I had become aware of different spellings for the
same river so looked into it.
It seems that as the river flows through three
countries, Germany ,
Luxemburg and France
Luxemburg : Musel
So there we have it, something learnt today.
For a wine update, it seems that Reisling is
predominantly the main grape used in local wine and the tourist shops are full
of it. Light fruity and tasty.
Me ? I`m going looking for an Aldi or Lidl tomorrow
for my supplies.
Today we left Alken and drove about ten miles to Eltz Castle
Eltz Castle is a medieval castle nestled
in the hills above the Mosel River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany.
It is still owned by a branch of the same family (the Eltz family) that lived
there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago.
It is one of only a few castles on the left bank of
the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate which have never been
destroyed.
The castle is surrounded on three sides by the Elzbach River , a tributary on
the north side of the Mosel . It is on a
70-metre (230 ft) rock spur, on an important Roman trade route between
rich farmlands and their markets.
Platteltz, a Romanesque keep, is the oldest part
of the castle, having begun in the 9th century as a simple manor with an
earthen palisade. By 1157 the fortress was an important part of the empire
under Frederick Barbarossa, standing astride the
trade route from the Mosel Valley and the Eifel region.
In 1472 the Rübenach house, built in the Late Gothic style, was completed.
Remarkable are the Rübenach Lower Hall, a living room, and the Rübenach
bedchamber with its opulently decorated walls.
Between 1490 and 1540, the Rodendorf house was
constructed, also in Late Gothic style
Sadly no photos were allowed inside but it was very
impressive.
Probably the setting is the most spectacular feature
of the castle. Remarkable that it was built a private residence.
After lunch we set off and drove for about forty
minutes to the town of Cochem on the banks of
the Mosel River
It`s quite an interesting town but very much aimed at
the tourist market.
We are parked up on the Stellplatz between the river
and the town and have lovely views of the river for the princely sum of 1 euro
for overnight parking ! What a bargain. I`m beginning to love Germany. No services but who cares with a view
like that ?
After a walk along the river and through the town, we
had dinner “en van” pork chop, butternut squash and spinach crocquets and baked
beans – delicious.
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| Eltz Castle |
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| Door of the Day - Eltz Castle (It`s about 3`6" tall !) |
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| Eltz Castle View through the Ramparts |
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| Cochem Castle |
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| Our view for this evening |
Glad you've got some nice weather! Has mum enjoyed the castles?
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