Advertisement
Bench off courtyard
A private corner...unless anyone ELSE wanted to use it!Just a couple of hours from Darmstadt and the madness of Heinerfest is one of the many parts of Bavaria that time forgot. Not to be misunderstood; this is a stunning part of the world. Germany is often forgotten as a tourist destination, but it has a lot to offer and is very good value for money, even with today's unpleasant GBP/EUR exchange rate. About an hour south of Würzburg, close to Ansbach is Colmberg and the home of Burg Colmberg, a stunning castle on a hill in truly rural Bavaria. Just 20km to the west is Rothenburg ob der Taube, a very well-known and well-frequented mediaeval market town. The castle is amazing - combining that castle-like feeling with a friendly welcome and, yes, even child-friendliness.
We were the lazy residents. We were told on arrival that breakfast was served from 7am to a generous (and by German standards, positively lunch-like) 10am. So...we all woke around 10.20am, finally stumbling down our three flights of stone stairs to go out for brunch, only to be told that “because we must be tired after a long flight” that they had kept it open just for us. We gobbled it down with some
Castle terraces
A view from the castle apologetic faces and left for Rothenburg.
Rothenburg (visited before by the grown-ups) was its usual self. The clock-tower in the town hall did the usual (and always entertaining) thing of the mayor drinking the beer. The kids loved it. We bumbled around town and enjoyed improving weather. A lovely day. Just before leaving back for our castle, an American jazz band from Texas were playing in the main market square.
We asked everyone what their favourite moments were. Onita’s was the band and watching the kids feeding birds at the castle cashew nuts (these birds have never known it so good). Asha’s favourite was the ice-cream we had at an Italian ice-cream parlour in Rothenburg. Karl’s was the mayor drinking his beer in the clock tower. Jay’s was the castle bedroom, we think because he thinks it’s safe at the top from the dragons in the dungeon at the bottom.
Tomorrow looks like it’s breakfast (assuming we make it up in time), followed by a trip to Salzburg, some 3.5 hours away. The weather, which has been a little poor in the mornings, but better in the afternoons, looks like it’s improving as we head further south.
Windows
Some windows! ;-) We’ll be sad to leave Germany, which is always a wonderful place to visit.
At every turn in this castle was a windy staircase, a hidden arched door leading to secret dens, locked hatches, and best of all stuffed animals of all the kids’ favourite animals. Bambi was stuffed, squirrels were stuffed, birds were stuffed and best of all the brown bear on the way down to the toilets was stuffed. Daddy we need to go to the toilet sounded out, but there was no real need, just the desire to be a secret agent past the stuffed bear without waking it and screaming at the thought it had moved to come and get them. We made the mistake of telling Jay the arched door just out side our bedroom was the way to the dungeon where the baddies were, so he was terrified of leaving our bedroom. The bedroom for him was his favourite safest place. It was a hoot, and the kids certainly know what a taxidermist is now.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.269s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0436s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.6mb
Linda Newman
non-member comment
Weather report
FYI its rain rain rain here in Esher. The garden has been flooded twice this week already so you are really missing out on some classic British summer weather. Great blog, read it every day! Love to you all xxx The Newman family.