Tag Archives: History

Afloat on the Rhine and Moselle

A dream river voyage on the Scenic Opal spotlights cozy towns in the heart of Europe

By Randy Mink

With its half-timbered houses, tangle of cobbled alleyways and picture-perfect castle perched on a crag high above the market square, the German village of Cochem struck me as something plucked from a medieval fairy tale.

Almost too good to be true, the Moselle River town of 5,500 was one of several stops on “Charming Castles & Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle,” a seven-night cruise itinerary offered by Scenic, an Australia-based company with 12 luxury river ships in Europe. My brother and I were aboard the 163-passenger Scenic Opal, our floating hotel for the week.

Happily, in Cochem and some other ports of call, the historic town centers lay just steps from the ship’s gangway. I love being in the middle of everything within minutes of disembarking.

Clockwise: The Moselle River town of Cochem, Germany, as seen from hilltop Reichsburg Castle. (Photo credit: German National Tourist Board)
Reichsburg Castle looms high above the Moselle River town of Cochem.  (Larry Mink Photo)
Cochem charms visitors with its ancient, half-timbered buildings. (Randy Mink Photo)

Because of my ancestry and the fact that my first trip to Europe was a summer German language program in Austria, I’ve always had an affinity for German-speaking countries. Until this cruise, however, I had never been to the Rhine or Moselle valleys.

It was the Moselle’s inclusion that steered me to the itinerary, as not all Rhine cruises venture to this narrower, slower-moving, more intimate tributary, which twists and turns more than 100 picturesque miles between the German cities of Trier and Koblenz. Many Rhine journeys spend time in the more industrial stretches to the north.

I also liked this particular circuit because it touched four countries. Besides shore excursions in Germany, Scenic offered tours in France and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The cruise ended in Basel, Switzerland, where we stayed two nights in a hotel before flying home.

The Rhine travels nearly 800 miles from the Swiss Alps to Rotterdam on the North Sea, forming the border of southwestern Germany and eastern France. From the Vosges Mountains, the Moselle flows through northeastern France and Luxembourg to Germany, joining the Rhine at Koblenz, our first port after embarking the day before at Mainz, a city of 200,000 about 40 minutes from the Frankfurt airport.

Both waterways dish up a passing parade of vineyard-covered slopes, hilltop castles and idyllic towns with gabled houses, church steeples and leafy riverside promenades—an eye-popping feast for those of us who thronged the railings or drank it in from deck chairs. Steady streams of barges, sightseeing boats and pleasure craft also kept us engaged. One afternoon on the Moselle, the Scenic Opal went through three locks, the first one upon leaving Koblenz for the pretty Moselle Valley, my favorite part of the trip.

Koblenz: At the Confluence

In Koblenz I opted for a ship-arranged walking tour but easily could have wandered on my own. The colorful squares and alleys of Old Town, a largely pedestrianized shopping zone with plenty of cafes and bakeries, were a short walk from our berth at the beautifully landscaped Rhine Promenade. (My brother chose the e-biking excursion, exploring on one of the ship’s electrically assisted bicycles.)

The park-like river walk led to Deutsches Eck, or German Corner, the point where the mighty Rhine meets little sister Moselle. Lording over the tip of land is a monumental equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I (1797-1888), first emperor of the New German Empire. Destroyed in World War II and replaced in 1993 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the statue now represents German unity. Nearby stand three concrete slabs from the infamous wall and text about life under Communism in East Germany. Overlooking the confluence is Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a massive complex reached by cable car from the promenade.

Clockwise (Randy Mink Photos): An equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, the first emperor of the New German Empire, overlooks the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in Koblenz, Germany. The meeting point is called Deutsches Eck, or German Corner.
Scenic Opal passengers explore Koblenz, Germany, on a guided bike tour.
Tempting bakeries and cafes are just a few blocks from cruise ships’ Rhine River berths.

Little Luxembourg

From our next stop, the Moselle Valley town of Bernkastel, we took a morning excursion to Luxembourg City, an hour-and-a-half away. Our guided ramble through the capital city’s oldest quarter, famed for the stone bastions and battlements rising above dramatic ravines, focused on the shop-filled pedestrian zone and included panoramic lookout points. After the tour my brother and I relaxed over hot chocolate at the Chocolate House, snaring an outdoor table across from the Grand Ducal Palace, where we earlier had snapped pictures of the soldiers on guard duty. Passengers who didn’t sign up for Luxembourg could choose to visit a Bernkastel winery and sample the valley’s renowned Rieslings.

