We went on a whirlwind tour of ‘bergs’ to see sites that Jill might use for developing a course on famous female mathematicians, and a few castles on the side: Bamberg, Nurenberg, Heidelberg, Wurtzberg, Meersberg, and Munich. We encountered massive snowstorms, driving in a tiny mini Cooper. Let’s just say we were hoping, on the way to the Neuschwanstein castle that we’d come out of it alive. The Hohenzollern castle (see featured image) was beautiful, first appearing in the mists (below), but there had recently been an avalanche so we couldn’t get any closer. I kind of wanted to walk up anyway, but stuck with my telephoto lens.
So while we risked life and limb to see the Neuschwanstein castle and nearby Hohenschwangau Castle, I was slightly disappointed to discover that Neuschwanstein is not that old. Crazy Ludwig wanted a magical medieval castle yet didn’t really know what medieval castles looked like, built in the 1800’s.
So yes, it is kind of Disney-esque, but not authentic. Actually, this is a big lesson I’ve learned since coming here. The American version of “castle” and the European photographs and online images of “castle” make it look like they are all about spires and turrets. But most of the time, the castle part is boring, flat, with no points and spires. That is typically a cathedral in the center of the castle grounds. Because castles are forts and penitentiaries but not a place with princesses. Often the royal palaces were in completely different locations. Look at the Prague castle. The castle itself is a mono-level (maybe 6 storeys, all the same) in long segments surrounding the castle grounds and the spires are St. Vitus Cathedral – see what I mean, below?
Ok, enough kvetching about castles! I still like them. So the half-timbered buildings in Germany were, well, gorgeous. How would you like to have your City Hall office hanging over a river, like in Bamberg?
But I think I was most “wowed” by the Heidelberg castle ruins. The ruins have been left as-is and you can see all the rooms, wet and cold in the winter, with missing walls and ceiling.
Dramatically – I’m really taken with this – the massive stone side of a turret was blasted off by a lightning strike. I keep trying to imagine what it would have been like to be there when it happened. What did it sound like, something that big breaking off and landing on the ground?
And then there were all the other sites to see in these cities, and the lovely restaurants that met our “cuteness factor” threshold. Churches, art installments, and general beauty were other parts of our trip.
I have hundreds of photos of gorgeous churches. But if you’ve been to Europe, you’ve seen them. Or something similar. Trust me to say they are even more beautiful at Christmas time with all the trees and other decorations.
I want to close by saying every single day was cold, windy, and sleeting or snowing. We walked 6-9 hours every day and I have an injury on my foot so several of those hours each day I spent limping. So in the end, I was happy to return to routine life in Ostrava.
Adventures in the Czech Republic 
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