding buildings are covered in local symbolism (including a knight staring down the Cathedral with his sword drawn), a local-wine kiosk where everyone likes to gather, and Germany's oldest cross, given to the town by King Otto the Great in 958 AD.  I hand an afternoon pick-me-up at the kiosk while Hans did some wandering.  Later I stopped at a food stand for a currywurst and later Hans got a sausage.

The basilica is a 200 foot long and 100 foot high building.  It is the largest intact Roman structure outside of Rome!  Over the centuries it has undergone many periods of destruction and reconstruction.  The front alcove with the altar is the oldest original part of the building.  A few days before our visit a new art exhibit had been opened, featuring both grim and hopeful depictions of an apocolyptic world (artist Thomas Baumgartel).

It was turning out to be a beautiful afternoon in Trier.  Our final stop was at a highly recommended wine bar that was a stone's throw from the Porta Nigra.  We each enjoyed another glass of quality German grape juice.

 

Our day was capped by a very satisfying dinner in Cochem.  We walked across the river to the Hotel Hieronimi and had a very nice meal on their riverfront terrace with a view of the iconic castle.

One of my favorite things about this part of the world is the WINE VENDING MACHINES!