1: The imposing Grand Ducal Palace captivates river cruise passengers on the Luxembourg City shore excursion. (Photo credit: LFT/Christian Millen)
2: Soldiers stand guard at the Grand Ducal Palace. (Randy Mink Photo)
3: Ancient fortifications charm visitors to Luxembourg City, a shore excursion option from the Moselle River town of Bernkastel, Germany. (Photo credit: LFT/Alfonso Sagueiro)
4: Stunning panoramas abound in Luxembourg City. (Randy Mink Photo)

Moselle Crowd-Pleasers: Bernkastel & Cochem

After lunch on the Scenic Opal, moored across the bridge from Bernkastel, we explored the storybook German town. Its riverfront facade didn’t look unusually quaint, but as we probed deeper into the web of little streets, the place just kept getting cuter and cuter. I wanted to photograph every square, crooked lane and antique building in my path, and slip into every wine tavern. Had we more time, I would have hiked up to Landshut Castle, frequented centuries ago by the territorial lords of Trier. Built in 1277 and in partial decay since 1692, it houses a restaurant and cafe.

Left: The fairy-tale town of Bernkastel is a popular stop on Moselle River cruises in Germany. (Photo credit: German National Tourist Board)
Right: Landshut Castle, dating back to 1277, overlooks Bernkastel.  (Randy Mink Photo)

In the evening, we all boarded buses for Trier, where Scenic had arranged a private classical concert staged amid the Gothic grandeur of the 13th century Liebfrauenkirche. Riding through Germany’s oldest city to reach the church, we grabbed glimpses of the famous Porta Nigra, the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps.

Scenic Opal passengers attended a private classical concert at the 13th century Liebfrauenkirche in Trier, Germany. (Randy Mink Photo)

In Cochem, the hub of the Middle Moselle, our excursion featured a visit to Reichsburg Castle. From its lofty vantage point we enjoyed sweeping views of the river, the steep vineyard abutting the castle grounds and a skyline dominated by the onion-dome spire of St. Martin Church. Dating from the 11th century, Reichsburg was restored in the late 1800s by a wealthy Berliner who created an idealized version of a medieval stronghold. Although not architecturally faithful, it certainly gives Cochem a photogenic landmark, and three-fourths of the main tower is original. Mounted animal heads, suits of armor and period furniture set the mood inside. Afterwards, our walking tour of Cochem showcased its compact central square, Baroque town hall and ancient town gates.

Clockwise (Photo credits: German National Tourist Board): Cochem’s Reichsburg Castle has all the trappings of a rustic baronial estate.
The Middle Ages come alive on tours of Reichsburg Castle.
Reichsburg Castle and the onion-dome spire of St. Martin Church frame this view of the Moselle River town of Cochem, Germany.

On the Romantic Rhine

Next we traveled the 32 miles from Cochem back to Koblenz, where our ship overnighted in order to get in position for a morning journey to Rüdesheim that would spotlight the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, or Rhine Gorge, the river’s most castle-studded corridor. This would be our big day, the one we’d been waiting for.

As we looked out from the breezy top deck, it was castle after castle, many of them, romantically, in various states of ruin. Some crowned distant summits, others rose straight from the shore. Vine-ribboned hillsides and timeless villages seemed to be waiting around every bend.

As we learned from the cruise director’s narration and from Tailormade (the Scenic smartphone app), some of the fortresses have been repurposed as museums, restaurants, hotels or private residences. Castle Stahlek in Bacharach, now a youth hostel, once served as a Nazi indoctrination center and military hospital during World War II.  (The app’s commentary also came in handy for exploring ashore and helped us identify the towns and landmarks we passed while cruising.)

In Rüdesheim, a tourist-packed village crammed with wine taverns and souvenir shops, we hiked through vineyards to Niederwald Monument, a grandiose memorial that commemorates the 1871 founding of the German Empire after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Our uphill trek was challenging, the cable car ride down a lot more fun.

Left: It’s an uphill trek for Scenic Opal passengers who choose to walk to the hilltop Niederwald Monument high above Rüdesheim. (Randy Mink Photo)
Right: Shore excursions in the Rhine River town of Rüdesheim visit the Niederwald Monument, a grandiose memorial that celebrates the 1871 founding of the German Empire after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. (Photo credit: German Tourist Board)

Forays into France

Heading south on the Rhine, the Scenic Opal tied up at two more German towns. From Rastatt we were torn between a tour to the German spa town of Baden-Baden and one to Strasbourg, capital of France’s Alsace, a region that historically has flipped back and forth between German and French control. In Breisach, our last port of call before Basel, we had to weigh Colmar, Alsace’s most beautiful town, against Freiburg, a Black Forest gem renowned for its medieval Old Town.

