Over spring break (I know I am really far behind) I accompanied some friends to do some exploring. For two days we saw three castles; it was a fun experience. These castles are such a neat part of the German history.
First castle on the list was Schloss (means castle) Solitude. This was not really what I expected from a castle although I do think it would be a nice place to have a picnic lunch. Here is some history I got offline:
Schloss Solitude was originally designed to act as a refugium, a place of quiet, reflection and solitude (thus the name). Construction of the castle was plagued by political and financial difficulties. Karl Eugen had taken Württemberg into the Seven Years' War on the losing side against Prussia. The building exceeded the budget allocated by the duchy of Württemberg. Further, political wrangling between the duke and influential Stuttgart land barons led to the duke moving temporarily from Stuttgart to Ludwigsburg. In the long run, the castle was prohibitively expensive to keep just as a temporary residence. In 1770 it housed a high school founded by Duke Eugen. In 1775, the Karlsschule academy moved to Castle Solitude. It served as an academy of arts, a military academy, and later a general university for children of the elite. Eventually, maintenance costs led to its closure as a school after the Duke's death late in the 18th century. Between 1972 and 1983, the Federal Republic of Germany restored the castle.
I could enjoy a picnic lunch here. Couldn't you?
We thought that this passage way made it look like you were crossing over into another time. It seemed magical, by any means it sure looks beautiful.
I could live in this little house. I just thought it was really neat. Some of the current students live here.
The second castle is called Lichtenstein castle. This castle was pretty, this is what I expected from a castle. Here is some history I got offline about the castle:
Historically there has been a castle on the site since around 1200. It was twice destroyed, once in the Reichskriegs war of 1311 and again by the city-state of
Reutlingen in 1381. The castle was not reconstructed and subsequently fell to ruin.
Today the castle is still owned by the
Dukes of Urach, but is open to visitors. The castle contains a large collection of historic weapons and armour.
The view walking up to the castle.
Looking at the side of the tower and the town below. On this side of the castle there is a secret door. Can you see it in the cliff? It's a black door. There used to be a road that went right up to that door allowing guests of the castle to escape through a secret passage way.
You may be able to see the door better here.
Nice security. Being built on a cliff sure does limit un wanted guests.
The last castle that we went to on our 2 day stint was Hohenzollern castle. By far this castle was my favorite and when you see the pictures you will know why. It's just so beautiful. I still can't believe that they were able to build these fantastic buildings with the tools they had at the time. The amount of detail given is amazing.
Here is some information I found online:
Hohenzollern Castle (
German:
Burg Hohenzollern) is a
castle about 50 kilometers (30 mi) south of
Stuttgart,
Germany. It is considered the ancestral seat of the
Hohenzollern family, which emerged in the Middle Ages and eventually became German Emperors.
The castle is located on top of Mount Hohenzollern at an elevation of 855 meters (2,805 ft) above sea level, 234 m (768 ft) above
Hechingen and nearby Bisingen, both located at the foothills of the
Swabian Alb. It was originally constructed in the first part of the 11th century.
When the family split into two branches, the castle remained the property of the Swabian branch, which was dynastically senior to the Franconian/Brandenburg branch which eventually acquired an imperial throne. The castle was completely destroyed after a 10-month siege in 1423 by the
imperial cities of
Swabia. A second, larger and sturdier castle was constructed from 1454 to 1461 and served as a refuge for the Catholic Swabian Hohenzollerns during wartime, including during the
Thirty Years' War. By the end of the 18th century, however, the castle was thought to have lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disrepair, leading to the demolition of several dilapidated buildings. Today, only the chapel remains from the medieval castle.
The town below
The side view of the castle
Walking around the castle
Inside the castle walls
The original Catholic chapel from the Middle Ages
A picture from the castle on our way up the mountain. Looks like something from a fairy tale.
This was in the secret passage way. This was found when workers were trying to fix the sewer system. This had been covered up by rocks. They are still finding tunnels that lead you out of the castle through the secret exit.
We were not allowed to take pictures inside the castle but the crown was beautiful. There were so many jewels and trinkets left there by former royalty it was amazing. There was a dress there that each of us girls wanted for ourselves, absolutely amazing.
There is a road here in Germany called the Romantic Road along this road are 150 castles. Don't think I will get to all of them, but isn't this just an amazing thought? Puts our modern houses to shame!
