Romantic German Castles Motorhome Rental Holiday
Our motorhome depot is conveniently at Cologne airport. so we were soon on our way to a delightful camping spot we found at Hatzenport some 130 kilometres distant. This time, we intended to focus on the amazing fairy-tale German castles in the region, with a romantic German castles motorhome rental holiday. However, we spent the afternoon and evening taking in delightful river views not far from where we parked our motorhome among the trees.
The next morning, we visited the spectacular Thurant Castle across the river among rolling vineyards. There is a small fee to enter and enjoy the river views from the fortifications. We found the dungeon bizarre as it contains the original instruments of torture, and our guide assured us, genuine human bones. We shivered, but not from the cold.
Romantic German Castles Motorhome Rental Holiday
Münstermaifeld, Eltz, and Heidelberg German Castles
After a leisurely lunch in a local pub, we headed for Münstermaifeld a short distance down the road. The town itself is well preserved in places, with period buildings and an old church based on a Roman castle tower. However, the 850-year-old Eltz Castle with multiple turreted towers is the jewel in the crown. The site is in private hands, but opens to the public from April to October.
We found another pleasant place to overnight in Münstermaifeld. The following day, we headed for the quaint town of Heidelberg on the River Neckar. The romantic castle ruin is among the most important renaissance structures in Europe. In 1619, Lutheran Protestants rose up against the Catholic king. The castle fell and was partly destroyed in the chaos that followed.
The Ancient University Town of Heidelberg
We spent several days exploring this 14th Century university town that grew to a city of 160,000 souls. The Philosophers Walk proved a highlight, as it follows a glorious hill with spectacular views of the old town and castle. Tradition has it university professors and town philosophers followed it in times gone by. There is also a ruined 11th Century monastery, and a 4th Century BC Celtic fort nearby.
The town has churches beyond numbering, and hosted a romantic movement when great philosophers, poets, musicians, and artists emerged. We lost our heart in Heidelberg as the old song goes, remembering the movie The Student Prince as we headed back to Cologne airport past our favourite romantic German castles. And caught our connecting flight to Paris.