Since we had seen plenty of Germany, we went all in for Alsace and enjoyed walking tours of Strasbourg and Colmar, both with cozy, traffic-free historic cores chockablock with pastel, flower-laden, Hansel-and-Gretel houses. It’s just that touch of fairy-tale fantasy we needed to put a happily-ever-after ending to our trip through the enchanting heart of Europe—the Europe of our dreams.

Left: The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, a towering landmark cast in red sandstone, dominates this view of Strasbourg’s historic core. (Randy Mink Photo)
Right: Rheinstein Castle, near the German town of Trechtingshausen, is one of many medieval castles that captivates Rhine River cruise passengers. (Photo credit: German National Tourist Board)

To read about the Scenic Opal luxury river ship, including its accommodations and dining experiences, please visit https://europeantraveler.net/2023/10/19/cruising-through-the-heart-of-europe/

Saxony’s Sweets and Treats Take the Cake

Story and photos by Alison Ramsey

There’s something irresistible about German bakeries—the fresh brötchen and Berliners, croissants, and the bold espresso you can order alongside—something that makes it feel okay to stop at various locales throughout the day, even beyond just a morning coffee and pastry. It seems that a thick slice of cake and a mug of strong, steaming coffee any time of day makes a whole lot of sense when you’re in a region with such a rich baking history. Dresden, the capital of Saxony in Germany, and nearby Meissen and Leipzig have much to offer snack lovers when it comes to pastries and cakes. So pour a fresh cup, heat up a bun, and read all about the role Saxony played in the rise of gluten-filled goodness.  

The five locations of Kandler Konditerei in Leipzig are always stocked with sweet temptations.

Russisch Brot
During the late 19th century, Dresden-based master baker Wilhelm Hanke adopted the 1845 St. Petersburg, Russia, recipe for Russisch Brot (Russian bread), which are crunchy glazed cookies made from sugar, egg whites, water, and flavoring, and formed into the shapes of alphabet letters. These are sold under the Dr. Quendt label and remain a popular Christmas treat or a delicious snack to help teach reading. The letters “M” and “W” are too fragile to be stable, so Dr. Hartmut Quendt ensured bags contain mirrored 1’s that snackers can use to create their own “M” and “W” shapes. It’s clear permission to play with your food!

Stollen
Dresden is also the birthplace of the authentic stollen Christmas cake—the Dresdner Christstollen. When stollen was first baked in the 1400’s, under the supervision of the church council, the bread was not allowed to contain butter or milk during Advent, so it was a dry and bland pastry consisting of flour, yeast, oil, and water. Ernst of Saxony and his brother Albrecht appealed to the Pope and asked that the dairy ban be lifted, so they could replace the oil with butter, as butter was cheaper than oil at the time. The appeal was denied, but finally, five popes later, Pope Innocent VIII sent Dresden the famous 1491 “Butter Letter,” in which he granted permission for dairy ingredients to be used in the stollen—although the Dresden bakers must, in return, pay a fine to be used toward the building of churches.

In 1730, Augustus the Strong, a stollen lover, commissioned a group of 100 Dresden bakers to bake an almost 4,000-pound loaf, which was brought to the king’s table using eight horses. A giant oven was built especially for this occasion, and an oversized knife was designed specifically for the event. This is the basis for the annual Dresdner Stollenfest (or “Striezelmarkt”), which takes place in Dresden the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent. The festival is a highlight of the pre-Christmas season and celebrates the stollen baking tradition, featuring a colorful parade and the sale of varieties of stollen.

A huge stollen is still made annually and divided into smaller pieces on a specially shaped stollen cutting board—using a 26-pound replica of the original baroque knife from the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) Court Silver Collection of Augustus the Strong—with cake portions sold to raise money for charity. The Stollenfest knife design features a swooping stainless-steel blade and Augustus the Strong’s coat of arms and rose tendril.

Left: A Dresden bakery displays its stollen seal. Right: This life-sized figure of Augustus the Strong is displayed in the Dresden Residenzschloss.

