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Bad Godesburg and Königswinter

I took another day trip first to Godesburg. Bad means bath in German. The hill that the castle is built on (just ruins now) is part of a dragon rock legend. The rocks underneath are volcanic and have several possible legends attached to it:

A dragon once lived in the caves of the volcanic cone until banished later by a monk and is not protected OR a pale figure known as the white lady haunts the ruins. She was the daughter of a noble an who could not marry her beloved and befell a tragic death OR a gatekeeper helped opposing forces by bringing in explosives. He was either buried alive or thrown from the tower and his restless soul still walks the grounds OR there is a sleeping army that is in the volcanic cone that will come to life in Germany’s greatest need.

Anyway it was a stronghold of the cardinals of Cologne in 1210 and was actually one of the first fortresses to be blown up by mines.

Below the castle is the castle cemetery. It is pretty cool and peaceful. Some important people are buried here including Beethoven’s mother.

I then traveled to Köningswinter and the Drachenfels. I walked around the town first. It is small but the people are really friendly and there was a large amount of antique stores and many were open in the Sunday I was there. This is a popular tourist area so that would make sense. I enjoyed walking through each one. Lord Byron wrote about the Drachenfels in the 19th century.

Drachenfels means Dragons rock and refers both to the part of the Siebengeberg range and the Castle ruins at the top

Another building the Schloss Drachenburg is there as well. It is a castle that was made in the 19th century to be more like a villa and also became a hotel. Not a true castle. It was closed for a Christmas event and I did not have the chance to go inside. I took the tram (Drachensfelbahn) where the castle was and walked the rest of the way to the ruins. It is a pretty steep path.

The Drachenfels mountain is a 321 meter tall volcanic mountain in the middle Rhine and is an important landmark. It was a fortress to protect the territory of the archbishop of Cologne and built in 1138 and destroyed in the 30 years war in 1630.Donkeys were used to carry materials up the hill and is the reason you see donkey statues in the town.

Drachenfels is also known for the Nibelungen legend. In the legend, the hero Siegfried slays a dragon here and bathes in his blood to become invulnerable except for the spot on his back where a linden leaf had fallen. It is a story from the medieval epic Nibenlungenlied and Wagner’s opera.

The views from the top was amazing.

This is my last night staying in Bonn. Tomorrow I am going to Cologne and pretty excited to see that town as well.

Limburg and Koblenz

Limburg is a well preserved medieval town that has many of the timber houses still intact. When I think of Old Germany, that is what I wanted to see. It was a long train ride from Bonn but worth it especially since you can also stop at Koblenz on the way back.

I thought that these ornaments on the house were amazing.

This house is known as the house of the 7 deadly sins. It dates back to the 700’s but was rebuilt after partial collapse in 1567. Its face is decorated with carved wooden masks (“heads”) that represent the seven Biblical vices (sins): pride (Hochmut), envy, greed (or avarice/Geiz), lust (Wollust), gluttony / intemperance (Unmäßigkeit), wrath (Zorn), and sloth (Trägheit) — a vivid visual representation of the “seven deadly sins.”

The castle which is under repair.

One of my connections was Koblenz, so I decided to spend a few hours here as well. Koblenz has importance in history as the Moselle river meets the Rhine and was important for moving materials and military fortification beginning with the Romans. It also has a history of being under the rule of many and heavily damaged in WWII.

I was cold and tired and decided not to tour the fort across the Rhine.

Equestrian statue of Wilhelm I at the confluence of the two rivers.

Interesting that there is still a Woolworth here! I wish I had time to go inside but I was on the way to the train!

Düsseldorf

From Bonn, I took a day trip to Düsseldorf. As with many towns in the area, there is evidence of Roman civilization but it was not organized into a town until the 12th century. After rule during the Napoleanic era, it became part of Prussia in 1815 and during that time it was an industrial hub of the area. During WWII, it was heavily damaged and much of the old town was destroyed.

Stadterhebungs monument commemorating city rights to the town.

Kaiserpfalz Kaiserswerth is the ruins of a Monastery that dates back to 700. This area is a little bit outside of Düsseldorf and many of the buildings are still intact.

Bonn

Traveling from Sinzheim to Bonn was interesting. I planned the route in the DB app as I purchased the Deutschland ticket that gives me unlimited regional trains, buses, and trams. Unfortunately, the first train was so delayed (which happens a lot) that I could not make any other connections. I didn’t take the time to look at the different times that the 4 trains would be coming which could take some time in planning. Instead I took one regional train and paid to take two high speed trains instead. Long layovers for those trains but less hassle. Lesson learned. Now I look up each train separately and bookmark in the app two possible choices just in case.

