Where is the Princess?

• The castle was built in 1259 as a toll station on the Rhine until 1412.
• It was occupied by several countries including Sweden in 1632 and France in 1634 and 1646.
• The French destroyed much of it in 1689 during the Palatinate Succession War.
• After the defeat of Napoleon, the town of Koblenz demanded ownership and gave the ruins to the Prussian Prince Royal, Friedrich Wilhelm.
• In 1836 the castle was restored to it’s original glory.

 Thought Number Two:  Bacharach, Germany

After making stops in several towns along the way, each being more charming than the last, we pulled into Bacharach and parked next to one of the old fortress towers. 

My husband had been to Bacharach a couple of other times prior to my arrival, so you will notice some differences in the pictures. The day, I arrived the town has Christmas markets in the streets.

Bacharach has two very prominent tourist draws. One of them being the ruins of an ancient chapel. The Werner Chapel has a tragic story.  The chapel started to be built in 1289 to honor a 16 year old named Werner of Oberwesel that was murdered. The murder was blamed on the Jewish community and the accusations brought with it a number of crimes against the Jewish population.

The chapel remained uncompleted and was further damaged by the French when they destroyed Stahleck Castle that was located just up the hill.

What remains of Werner Chapel, however, is the architectural skeleton of what is some of the most enduring examples of Gothic art used in design of buildings.

The real attraction to the area is the Stahleck Castle that sits further up onto the hillside.

Background of the castle:

• There is no clear evidence when the castle was built but it is believed to be around 1135 AD.  
• The castle was sacked 8 times over the course of its history leaving it in various states of ruin.
• It was finally beyond repair when the French destroyed it in 1689. It not only decisively destroyed the castle but also, destroyed Werner Chapel as well.
• In 1909, the castle footings and remaining walls were stabilized so work could begin to rebuild it.
• By 1925 it was rebuilt  incorporating the remains of the original structure, with the help of Erst Stahl.  His intent was to  rebuild it in it’s original “spirit”.  The newly rebuilt castle was intended to be a hostel. 
• During the First and Second World Wars, the buildings were taken over and used by the Third Reich for various reasons including an indoctrination camp for the young men of Germany.
• It returned to a youth hostel in 1947.
• Today it houses over 42,000 overnight stays a year. The 168 beds are nearly always reserved.

So…that is where, I will leave off for today.

Next week, I will show you Amsterdam.