We fell in love with Bernkastel. So, we had a four-day weekend last weekend, and decided that it was time to revisit Bernkastel, as well as spend quality time along the Mosel. So, we rented an apartment in Bernkastel, which turned out to be a fantastic idea with our growing brood. We were right up from the river, and Bernkastel was a great base. We got there on Thursday, and got to just spend time in the town, browsing through stores. I ended up buying a pretty print of the town square, and found an excellent shop that sells Westerwaelder steinzeug (a new type of German stoneware that I didn't know was a genre I did not own; I am now a fan); a wide variety of traditional German wine glasses; and Mosel wine and liquors. I bought a zwiebeln pot (for onions), a kartoffeln pot (for potatoes), and some gluewein mugs and warmers (adorable). They apparently come from a store called Kleiraba in a town that is only two hours away from me. I must check out this pottery town in the near future.
Bernkastel Markt and its St. George Fountain:
On Friday, we packed up the kids and drove to Trier. We lucked out, because it was the first day of an annual festival, which turned out to be fun and convenient for eating purposes when you have young children. We had fun seeing all the major sights, and really just enjoyed the town. We have been blessed to see important ancient Roman and Greek ruins all over the world. But, the Porta Nigra is still impressive.
Our little Roman statue, on an ancient pillar outside the Trier Roman baths:
Saturday saw us in Cochem on a rainy day. There was a small town wine festival going on, which was great. We wandered the gorgeous old town, and hiked the kids up to the castle (really, it wasn't a difficult hike at all). We were rewarded with a stunning view over the town and the Mosel River. It was worth it, even with a cloudy day. There was a newly married couple celebrating with pictures at the top.
The hike back down was somehow more difficult (as we did have a stroller), but we explored more of the town on the way. We found a wine cellar (dating back from the 1400s, supposedly the oldest in Cochem). Chris was in awe, and told me that the inside was beautiful (I waited outside with the children). We also found a wonderful bakery on the main street that had treats that were as beautiful as they were tasty.
On our final day, we packed up the car and took the scenic route to Burg Eltz before heading home. Oh, this was spectacular! We had a sunny day and the ride closer to Burg Eltz was absolutely breathtaking. The grapevines are at their peak in terms of beauty (in terms of being cut and turned into wine, they still have a couple of months). The hills were just covered in green grapes, and the water just sparkled under the sun. It was truly beautiful. If we return to this area anytime soon, I just want to head to this area and spend the day walking along the river...and stopping by a winery or two. Simply lovely. Unfortunately, we were so in awe that we really didn't stop anywhere to snap a good picture. So, we must return.
Burg Eltz was great. I guess. It really is a beautiful fairytale castle in the woods. Very German. But, much of it is covered in construction at the moment, so we couldn't get good pictures. And, Jackson was very toddler that day, so we started the excellent English tour. But, by room two, I could tell it was time to just end it for the sake of other travelers. The end. So, we might return to try again one day. Fortunately, there is a parking lot close to the castle, where you can also get a shuttle van to and from the castle. So, we didn't waste a ridiculous hike on that outing.
Overall, we loved our lazy trip through the Mosel. Although each of these places is a day trip away, it was nice to just take our time and relax with our young children at these places. It's a part of Germany I love!
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