The Wartburg was perched right above the Drachenslucht, translated as Dragons Gorge. We had to drive a bit to get there and it was worth the hassle to find parking. Driving in Germany was quite an experience in and of itself. There were many major highways which took you to places quickly, even though they had the ability to drive you crazy as they were mostly two lanes, one lane driving at unlimited speeds (autobahn) and the other for transport trucks which were governed at 80km/h. The autobahns also took you over all the little villages and towns and it was fascinating to see the way in which Germany was laid out. Houses and farmyards were not scattered over fields the same way as in North America, but rather, the farmhouses were in the towns while the fields lay around the towns. This may seem obvious, but it made for very neat and quaint towns complete with farm machinery in the centers, having to drive out of town to the farm land every day. You could tell the town bylaws were also very strict as all the houses had the same colour roofs and brick - old and new alike - making very picturesque towns.
Drachenslucht
Eisenach had more to offer than just the Wartburg. This town was filled with history of all sorts.
From the town centre we could follow a self guided walking tour to the most famous sights of Eisenach. We started with the Lutherhaus. Tradition holds that Martin Luther lived here during his school days in and around 1498. It is now recognized as one of the most important Reformation sites.
We went on to see where Johann Sebastian Bach was born and raised. We all enjoy the music of Bach frequently as well as appreciate a good pipe organ so we were thrilled to be able to walk where he walked and go inside and even listen in to an organ concert happening at the church where he was baptized.
This is in the foyer of the church that was having an afternoon Bach concert. We could quietly listen in, and stand in the shadow of this great musician.
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