Tag Archive for: Castle

A visit to the Hohenbaden castle ruins

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View from the Hohenbaden castle ruins of the sunset over the Rhine Valley and the Vosges, Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

On our trip to the south of France, we made a stopover in my Baden homeland for the first leg. After many years, we wanted to experience the sunset from the Hohenbaden castle ruins again. That’s why we stayed directly in Baden-Baden at the castle. The medieval Hohenbaden Castle (“Old Castle”) perches high above the town on the slopes of the Battert and offers a wide panoramic view over the Northern Black Forest, the Rhine Valley, Alsace with the Vosges, and the Southern Palatinate. Read more

Trausnitz Castle in Landshut

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Sunset on the terrace of the Burgschänke tavern at Trausnitz Castle with the panorama of Landshut and the Isar Valley, Bavaria, Germany

Trausnitz Castle sits in a scenic spot above the old town of Landshut in Lower Bavaria. Although it’s only half an hour from my home, I’ve visited Landshut and the surrounding region less often than, say, Munich and the Alps. Yet there’s so much to see: the old town with its city gates and historic buildings, St Martin’s Church with the world’s tallest brick tower, and Trausnitz Castle overlooking it all. Read more

Wasigenstein Castle Ruins

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Neck ditch and keep of the medieval Groß-Wasigenstein castle ruins on a rock, Wasgau, Alsace, France

In the Wasgau, medieval castle ruins aren’t always found on mountain peaks. Their builders often found strategically located, free-standing rock formations on hillsides or in valleys to be sufficient. The fortresses seem to literally grow out of these rock structures, with the Fleckenstein ruins being an outstanding example. Some of these rock castles, however, are hidden in what is now mature forest. Read more

The Wegelnburg in the Wasgau

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Star-shaped beams from a headlamp on the Wegelnburg in front of the panorama of the Palatinate Forest at dawn

A new spring day began with the glimmer of dawn over the mountains of the Palatinate Forest. I was standing on the Wegelnburg castle ruins, the highest castle complex in the Palatinate, looking out over a wide panorama featuring the Dahner Felsenland and the Wasgau. This is the name of the wooded area that stretches across both sides of the border between Germany and France. Read more

Senj – Notorious for its Bora Winds

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Harbour pier and lighthouse of Senj on the Croatian Adriatic coast, backlit by the glowing twilight over Krk island

For the drive from Munich to Dubrovnik, Senj was a promising spot for an overnight stay on the long journey. Senj is located on the coast of the southern Kvarner Bay, below the Velebit mountains, and after many kilometres on the motorway through Germany, Austria and Slovenia, it can be reached on the final stretch from Rijeka via the scenic and winding coastal road. For continuing the journey, this is one of the few mountain passes to the motorway, which from here, after a wide curve inland, runs parallel to the coast again. Read more

The Citadel of Bitche

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Fortress walls of the Citadel of Bitche, Alsace, France

Many castles and castle ruins in the Wasgau, the border region between Alsace, Lorraine and the Palatinate, have preserved their medieval appearance, e.g. the Wasigenstein, Fleckenstein or the Wegelnburg. In Bitche, however, stands a mighty citadel, which was extended in the 17th and 18th centuries on the ruins of the medieval castle to form the fortress complex still present today. Read more

Landshut – an impressive old town

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The Gothic St Martin's Church with the tallest brick tower in the world in Landshut, Bavaria, Germany

The city of Landshut in Lower Bavaria is known for its magnificent old town, Trausnitz Castle towering over the city, and the Landshut Wedding. This major historical pageant, held every four years, reenacts the 1475 marriage of Duke George the Rich and Hedwig Jagiellon of Poland.