Castles, Baden Baden & Black Forest
Day 3 and 4
It was an early start on day 3, packing up the bus, meeting our very competent driver Eric, and heading towards Burg Eltz castle. The spotty rain showers didn't deter us, and after parking the bus, we took a hike through the woods to the castle. The castle is located in the Eltz forest, not the typical "along the river fortification type of castle". This was my first experience of a R.S. group that got to "cut the line" and go inside for our guided tour. The castle tour was amazing; to preserve the integrity of the very old furniture and artwork, etc. pictures were not allowed.
Did you know? Eltz Castle has been owned by the same family since its establishment- almost 900 years! And family still live in it.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover"- Mark Twain
During our trip, we stopped at the small village of Beilstein by the Moselle River for a catered lunch. It felt like we had stepped back in time to a medieval era of charming houses and small shops. Castles and vineyards dotted the hillsides as we drove along, towards Baden Baden.
Given the rainy weather on the roads, which caused some traffic delays, we arrived at the charming town of Baden-Baden a little later than planned. However, the rain stopped as we arrived and the sun came out. After checking into our hotel, our group took a quick stroll around the town to familiarize ourselves. Then, we were free to explore as we pleased. Mike and I decided to visit the Caracalla Spa. We tried the different jetted sitting "stations" outside and the huge "faucets" streaming hot water like a massage over your head and shoulders. Each station would run for a period of 5 minutes then other stations would start up and you moved on to that station. There was a lazy river that would propel you along as well. Inside, there was a huge pool, an ice bath, and a hot bath. I couldn't bring myself to go into the ice bath, on the other hand, Mike gave it a go and enjoyed it.
Quirky! Roman bath Friedrichsbad still uses the 17-step bathing tradition. There are different days that the nude baths are co-ed, and on certain days the men and women are separated. The spa town was a favorite summer destination for the aristocracy.
dinner after Caracalla spa
Low Down:
Where we stayed: https://heliopark-hirsch.de/
How long we stayed: 1 night
Highlight: Going to the Caracalla thermal spa
Things to do in Baden Baden: Lichtentaler Alee,
Casino Baden-Baden Spielbank, Hohenbaden Old Castle, Museum Frieder Burda, Caracalla Thermal Spa, Friedrichsbad Thermal Spa, and Maier Bio-Weingut Baden (winery) to name a few
ON TO THE BLACK FOREST & OPEN AIR MUSEUM
Did you know? That bed looks so small, but people weren't generally short back in those days. Many people suffered from lung issues, and they slept propped up on pillows in almost a sitting position to breath better (if you saw the kitchen in this house, you'd understand why they did. No ventilation)
Thank God I didn't have to drive after tasting that Black Forest cake and the apperitif that we had with it, after our museum tour and lunch.
Due to traffic delays, our trusty driver had to take a break from driving, to stay within the legal limits of driving so many hours in a day... so we stopped in this cute little town called Wilderswil. We walked around, spotted a little church, and this cat guarding the cemetery.
Castle on a hill, along our drive
Lake Thun
the little cemetary the cat was guarding
cemetary cat guard
