Germany

Beloved By Poets of the Romantic Age

The romantic city of Heidelberg rests on the banks of the Neckar River and is dominated by the ruins of the castle which was, for 5 centuries, the glittering residence of the Palatine Prince Electors. 

It is one of the most beautiful and the oldest of cities in Germany. Building of the castle began in the early 1200s and it became one of the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture until destroyed for the first time in the devastating Thirty Years War which began with the death of the Winter King, Friedrich V, a Reformist and the Crown going to the Catholic Maximilian of Bavaria in 1618. In 1649 Friedrich’s son, Karl-Ludwig returned to the royal residence and subsequently rebuilt the castle. His daughter (Liselotte) was given in marriage to the Duke of Orleans –

brother of Louis XIV, the Sun King – in a move devised to guarantee peace with France. When Liselotte’s brother died Louis XIV tried to claim her inheritance which led to the War of Succession of Orleans and the castle was completely destroyed in 1693. The ruins are one of the most beautiful in all of Europe.

It is notable that Heidelberg escaped bombing in World War 2.

 

 

 

Cuckoo Land – todtmoos, Schwarzwald

The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) lies in a sparsely populated, hugely forested area of south western Germany. Wooden farmhouses and simple villages are characteristic elements of this extremely beautiful part of the world. The western area, towards the French and Swiss borders in the Rhine River Valley is dominated by vineyards. Glass blowing and cuckoo clock making are also characteristic of the region. Cuckoo clock making dates back to 1667. Almost 60 million clocks are made each year.

Two of the highest peaks in the area are Feldberg which has excellent ski facilities and Belchen with wonderful views. Todtmoos is a small resort town surrounded by mountains covered in forests of Pine trees, and a destination for sled dog championship meets.

The town has a little Holy history too in that apparently a town priest had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1255 in which she instructed him to build a wooden chapel. Miraculous hearings were experienced here and pilgrims still make trips to the Pilgrimage Church, built in 1632.

St Mark’s Castle on the Rhine

The Rhine River Valley is a beautiful sight with its castles and vineyards.

The Romans made the first settlements along the river followed by Frankish villagers, often adjacent to a fortified noble house. The valley has always been prosperous and no where else in the world are castles found in such abundance.

Above the town of Braubach (that dates back to 1276) and boasts the wonderfully comfortable Hotel Zum Weissen Schwanen, is the Marksburg Castle. It was built in 1150 by the nobles of Braubach.

Because of the strategic positioning of the castle, it cannot be attacked from the Rhine River side or the back and has warded off the fate that befell all the other Rhine castles : conquest and destruction.

Ships and barges sail the River constantly and always have despite the danger of reefs, rapids and pirates. Traveling merchants were in constant danger of attack by gangs of robbers. When the many castles were built it became safer to travel by road but not cheap because the castle owners expected payment in return for protection. There were many conflicts and many castle owners were called robber-barons. With the improvement of fire arms in the 16th century the castles became less significant. Many fell into decay because noblemen went to live in more comfortable palaces in the valley. Others fell victim to the armies of Louis XIV and Napoleon. The only medieval castle left standing is the Marksburg.