Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Germany and Luxembourg Border Skirmish


HA!  Well, not exactly a skirmish but we wound back and forth between Germany and Luxembourg so many times, it was hard to keep up with ourselves.

It was the third day of our long weekend to Luxembourg and because our B&B was over the border in Germany, we started out that day in Neuerburg...Germany.  With a population of only 1500, we knew it would whet our appetite for the rest of the day.

What a delightful little town in the Eifel with something for everyone!

We parked right outside the old Gothic parish church of St. Nikolaus, from 1492 (top-left).
Its free-standing tower sits next to it (bottom-left and center)...both not open, sadly.
The Castle Neuerburg (left-center) is the city's symbol, from the 9th century, now a youth hostel.
The look-out tower (top-center) from the 16th century was open for climbing.
Which we did.  And that was our overview!

See what I mean about whetting our appetite!  A nice YouTube here gives more of what we didn't see.
But we didn't need any more than that while on our way to...Vianden, 20 km away.

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Vianden, Luxembourg, was our main goal of the day.  At circa 1800 inhabitants, it's not much bigger than Neuerburg but much more well-known.

What is it about European signs!  
Not much different than going from one city or state to another in America, right?

So, another charming town, with lots to see...

...and wonder about.
Victor Hugo, for instance, was a famous French author who stayed in Vianden often between 1862-71.
Oh, yes, and the Our river runs through it.

In the city center is this precious little church of St. Nicholas, from 1256.

It was the first church where I've seen an "ALARM" sign before the altar.
Perhaps that's why they can keep it open all the time?

But it's the Vianden Castle that is its main attraction, as you'll soon see.
It's one of the largest fortified castles west of the Rhine, built in the 11th-14th centuries.
And you can see it from all over town, as well as the Hockelstuerm tower nearby.


Lucky for tourists, there's a chair lift that will take you to the top to see it all better!


Look at that!  It was a perfect day to be there, though hot.
An iced coffee was just what the doctor ordered at the café with a view.

Going down was even better because we could see the castle without obstruction of the chair lift.

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And just like that, we were on the road again!  Still on a mission...

...and always with something for which to stop at a moment's notice.
Talk about older than dirt.

As I recall, this old DDR firetruck was on sale for €1,000.
You'd think a museum would want it, right?

Which reminds me...we're now back in Germany.

And this is Bollendorf, a town of circa 1600 inhabitants.
A river runs through it, of course...the Sauer, with the Bollendorf Castle/hotel at the bend.
Did I mention it was a hot day!

St. Michael's Church, built in the 1830s, stands tall not far from the river banks.

I love that so many of these churches are open during the week at odd hours.

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And at that point we went searching for the Irrel waterfalls where we ate our picnic supper before heading back to our B&B!

I told you I was going backwards!  
Next up...Luxembourg City.

16 comments:

  1. Sometimes I get tired of myself, when I see what we can pack into one day...grin...
    Just kidding, I love what we do and that we both have that same feeling, around a certain time of the day, we look at each other and say; time to go home, we've seen enough'. Well I will never get tired of looking at these posts, over and over again.
    A wonderful job done, by making these fabulous collages with your great pictures (and I am not saying this because I have to)
    No better life, than a good life.
    Thank you, for being my partner in crime :)

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    1. And just think, I haven't even shown the Luxembourg City and Trier images from our two biggest days! I've been saving them for the last. HA! I love what's at our fingertips here where we live. I never tire of saying that...and of you being my Partner in Crime! Hartstikke bedankt!

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  2. So love the scenery from the chair lifts! WOW!

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  3. Oh, what fun to finally get here and catch up on all the adventures! You gals have really seen some sights ... love that you had pizza & picnics and the iced coffee & cold beer look amazing! Notice how I zone in on the food & drink? But I also appreciate the beautiful castles & lovely churches ~ thanks so much, friends.

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    1. My sister Ruth als+o zones in on the food and drink, Susan, so you're not alone. HA! Thanks, always, for stopping by. :)

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  4. my goodness there seems to be a surplus of charming little villages that beg to be explored and photograph not too far away from where you live. lucky you two.

    happy birthday to astrid <3

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    1. This is why I would be stupid to ever move away, Maria!!! HA! I have a feeling we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

      And yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Astrid tomorrow, Saturday! :) Thank you.

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  5. Great way to put images together like you have done.
    Thanks for showing all these beautiful places.
    Enjoy the rest of the summer too.

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    1. Thank you, Gunn. This is my travel blog, as you see. My other blog is at www.ginniehart.shutterchance.com.

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  6. Well, still no way to post, but it's always a treat when you take me traveling. Lazlo and I spent the day photographing as the trolley museum looking for one image to go with my trolley essay in the book.

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    1. It's still such a mystery, Ted. Your comment went to my Junkbox, which I've just now retrieved. TECNOLOGY! (sigh)

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  7. Neuerburg, Eifel had a city fire in 1818? ... so many parts are relatively new? ;P I googled the Vianden Castle and it is gorgeous at night all lit up! I went with my daughter to Charleston, SC and we toured the Protestant churches and then walked a bit out of the way to see The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. And like many Catholic churches in America, it was closed. Ugh. It is so hard to believe that such quaint places exist - I would have to pinch myself to make sure it was all real. :)

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    1. Exactly, Margaret. I'm pinching myself all the time when we are out-n-about...even when we take walks around our citadel city! :)

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  8. what a charming little area. So much to see. I love the charming villages and their houses the most. :)

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    1. It's funny, Jen, but I always wanted to go to Luxembourg, just to say I did it. I loved it so much that I would love to go back one day to see more of it! Thank you.

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