Blessed are the curious for they will have adventure.
Winter is one of the most magical times of year to me. In Germany, there are so many things to keep busy with even when the cold weather and snow set in. This year, we headed over to Köln (Cologne) to explore. There are some medieval castles over there and one of their Christmas Markets was elf themed, so we had to go!
On our first day, we drove to see Burg Eltz. This is a really neat old castle that has managed to stay untouched by wars and any other chaos. It is also owned by the same family that built it 850 years ago! It is surrounded by the Eltz Forest, which you could hike around and soak in it’s beauty all day. If you walk down the road from the parking lots to the castle, you will see a small ruin. This is from the 1330s and was used as a siege castle when the family was having a feud. From here, catapults and heavy stone balls were thrown at Burg Eltz for five years.
Over 500 years the castle slowly had additions built. The main construction occurred between the 11th and 13th centuries. The unusually shaped rooms are a result of the castle’s architecture following the shape of the rock. When you look at photos, you can see that the castle sits on top of an oval rock that is 70 m high, helping to provide protection over all the years.
During the Palatine Wars of Succession (1688-1689), many castles in this region of Germany were destroyed. Burg Eltz was saved by the fact that a French officer was able to delete the castle from a list of buildings to be destroyed by the French army. When the French did attempt to raid the castle, the people of Müden were able to lure the intruders into a cornfield and set it on fire.
We had planned to hike around, but with a four and two year old, that didn’t happen. Instead, we headed to the next castle, which also had a Christmas Market inside! Burg Satzvey was first documented 1396. There is a moat running around that the ducks were playing in, which the girls loved
After walking into this market, the air smelled of bratwurst and fried potatoes and there was music playing everywhere. Saint Nikolaus sat on a stage with elves and children surrounding him. The stalls all had a rustic feel. There were woodworkers, knitters, candy makers, costumes, and glass art. This is where I finally found my wooden nativity scene. It has a moss roof and wooden sides. The crafters were a dad and son team who had figurines of different colors and sizes that they had hand painted too.
This market was also a hit for the girls. They had miniature ponies, a little wooden train the kids could climb in and on top of, and delicious hot chocolate. We even got to see Gandalf and Galadriel walking around! Most of the workers were in costume, but I’m not 100% sure Gandalf and Galadriel were workers. It was fun and magical all the same. The girls each got a felted pony and Justin found a wool hood he has been wanting to buy for hunting back in the states.
The next day we headed into Köln! They had about 6 Christmas Markets. I really wanted to see them all, but the girls were cold and tired so we didn’t have time. Christmas Markets in big cities are fun because they have numerous markets with different themes in the different parts of the cities. And in Europe, public transportation is so cheap and easy to use, it’s not hard to find a way to get around if you don’t feel like walking!
By the Köln Dom there was the Old Town Market. I loved looking at the nativity scenes they had set up around the area. This cathedral is listed as one of the top things to see in Europe. It was built around the 800s. During the French Revolution in 1794, the church closed for services and used as a stable and POW camp. In 1801, the cathedral was finally able to be used as a church again, but there were many renovations needed due to the years of neglect. In WWII it also suffered considerable damage due the bombings. Luckily, sandbags had been placed on many of the important pieces of the cathedral, protecting the medieval artwork.
Köln is one of those must see cities in my opinion. It is the oldest city and the fourth largest city in Germany. It was founded by the Romans so has 2000 years of history and has many Romanesque churches to explore. It amazes me that, even with 90% of it’s city being destroyed during WWII, it was still able to be rebuilt and people moved back to the city as it is known today.
And of course, a couple photos from the Elf market. Of course my first Glühwein mug had a bodacious babe on it, so I had to trade it in quickly as we left!
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