This time, we’re taking you on our trip to West-Germany, near the Mosel river. A beautiful part of Germany with little old towns and villages, it is home to several ancient castles of ancient families. Most are abandoned, but some are still owned and lived by those families and so there is usually limited access to them by the public, if at all. They are also often difficult to access.
The first one now, Eltz, is quite in its original state. Only two-thirds is sometimes open, but then they’re not open to the public for months, like when we tried. However, it’s a magic place even in darker weather and is worth the longish ride from the Mosel and another kilometer of walking to seemingly the end of the country. One wonders, how long in the days of horses it took the owners to collected the tax due to them on which they survived, but hunting surely provided a lot of their base. Today there are wonderful mountain trails in the area that may make for a great day’s program for the town-weary.
The other beautiful castle, which is high above one of the bigger tourist villages of the area between Koblenz and Trier, in Cochem, is seen from far away in the Mosel valley. In this beautiful village, it may be a major pulling force just by being there, though it is partially open to visitors from the public for a decent 5 Eur. One is not allowed to see much inside, nothing in the towers, but that little is beautiful, and the sights themselves and the excursion already make it worth every minute.
However, the castle is almost unapproachable by car, we also took a steep path up. Well worth every step.
by P.S. and Z.J.S.
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