Burg Hohenzollern

... And I'm back in Germany! Truly, I just landed here again (from the UK, not the US, but more on that next week). This trip started out the way the last one ended; with a visit to a lovely Swebian castle, perched on a hilltop above farms and villages. Wanting to make a hike out of it, we parked in the little town of Bisingen and slowly made our way upward. I felt a bit like a peasant, watching the towers grow taller as we approached! 

Hohenzollern Castleitself has the same historical pattern as many others in Europe. It was first constructed in the 11th century, re-enforced and expanded in the Middle Ages, gun battlements added after the Renaissance, and finally redecorated with Gothic flair during the late 1800's. The House of Hohenzollern dates back to the foundations of the castle, but reached prominence in the 1800's, when they became the rulers of Prussia. The castle grounds still include larger-than-life statues of several Kaisers. 

One aspect of the interior of the castle which surprised me was the placement of two chapels on opposite sides of the Innenhof/central courtyard. Baden-Wurtemburg has Catholic roots, like much of Southern Germany, but many in the area converted to Protestantism after 1500. The Hohenzollern family itself has two branches. The northeastern (Prussian) branch remains largely Protestant, the southern (Swebian) branch, Catholic. 

Protestant chapel panorma

Ceiling of the Catholic chapel

 Anne had to work the rest of the week, as did I. Since my mornings were free (I worked afternoons/evenings to accommodate East Coast Time), I got to explore Sielmingen, Filderstadt, and some of the other towns near where I was staying. Life outside the city in Germany still sounds like the rattle of an old Porsche tractor, the clop of horses going by, kids ringing their bike bells while their parents walk behind. It was nice to have a minute to slow down and smell the cabbage/squash/corn before dashing off to Scotland!