Our mission was to see castles and visit medieval towns, and lots of them.  This would include the City of Trier, the 2,000 year old Roman City and the village of Cochem - both are located on the Mosel River.  We motored to Rothenburg and Regensburg before heading south to the town of Fuessen in the Bavarian Alps.  At this Austrian border town is the most famous of all the castles built by the mad-king - Ludwig II and the one for which Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland is modeled after.    

In many ways touring Germany by automobile is a lot like touring North America, maybe more so than anywhere else.  It’s charmingly different but user-friendly.  Road signage is familiar, for many German words have a near English equivalent in meaning and pronunciation.  Furthermore, for many Germans, English is a second language.  But best of all are the German people. They are friendly and they love Americans. 

With its headwaters in France, the Mosel River Valley is a destination unto itself.  The City of Trier sits on the border of Luxembourg and Germany.  The Romans built Trier as an outpost against the barbarians.  The world famous Porta Negra (Black Gate) which is built of limestone, gets its name from the black stains caused by the limestone being exposed for centuries to the elements.  Here also are the Roman Baths and Emperor Constantine’s Roman Basilica, both are must-see places. The birthplace of Karl Marx (the rascal whose political ideas unsettled the world for 150-years) is also in Trier.  Today it is a museum.  An excellent hotel to stay when visiting Trier is the HOTEL RÖMISCHER KAISER . 

Midway between Trier and the City of Koblenz on the Mosel River, is the awesome little village of Cochem.  The visual cornerstone of Cochem is the giant Cochem Castle   that sits atop the bluff adjacent to the river.  Restored in the mid 1800’s, this castle sits on the original site of a medieval castle that dates back a thousand years.  It was from this castle that taxes and tolls were levied against those who used the river as a trade route.  A giant chain was kept stretched across the river and would be lowered deep into the water (so the boats could pass) but only after the tolls were paid to who ever happened to be in control of the castle at the time. 

Laced with cobblestone streets and half-timber houses, a medieval wall with several gates and a mote surround and provide access to the Old World City of Rothenberg.  A short drive southeast of Frankfurt, Rothenburg is located at the north end of what is called the Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road), an ancient road that runs from Augsburg south to Fuessen.  Inside the old city walls are excellent eateries and the HOTEL AND GASTH OF SCHWARZER ADLER that has its own private wine cellar, eatery and first rate accommodations. Known for its excellent bier (beer), there was a time in Rotenburg’s medieval history when beer was often the only safe beverage to drink and bread the only safe food to eat.  Beer was often used to supplement mother’s milk for infants and children.  It was considered one of the basic food groups and even today beer is anecdotally referred to here as liquid bread. 

Passion and the heart often dictate decisions and no where is this more evident than with Ludwig I, the King of Bavaria circa the 1840’s.  Like the King of England (Edward III) who in the 1930’s abdicated the throne for a lady who could not become his queen, Ludwig I did the same for a hot-blooded Spanish dancer named Lola Montez.  However, it turned out that Lola was not Spanish at all, but a very clever and beguiling Irish girl.  Staying at the SORAT INSEL-HOTEL REGENSBURG  in Old Town Regensburg, one afternoon is enjoyably spent visiting nearby Walhalla, a mountain top monument just minutes from the Danube River, that was built by King Ludwig I to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon.  It is an exact replica (both in size and design) of the Acropolis in Athens.  It’s monstrous! 

Ludwig I lived another 40 years after abdicating the throne, long enough to see the dire consequences (both personally and politically) of his decision to elevate his grandson, Ludwig II to the throne (Ludwig II became the King of Bavaria).  Some have characterized him as the mad king.  Others simply explain him as being a sensitive, artsy kind of guy.  Either way Ludwig II (King of Bavaria until his mysterious death in 1880’s) had a passion for building castles.  Folk lore tells how when he could no longer borrow money from the banks, he hired robbers to get the money he needed to continue his castle building.  Toppled by a coup (probably his creditors), the members of the coup declared Ludwig to be of unsound mind (insane).  But just as it might happen today, Ludwig II hired his own psychiatrist and had himself declared competent.  Two days later both he and his shrink mysteriously died in what was officially explained as a double drowning (sure).

When asked once what he thought about Wagner’s operas, Mark Twain replied, “they’re not as bad as they sound.”  Regardless of how you feel about Wagnerian Opera, his impact on the world of music is monumental and in Fussen is found the castle of Hohanschwangau where Wagner entertained Ludwig II (Ludwig II was a Wagner groupie).  Today you can tour Hohenschwangau and see the piano Wagner played for the mad king.  And at the foot of this castle is the VILLA JAEGERHAUS , an excellent luxury hotel where you can see both the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles through the guest room windows.  Excellent!

The Castle Neuschwanstein is the most famous of all castles and the last one Ludwig II would build.  It took him 17 years to complete and he lived in it only 6-months before his untimely (or timely) demise.   The guided tours of Neuschwanstein are very, very good.  For more information about traveling in Germany you can visit www.germany-tourism.de/ .  Happy Traveling!