Fit for a Princess
This week has been the week of castles, and I don’t mean the useless palaces we saw before, whose sole purpose was to serve as a testament to the wealth and greatness of the royal families. I’m talking about real castles, built for defense and security. Despite being mostly in ruin now, their magnificence at the height of their day can still be imagined. Walking amongst the crumbling walls and towers transports you back to a time long ago when war was noble and “romantic,” fought between foes who knew each other well and accepted victory or defeat with honor. It is a strange thing to think about, since our generation’s experience of war has been so different.
The first castle of the week was Schloss Hohentubingen in Tubingen. This castle was built in the 11th century as a fortress and then expanded in the 16th century into more of a living space. It’s perched on top of a hill known as the Schlossberg or castle mountain, which means the view from there is spectacular. My favorite part of the castle was the courtyard and gardens, but the building itself now houses a museum run by the University of Tubingen and is home to one of the world’s largest wine barrels. While it may have been a bit of a hike to get there, Schloss Hohentubingen was well worth it and a great start to our week of castles.
Next up was Schloss Heidelberg, which is the castle nearest to us since we’re staying in Heidelberg. It’s only a mile across town and up the mountain and a very nice hike for those willing to take on the mud, which I was not. I took the mountain tram up, and it was well worth €4 to stay clean and dry. This castle was built in 13th century but was mostly destroyed by the French during the wars of the 1700s. The ruins were eventually partially rebuilt into an event center, but have mostly been left as they were in the 17th and 18th centuries. As its primary purpose was as a defensive fortress, it was built on a mountain overlooking the valley below and onto any incoming armies, which today means a beautiful view of the city of Heidelberg and surrounding area. Unfortunately, it was raining the day we visited, which meant the view was somewhat obstructed, but it was breathtaking nonetheless. I can definitively see the appeal of visiting on a sunny summer day and spending an afternoon exploring the ruins and picnicking. It certainly did live up to its name as the icon of Heidelberg.
Our third and final castle this week was Hambacher Schloss in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, formerly known as Hambach. This castle, situated in the heart of German wine country, has an interesting and unique history. Built in 11th century, it was home to many bishops over the years, but is most well know for its role in the 1832 Hambach Festival. This festival was important because it marked the beginning of the popular movement for the democratization and unification of Germany. Hambacher Schloss is a fairly small castle, most of which is now filled with an event center and historical exhibition. However, its size detracted nothing from its majesty. The view from the castle courtyard was equally majestic; one could see the entire valley full of vineyards and little country towns all from one place. I think Hambacher Schloss was the most interesting of all the castles we saw simply because it had a good story to go along with it. It was a great way to wrap up this exciting week of medieval history and castle tours.
