German Castles

Residenzschloss in Mannheim

2007-10-24T13:23:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful german castle you need to visit is Residenzschloss in Mannheim. Here is a little history about the place. In 1720 Elector Carl Philipp decided to relocate his residence from Heidelberg to Mannheim due to religious differences with the Protestants. Phillip died in 1742 at the age of 81, the same year the foundation stone was laid and the construction started. His successor, Carl Theodor (1742-1799) completed the castle.

The castle has a classical scheme to it and is the largest Baroque castle in Germany. The castle was damaged during World War 2, and was completely rebuilt during the 1950's. It has many notable architectural features, including the ornamental knights' hall and the former palace library. You can also still walk thru the old castle gardens between Castle and the Rhine. Another must see is the altar in the Castle church, as well as the ornately decorated coffin of

Prince Elector Carl Philipp in the crypt. Today, the castle is still being used in an educational capacity. More than 400 rooms with approximately 1,400 windows are predominantly being used by the University of Mannheim.

Why Speak German

2007-10-23T17:11:00.000-05:00

If you decide to travel in Germany, it definitely helps to learn a little of the language. When visiting some of the German Castles off the beaten path, some of the locals who can only speak German may be more willing to give you some cool history lessons about the castle and the surrounding area.

It could also help you in other areas of Europe. When I was in Italy I couldn't speak a word of Italian, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out a large majority of Italians speak German as a second language. Believe me, It made getting around a whole lot easier. I discovered the same thing when I went skiing in Austria. It is also estimated that the German language is spoken by 120 million people world-wide and that every tenth book published in the world is composed in German!

Learning German, even if it is just enough to get the basics down can expand the enjoyment of your European vacation experience. If you decide to use a taxi service or really have fun by taking the train route you can at least get to where you're going. It will also make your dining experience more enjoyable, instead of just pointing at the menu and keeping your fingers crossed you may actually know what your ordering.

You don't have to take a college course to learn either. One of the best ways to learn is by taking the Rosseta Stone Language Courses. They are fun and you can learn at your own pace. They are highly regarded and are even being used by the U.S. Army for some additional language training. They have different skill levels depending on how much you already know. If you already speak German you might want to check some of their other courses like Italian or French. That way after your done visiting all the German Castles you can cruise on down to Italy or over to France and really have vacation to remember!

So by learning German you will truly be able to experience the European culture during your vacation, and you may even pick up a friend or two along the way.

German Castle Rheinfels

2007-10-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

One of the most most largest German Castle was Rheinfels. Although much of it is in ruins you can sense and visualize the grandness it once held while walking thru it. It is the largest ruined castle on the Rhine river.

It was built by Count Dieter V of Katzenelnbogen in 1245 to protect the St Goar tax collectors. Ten years later it successfully withstood the attack when 27 towns calling themselves the League of Rhenish Cities formed a strong army to attack the castle, and survived a following siege for more than a year. During the foolowing centuries, the original castle was turned into an administration centre of the counts von Katzenelnbogen.

In 1479, when the lineage of the counts of Katzenelnbogen died out at the height of their territorial power, the ownership of the castle was passed to the House of Hesse. Hesse turned the “Rheinfels” into a splendid renaissance castle and with its surrounding fortifications it became one of the strongest fortresses in Germany.

In 1692 “Rheinfels” Castle was the only fortress on the left bank of the Rhine that was able to defend itself against the attacks of Louis XIV French troops. The glorious history of the castle ended in 1794 when it was peacfuly handed over to Napoleon and the French revolutionary army. Two years later the exterior walls and the castle were blown up.

You will still be amazed at the size of the ruins and can still visit labyrinth of trenches and tunnels. There is also an impressive musuem you can visit.

Should you decide to visit here is some information for you regarding it and the surrounding area.

Rheinfels Castle

Schlossberg D-56329 St. Goar (Rhineland-Palatinate)

Tel.: +49 (0) 6741/ 77 53

Fax: +49 (0) 6741/ 77 53

e-mail: burg-rheinfels@st-goar.de

Visiting times:

March - September daily from 9am to 6pm

October daily from 9am to 5pm

November-March: on weekends without snow or ice

Sat/Sun from 11am to 5pm

You may want to consider staying at The Hotel Rheinfels. It is located in the heart of the historic town of Saint Goar, directly on the Rhine River. The famous Cologne-Düsseldorf passenger cruising lines ship landing is straight across from the hotel. The train station is close enough to walk to and you can get a connection to all of Europe including the Airport at Frankfurt which is about an hour away. The best part is they have a restaurant and most speak English. Also, make sure you try and get a river view room, you won’t be disappointed.

Lost Treasures Reappear

2007-10-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

As many of you know World War 2 had a profound effect on many German Castles. Many were occupied by the Allies and the Nazis. Many of the castles were destroyed or damaged and then looted. Just browsing around on the web I ran across an interesting story from the Chicago Tribune.

It appears many old treasures have reappeared after all these years. Some of the items that have recently resurfaced are: A letter written by Martin Luther in 1530; a decree signed by Louis XIV dated 1664 and some correspondence from George Washington, commander of the beleaguered Continental Army in the winter of 1781.

According to the article “These treasures and others in the vaults of the Jagiellonian Library, including original music manuscripts from Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, has become the subject of a bitter diplomatic debate between Poland and Germany.”

Germans are claiming these items were hidden in castles and monasteries during the war, and legally and morally still belong to Germany and should be returned. Poland has refused and claim Germany forfeited them long ago. You can read the full article here.