Sunday, January 10, 2010

Schloss Weikersheim

Leaving Würzburg on Monday, November 9, we headed south on the Romantische Straße, the Romantic Road, a swath through historical towns and villages that typify Bavaria. We stopped to visit Schloss Weikersheim, the princely residence of the Hohenlohe family.

November is not peak tourism season in Germany. We saw relatively few tourists, and very few English-speaking ones, until the end of our trip at the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. And on occasion, we had palaces all to ourselves, like in Weikersheim. We had to ring a bell to be admitted to the castle, and were the only participants on the guided tour. Built in the 12th Century, much of the castle was renovated in the 18th C to reflect the French decor and architecture, which was much in fashion. The Baroque influence is very apparent in the gardens which reminded us of châteaux in the Loire Valley.


We left the castle ready for a late lunch around 3:00, only to find all cafes closed down. We stopped hopefully at a hotel and asked if their restaurant was open. "For you, it is," they said and graciously set a table for us in the deserted dining room. All they could offer was soup, which we gladly accepted. They were lovely soups. Thank you Laurentius Cafe and Restaurant for keeping us warm and well fed.

1 comment:

mom Gunter said...

Did they give you brown bread with the soup? Boy! I love good soup with brown bread!