I planned to stay 6 nights here as it is easy to go from some of the cities I wanted to see from Bonn. I also wanted to be able to buy groceries and cook to balance the Christmas market food I have been eating. I am also in search of affordable new footwear, preferably hikers or boots, but they need to be okay to walk distances in.

Also the layovers at the train stations in some cities are pretty interesting. There are so many shops that have every day things people need at normal prices. So many people picking up the things they need while they are waiting. And at this point I need to buy things like face moisturizer, dental floss, and hair styling products. Of course an advent tea box of different teas for each day of December was a good purchase.

I found a Haribo store. I do love gummy candy and wanted to buy all of it. I had to try the waffle variety. When I opened the bag it did smell like waffles like when you walk into the kitchen for breakfast. It tasted more like vanilla, especially the little cream gummy.

I loved walking around the Bonn alstadt which is the old town in the center.

Beethoven’s house.

I stopped into the church where a service was being conducted. I stayed for some time to listen to the amazing choir. Bonn minster is one of the oldest church in Germany dating back to the 11th century.

I also took a Rhine river cruise. We sailed down to Köningswinter where we could see the castle at the top of the hill.

I also booked a ticket to see the opera Hansel and Gretel at the Opera house. More pictures to follow.

Baden Baden

I arrived in Baden Baden after a 40 minute bus ride from Sinzheim. I purchased a Deutschland ticket for 58 euro that allows unlimited bus, train, and tram rides for the month. Makes it so easy!

I first walked around the old city center and found a place to unload some clothes that would make my pack lighter (I had purchased some other clothes, and purposefully took some clothes with me I would possibly want to get rid of.)

While walking through town, I noticed some brass markers in the sidewalk in front of houses. These are called Stolperstein (stumbling stone). They are a decentralized memorial of those killed in the Nazi Holocaust that are embedded in the daily life and mark the last t known chosen residence of the victims.

And the residence they lived in….

Of course I also found the Christmas market and noticed a castle far to the distance.

First things first. Finding something to eat and drink. I had some delicious potato noodles with sauerkraut and speck, called Schupfnudeln mit Sauerkraut.

I did try some sweets but resisted buying anything, instead buying some sausage made from water buffalo.

I also tried some Feuerzangen bowle. It is a hot drink made from spiced red wine over which a sugarloaf, sugar cube (Zuckerhut), soaked in rum is placed on a grate (“Zange”).The rum-soaked sugar is set on fire, melts, and drips caramelized sweetness into the wine. Here they use a mug with a separate area for the cube to melt into the wine. You then push the cube into the wine to melt.

Some pictures of the Christmas market.

I decided to tackle the hour walk uphill to get to the castle.

The castle ruins in Baden-Baden is called Hohenbaden Castle or Altes Schloss (“Old Castle”). It was built around 1100 by the Margraves of Baden, the ruling noble family and was the castle for the family until the late 1400’s. As a regional power, the castle was expanded into a fortress during that time.

In 1479, the Margraves moved their residence to the town below. That structure was called Neues Schloss (new castle) and the old castle still remained occupied without political power. In 1599, a power destroyed the structure but the ruins are a very popular site today or romantic era castles.

On the way back, I noticed the spring that many would stop and fill their jugs.

The new castle was at the bottom of the mountain. It was closed, but it would be wonderful to tour as well if possible.

After all that walking I decided to go to the bus stop directly instead of returning to the Christmas market (and the possibility of sweets!)

It was a beautiful day in Baden-Baden.

Baden Württemberg

I decided to take a break and stay in a small town outside Baden Baden. Sinzheim is only a 40 minute bus ride away from Baden Baden. I decided to just walk around this area for two days and relax at the Hotel Haus am See (house by the lake). There is not much around here but I enjoyed the breakfast (and made a sandwich to take with me for lunch later). The restaurant was pretty good as well.

I did walk up the hill near the hotel to get to the Fremersberg Tower overlooking the Black Forest, which is so named due to the dark evergreen forests. Did you know cuckoo clocks originated here and are the background for the stories of the Brother Grimm. As I walked through the woods I noticed the large amount of holly, fir, and pine here. It was a beautiful but exhausting walk up and back down (still working on retaining my fitness after the knee replacement.)

The tower is currently used for telecommunications and tourism, having been rebuilt in the 1960’s to replace the original one from the 19th century that was made of stone.

The view from the top of the tower was amazing.

I still wonder where in this area my ancestors came from. I never thought to ask my grandmother if she knew more specifics of my ancestors.

