Sister Trip- Easter in Germany
Mannheim, Bacharach & Cologne, GermanyApril 6-9, 2012
Although we are a mix of German, French and Irish descent, it is our German heritage that we most identify with. My grandmother was very proud of her lineage and often reminisced about German culture and traditions. After paying tribute to our Grampy by visiting the D-Day Beaches, we wanted to honor our Momo by visiting her ancestral home of Mannheim, Germany. Mannheim is known for its pretzel stands and that is the first thing we saw when we exited the train platform. We stashed our luggage in a locker and I put my Lonely Planet German phrasebook to good use by asking the Information Desk attendant for a street map and directions, then headed off to explore the city on foot.
Later that afternoon we caught a regional train from Mannheim to Bacharach, changing trains in Bingen. While most of the train riders in Belgium and France were subdued and kept to themselves, the train in Germany was lively and loud with people laughing over card games, children playing with each other in the aisles and older women trading sections of the newspaper. I’ll just admit that we’re a loud and lively family- now I know that is a part of our proud German heritage.
We arrived in Bacharach in the early evening. Loaded down with our packs we walked into town searching for a path to our next accommodations- the Burg Stahleck, a 12th century castle turned hostel (€20/pp/night), which sits perched high above the Rhine River. We found our way up the hill, climbing more than 300 stone steps in agony under the weight of our belongings. When we finally made it to the top, many of the people relaxing in the castle’s courtyard turned to give us knowing smiles, completely understanding what an undertaking the climb really is.
We checked in and were shown to our room, a tiny dorm with four bunk beds, a few cabinets, a small table and a shared bathroom down the hall. Although our room was sparsely furnished, we had an incredible view of the Rhine River Valley from our window. We spent the rest of our evening exploring the castle, climbing the winding stairway in the tower and enjoying some wine at a picnic table overlooking the town and river. The hostel offers a variety of amenities for the traveling family. There is a children’s game room, an arcade and a Ping-Pong table located in one of the towers. Wi-Fi and computer access are both offered. There are shelves of games and books and many ways of entertaining a group of all ages. I’ll admit, as three child-free women in our late-20s to mid-30s, the packs of screaming kids did sometimes wear on our nerves but for the most part the experience of sleeping in a castle more than made up for the inconvenience of wailing children. Except in the morning- man, are kids loud!
Almost everyone ventures out to enjoy their day by mid-morning so we savored getting ready alone in the empty shared bathroom. We headed down the hill and strolled all around Bacharach, walking up and down the city streets, out of city gates, along the vineyards, everywhere we could explore. I completely understand why Germany is the setting of fairytales. Castles are perched above quaint little villages of half-timbered buildings and homes set on cobblestone streets. The air seemed fresher and easier to breathe. It is like wine grows on trees here. It is a fantasyland. We all loved it!
After shopping for handmade lace scarves (€3 each) and browsing some other shops, we stopped for lunch at Rusticana, a cozy little restaurant that serves traditional German food. We ordered schnitzel, bratwurst, homemade soup and a small jug of wine. Everything was delicious. As we left, we passed St. Jozefskapelle, a small chapel built into a row of houses. At one time Catholic churches did not want to stand out in this region, but we were immediately drawn to this sanctuary. There was something very peaceful and comforting about this place.
After lunch we made our way back up the hill and curled up in our bunk beds to relax a little- I read a book, Meg played on her iPad. Four hours later, we all woke up. Our bunk beds were so comfy and cozy and we slept so soundly that we’d napped the afternoon and much of the evening away. We got up, got ready and walked toward town to find some dinner. On our way we stopped to view Wernerkapelle, a Gothic church built in 1287 and destroyed in the 17th century when debris from the castle above fell on the church while under siege. From the ruins, we could hear organ music coming from St. Peters Church nearby and sat on the steps outside listening. We found a little pizzeria right across the street from our lunch spot and enjoyed choices like the ‘Dracula’ pizza, a pie with two kinds of spicy peppers, mushrooms and other toppings which was scrumptious!
Although it was supposed to be very cold and possibly snowing on Easter Sunday morning, the sun was shining and it was relatively warm. We set out to explore a little more, following a designated hiking trail past pastures of goats, through the vineyards and by several watchtowers situated around the village. We had a blast on our hike, stopping for several photo opportunities along the way and making the most of the surprisingly beautiful day.
After hiking around the German countryside, we walked into town. We were surprised to find many of the town’s restaurants open, their patios full of people also enjoying the weather. Megan and I were thrilled when we found a sign indicating that the restaurant before us, Friedrich Bastian's Weingut zum Grüner Baum, boasted the extraordinary experience of a 15-glass wine tasting carousel and bore Rick Steve’s stamp of approval. After spending the morning exploring the vineyards the grapes used to make these wines were grown in, we were ready to sample the end product. Diners at other tables smiled and nodded when the large carousel of wine was delivered to our table. We enjoyed a lunch of frankfurters and potato salad while tasting each of the wines. We used a rating system to keep track of our favorites and purchased a well-priced bottle from the wine shop to enjoy later.
That evening we stayed in and enjoyed an Easter Feast buffet at the hostel- they had everything from ham and kraut to beef and potatoes, a huge selection of sides, desserts and candy. I filled three plates with bite size portions of just about every option. We spent the rest of our evening drinking wine, constructing a fortress made of Legos and playing cards in the children’s game room. The next morning we woke up early, had breakfast, packed our bags and walked down the hill to the train station. It was a dreary morning as we prepared to leave Germany and head to our final destination of Amsterdam. The train ride up the Rhine was pleasant, often displaying views of castles on either side of the river. We all fell asleep on the train and missed our stop at the Cologne Central Station but we just hopped off and caught the next train back.
We stashed our bags in the most deluxe of airport lockers- put all your stuff into a metal box, close the door and the contents are whisked away into the depths of the station storage system to be retrieved later with a magnetic swipe card. I had heard that the Cologne Cathedral was very near the Central Station and since we had an hour before our train to Amsterdam we decided to take a look. The church is literally across the courtyard, just steps from the station. We walked around the gigantic Gothic church constructed during medieval times and then back to browse some of the stores in the station before leaving for the last leg of our trip- Amsterdam.
We agree that out of all the places we visited,
Germany was our favorite. We were able to relax, go at a slower pace, take in
our surroundings and enjoy a little of what the area has to offer. We were in
the land of our ancestors doing the things we love to do- hiking, enjoying
local foods and drinking wine. I can’t help but think that we felt so at ease
in Germany because the culture is in our blood. Visiting Germany with my
sisters is bound to be one of my all-time best memories!
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