Stollen has its own protected name and registered trademark, and the recipe needs to follow certain guidelines to earn the golden, oval “stollen seal.” The cake only passes the test for high quality and validity if it contains no margarine and no artificial flavors or preservatives. The Dresdner Stollen Association requires that each cake contain butter, rum-soaked raisins, candied orange peels and lemon peels, and sweet and bitter almonds to receive the seal. Outside of these requirements, the approximately 110 Dresden bakeries that produce this sweet each use their own secret spice mixture, passed down through generations, which results in varied and distinctive flavors from bakery to bakery. Each stollen is labeled with a 6-digit seal number, to identify and track the bakery of origin. Also identifiable by the European Union-protected geographical indication, true Dresdner Christstollen is marked with a blue and yellow Geschϋtzte Geografische Angabe (“protected geographical indication”) sticker. Dresdner Christstollen can only be produced within Dresden itself or within specific boundaries surrounding the capital. This cake is best enjoyed by removing slices from the middle and pushing together the ends, eating the cake from the center outward. It is seen as traditional Dresden “finger food,” with no need to use a fork.

Eierschecke
For something slightly sweeter, the Dresdner Eierschecke is a popular pastry choice. It’s a 3-layer confection consisting of a cake base topped with a custard-like quark cheesecake center, and a layer of sweet vanilla egg white on top, dusted with powdered sugar. Only found in Saxony and neighboring regions, this treat is often served with coffee or tea, and makes its way into celebratory menus for birthdays, weddings, and holidays. Some bakeries add chocolate, dried fruit, and sliced nuts, but the original recipe is simply the three-layered stack of varied texture.

Eierschecke and other traditional Saxon specialties are served at the Pulverturm.

Eierschecke is on the dessert menu at the Pulverturm restaurant next to the Frauenkirche. A historic vaulted powder tower containing portions of the original walls, Pulverturm delights guests with Saxon specialties, homecooked suckling pig, and rousing tableside performances by lively, costumed, character musicians. Be sure to try your hand at funnel-drinking here—a practice that stems from Augustus the Strong’s love of Saxon wines but his court’s dislike for washing numerous wine glasses. The court created a special funnel fit to Augustus’ mouth measurements, so servants could pour the wine directly through the funnel into his open mouth. At the Pulverturm, a variation on this method involves drinking herbed liquor from tiny funnels. Named “Cosel’s Tears,” the drink’s herbs were said to grow from the tears of Augustus’ former mistress, the Countess of Cosel, whom he banished to Stolpen Castle for more than 40 years because of her interfering interest in politics. After a satisfying Saxon meal, have a sugar-dusted slice of Eierschecke and cup of espresso to complete the full Pulverturm experience.

Pulverturm restaurant in Dresden is a full-service, medieval-themed entertainment and dining experience.

To make your own Eierschecke, try the recipe provided by Meissen porcelain manufactory underglaze painter Marlies Moser in the cookbook Cooking With Meissen. A 30-minute drive from Dresden, the Meissen manufactory creates fine porcelain vessels on which to serve tempting treats. At this company that labels its pieces with the forgery-proof “Crossed Swords” trademark, Moser worked for 40 years in production, painting underglaze onto unfired, porous porcelain—a skill that requires much training, a high level of precision, and years of experience—because the paint immediately penetrates and spreads, making later touchups impossible. The work of an underglaze painter is especially important for iconic Meissen designs like the 1731-created “Blue Onion,” whose luminous, metal oxide cobalt blue color only releases upon final firing. Moser now works in the demonstration workshop at the House of Meissen, and contributed her “Leutewitz Eierschecke” recipe for the company cookbook. Imagine a piece of this cake presented on a beautiful artisan-decorated Meissen porcelain dish!

The Meissen company cookbook features 24 recipes from appetizers to desserts. Saxon potato soup, Saxon meatballs, beef sauerbraten, quark dumplings with plum compote, and an inverted apple tart are among the list, and each submission includes a biography of the Meissen employee who contributed it. This beautiful, full-color hardbound book shows the food plated on fine porcelain tableware and includes sections about dining etiquette and the history of the craft.

Meissner Fummel
Eighteenth century legend tells that Augustus the Strong, who first commissioned the now-famous Meissen porcelain, used to send couriers back and forth between Meissen and Dresden with factory status updates. The town of Meissen is known for its excellent wine production (try the romantic, antique-filled Vincenz Richter wine restaurant!) and the couriers would often arrive back at the Dresden court intoxicated. Augustus’ solution was to instruct Meissen bakers to invent a pastry so fragile that it could remain intact only if delivered by a sober courier. The result was the hollow, brittle, extremely delicate Meissner Fummel cake, which had to be safely delivered to the Saxon Elector along with the progress reports about the porcelain. Made only with simple ingredients, Fummel is essentially a shell of flaky bread sprinkled with powdered sugar. Zieger Konditerei in Meissen produces this balloon-like baked good, which has been a protected geographical indication since 2000 and can only be manufactured in Meissen. The Fummel is often given to newly married couples in Meissen as a symbol of love’s fragility, and small gifts or cards are sometimes tucked into the center.

