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Two Excursions in Two Days

 Gruß Gott von Regensburg!

It's April in southern Germany, and it's a spring as spring can get. I'd forgotten just how spring unfolds in lower latitudes than Alaska. The weather is very changeable, and can literally go from sunny to rainy and back again in minutes. 

So, now that I'm over the creeping crud, I'm ready for adventures again. My original plan was to go to Salzburg, Austria on Easter Monday, which is a public holiday here, but the forecast was for rain, so I'm saving Salzburg for another week, probably next week, as I have less than 3 weeks left in Germany.

My Monday excursion, then, was to Bamberg, north of here on a 2 1/2 hour train ride. People say Bamberg rivals Regensburg for its picturesque Altstadt, and surroundings. It was the most beautiful place I've visited so far, but I would still say Regensburg holds an edge. 

The photo at the top of the page is the old town hall, built on an island in the middle of the Regnitz River. According to legend, the Bishop of Bamberg wouldn't grant the citizens of Bamberg land for a town hall, so they rammed stakes into the middle of the river, creating an island on which they built their town hall. 

The Parish of St. Martin's was established in 1687 and built in the baroque style. 

Michaelsburg Abby was built in 1015 on one of the seven hills of Bamberg, all of which are capped by magnificent churches. It was a bit of a hike to reach this one. 

On another hill was the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. George. It was founded in 1002 by King Henry II. It was destroyed by fire, and rebuilt in the Romanesque style in the 13th century. I personally like the Romanesque style over the baroque. 

I sat and rested in the outdoor seating of a cafe under some umbrellas while it rained and enjoyed a Nussschnecke, a confection made with nuts. 

Today was back to class after missing most of last week, and then off on another excursion with our German landlady, Marlene. She wanted to show me Kallmuenz, about 20 minutes northwest of Regensburg. It is watched over by a ruined castle up on a hill above town. They seemed to like building castles on hills overlooking rivers. It was similar in that regard to Burgruine, which I visited a few weeks ago. I got a chance to practice my German with Marlene, and was surprised at what I was able to express and understand. Germans are very patient with language learners, and graciously overlook all the mistakes. They know German is a real challenge to master, especially the crazy grammar.  

At the bottom of the hill is a charming, quiet German Dorf, or village. A person needs a car, however, if they live out in a village, as there are no buses, and must commute to the nearest city for most things. I enjoyed the beauty and quaintness of this village, which derives its name from being a place where they minted their own coins back in the Middle Ages. 

Someone actually lives in this house built into the cliff face. I bet the temperature inside is pretty stable year-round.

A view of Kallmuenz from the top

...And a view at the bottom.

And last but not least--a vending machine where you can buy sausages and other meat, just in case you get hungry after store hours. 

Auf Wiedersehen!



Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 6, 2024 at 8:04 PM

    Things are certainly different there! The meat vending machine is weird. That house built in the rock is different! The churches are beautiful! Thank You for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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