Holiday 2019 - Drachenslucht - Eisenach - Day 6 {continued}

 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.  

The Bach House

Along the way we came across a small market.  

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. 

Holiday 2019, Sept. 10, Kircheim - Wartburg - Day 6

Today we had planned to visit the Wartburg! This was our main reason for being in the area.  We were very excited to see the castle where Martin Luther hid out in for 300 days in 1521-1522 after being declared an outlaw and a heretic at the Diet of Worms. In this castle from the middle ages Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German.  The Wartburg Castle is the most visited site from the Reformation.  This castle is a sort of Protestant Pilgrimage site, and us being Protestants, were thrilled to be there and get a tiny taste of history alive. 

Our wonderful rental van, big enough for all our picnics. 

Such darling travelers!

Holiday 2019, Sept. 9, Kircheim, Burg Herzberg, Alzfeld, Lauterbach, Fulda - Day 5

Day 5 was spent exploring the area around Kircheim. We were in the area to see and experience some of Martin Luthers surroundings and paths.  We were planning on making the trip educational yet interesting and studying some church history in this area.  To come home enriched by history and culture.  Close to where we were staying was part of the Luther Trail, which follows his footsteps thru Germany to get to the different places he had church functions and meetings as well as places he hid. 

First stop was Burg Herzberg, a secluded castle where restorations are on going.  The weather was beautiful and the views from the castle walls were amazing to our prairie eyes. 

Inside the castle there was small chapel which was restored.

We continued on to Alzfeld which is famous for its timber frame housing, which is the architecture from this area. We found some parking and went for a stoll thru the old city, also a part of the Luther Trail.  This area of Germany is also called the land of the brothers Grimm.  The towns are surrounded by deep dark forests, which was inspiration for many fairy tales, included Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel (a few pictures below). 

"Let down your golden hair!!"

There are many small bakeries and butchers throughout the towns and in the countryside. We let all the kids pick a fresh pastry to try some local food and ate it on the sidewalk. That's the way memories are made. 

  

These are the remains of a monastery that ceased to function during the Reformation. Also had significance tied to Martin Luther.

Another small town we stopped at was Lauterbach, similar style. 

This town has a nice little church we could go in.  It was the first of many crucifixes we were about to see. Marla had never seen one before and suddenly we found her crying at the front of the church being comforted by Abby.  After listening in to their conversation we were touched to find out that Marla was crying because the man on the cross must have been in alot of pain. Abby was telling Marla was it was ok, Jesus was not on the cross anymore and that he had done it because he loved us.  From the mouth of babes. 

Last town for the day was Fulda.  This town was built in the baroque style.  It had a cathedral with the tomb of St. Boniface, who is also on the picture below.  St Boniface is of interest because he was martyred in Friesland, in 754 A.D. near Dokum where we had been the first weekend. We had just driven that distance and could hardly imagine that he walked there thru the deep forests and rugged terrain. He was known as the apostle of the Germans, because he organized significant foundations of the church in Germany. 

The kids begged for a few coins for the wishing well.  They were mesmerized by the idea.

Inside the cathedral.