Strasbourg Christmas Markets

The food was great including the Choucroute garne (sauerkraut with meat) and the gluhwien (spiced hot wine).

And I needed to get a crepe frommage (cheese crepe) while in France. Delicious!

Of course, I always love to see all the Christmas lights and decorations.

The best part was meeting a new friend when I arrived at the hostel. Recy Ann is from the Philippines and living in Spain. She was so fun to tour the markets together! She also has a better sense of direction than I do and did research before arriving!

Statue to Gutenberg.

Now off to Baden Baden, the place where my family came from (learned from DNA testing several years back).

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is in the Northeast part of France right near the German border. It is in the Alsace region of France. It is known for its Christmas market, beautiful buildings, and food that is a cross of French and German. Particularly tarte flambee which is a thin crust with cream, onions, and bacon and choucroute garne which is sauerkraut with meats.

I enjoyed walking around the River Ill and seeing the various buildings while searching for the Christmas markets. I love that a retired person ticket at the Palais Rohan was 8 euros and included 4 different museums there.

This is the area of La Petit France, a beautifully preserved old historic town.

This is Barrage Vaughan, a historic defensive structure in Strasbourg, located on the River Ill at the end of La Petite France. Built in the 1680s by the military engineer Vauban (under Louis XIV), it served as a flood defense: in case of attack, the gates could be closed to intentionally flood the southern entrance to the city, making it harder for enemies to advance. It has a rooftop panoramic terrace with stunning views of the Ponts Couverts (lookout towers with gun and archery slits).

The museum featured Roman and Gallic history of the area even how Neil this burial sites changed with respect to artifacts and even the positioning of the bodies. Early neolithic they are laying on the side in a fetal position. In late neolithic they are laying on the back with arms crossed in front. Interesting.

Palais Rohan or the Roman Palace that saw visitors such as Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, and Emperor Napoleon.

Kings bedchamber.

Library. The double doors at the end are mirrored and when opened extend the chapel into the library and acting as a nave.

The chapel.

This is an astronomical clock at the back of the picture. It had an impressive amount of workings behind the face.

Bedchamber of Napoleon.

Napolean’s morning room.

Fine art museum. these paintings date back from the 1300’s to present and covered religious, normal daily activities and portraits, and nature.

I liked this portrait as it shows a scene including death following.

Other views along the Ill.

Vianden Castle

Did you know buses, trains, and trams are free in Luxembourg? So cool but outside of the city finding all the information can be difficult. Some options did not show up but at least looking at the stops of other trains or buses can help you find another way to get there. After all, you don’t need to book in advance.

I decided to travel to Vianden to look at their most famous castle, which is of the Gothic style popular in medieval times. Arriving in Vianden, you can see the castle and it is quite impressive. It appears to be rising out of the rocks of the mountain.

The site was originally occupied by a small Roman castellum in the 4th century.

10th century – First medieval fortifications built by the Counts of Vianden.

Major Romanesque expansions, including residential buildings and defensive walls in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the 13th century it became a feudal residence when the House of Orange added Gothic elements. The entry gate was changed to the other side so that you had to enter through two gates. This made a more impressive entrance and created a bottleneck in case of attack.

Gradual decline in importance of the castle occurred in the 15th to 17th centuries. The town only grew modestly with tradesman and crafters.

In 1820, William I of the Netherlands sells the castle piece by piece; roofs, stones, and timber stripped. The castle then falls into ruin.

Limited restoration efforts begin in the late 19th century as the castle gains public interest. In the 20th century the ruins are visited by many. Ownership was transferred to the State of Luxembourg in 1977, and major restoration occurs until 1990’s.

Pictures from the inside:

Steps along the inside of the walls before expansion of the castle.

Evidence of octagonal towers (outer wall) with circular inner wall.

The Romanic gallery is in the Byzantine style and allowed the counts to get fresh air without much sun.

The top part of the chapel. From the center structure you can look down into the lower chapel.

The Prince’s study.

Kitchen

Chef’s quarters next to the kitchen.

The water well.

Afterwards I walked down into the town to grab a bite to eat and find a bus back!

Luxembourg Christmas markets

It is so hard to not eat everything. In my walking around Luxembourg city, I perused every Christmas market to determine what I wanted to eat over the next few days. Since Christmas is my favorite holiday, I was even more excited about the Christmas music playing throughout the city, the twinkling lights, and the different activities for families in each market.

Ice skating!

A giant advent calendar. I would love to see what it shows everyday of December.

What I ate: Castañas marrons (roasted chestnuts), gluhwien (hot mulled wine), feuerwurst (spicier bratwurst), spatzle (homemade noodles),and grompere kichelchere (potato pancakes).