Left: A bust of Augustus the Strong appears in the interactive Zwinger Xperience, a multi-media immersion into the story of the baroque Zwinger building and festival area commissioned by Augustus. Right: This street window in Meissen displays loaves of Fummel along with a poster telling the humorous German story of why the bread recipe was initially invented.

You’ll be sure to fumble that Fummel after a few glasses of wine here! Vincenz Richter wine restaurant in Meissen celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. The 500-year-old building that houses hundreds of antiques and historical items is known as one of Germany’s most romantic places. The family winery produces its delicious wine varietals on the steep slopes of Meissen’s Elbe River valley.

Leipziger Lerche
The Leipziger Lerche (“Leipzig Lark”) dessert was born as part of the animal protection movement in the 19th century. Songbird larks used to be hunted and baked with herbs and eggs into a pastry crust and then served as a hearty delicacy. This culinary luxury was enjoyed in Leipzig and beyond, and many bird carcasses were bound in twine and shipped from Saxony to various countries around the continent for others to cook. The bird-baking business boomed, and the bird population declined. In 1876, after overhunting and a severe storm had killed off many of these birds, King Albert of Saxony banned lark trapping. To combat the suffering of this Leipzig business, some clever confectionaries in Leipzig then created a marzipan-stuffed shortcrust tart as a substitute for the traditional meat quiche. Now served in a small, fluted muffin cup, like a miniature pie, this baked good features two strips of dough crossed over the top to represent the trussing used to tie up stuffed larks. Beneath the ground almond and egg white mixture of the tartlet, there is often a cherry or dollop of jam to symbolize the heart of the lark. Kandler Konditerei in Leipzig is a popular source for “Kandler Lerche” pastries of this style, baked fresh daily and as naturally and preservative-free as possible, with numerous packaged options sold for a sweet, Saxony-specific souvenir.

Save a songbird and let Kandler Konditerei tempt you with a Leipziger Lerche.

For a tasty variation of Leipziger Lerche, try the ice cream version served at Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig. This bundt-cake-shaped mound of ice cream is seated on a petaled crust and topped with a dark chocolate medallion stamped with “Auerbachs Keller Leipzig” and an image of Dr. Faust riding astride a wine barrel. Goethe and Martin Luther were regular guests of Auerbachs Keller, and it’s a treat to dine in the historic basement rooms of the Mädler Passage where they sat and to eat traditional Saxonian cuisine, including this new take on a famous regional dessert.

Auerbachs Keller Leipzig serves a special iced Leipziger Lerche with curd-cheese-lime-mousse and raspberry sauce.

Auerbachs Keller in the Mädler Passage is the most famous and second oldest restaurant in Leipzig, and was one of the most popular places for wine in the 16th century.

Visiting Saxony?
Take an audio guided tour through the Meissen Manufactory and visit the Meissen Porcelain Foundation Museum. Enjoy coffee and delicacies at the Café & Restaurant Meissen, where your snacks are served on fine porcelain and you can sample the specially created Meissen cake featuring the crossed swords trademark. Register for a porcelain casting class or creative workshop and make your own Meissen masterpiece—available for adults and kids alike—or personalize a Meissen coffee mug and have your unique creation safely shipped directly to your home. Sign up your kids for an etiquette class to learn the art of fine dining or join a themed specialty meal (brunch with organ recital, Advent dinner, Christmas dinner, or Ladies Crime Night dinner). The one-hour “Women at Meissen” social history class highlights the significant role women have played in the manufactory’s workforce since the 18th century. The “Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate” event is offered once a month and teaches participants about the three “pleasure drinks” that were popular luxury goods during the Baroque period and how Meissen porcelain played a role in providing many varieties of elegant drinkware.

Meissen porcelain tableware makes every cake look better. Sweets and special place settings are a suggested Saxony souvenir.

Munich Day Trips: Castles and Palaces of Bavaria

Story and photos by Megan Kudla

The biggest cities in Europe are oftentimes the most convenient to fly into and to build travel itineraries around. There’s a host of information to find when researching your trip, including hotels, sites, and tours. Munich, Germany, is one of these key places that tourists look to book for a few days when taking a European journey. And it’s a great city for history and art buffs, as some of the main sites include royal residences. 

There are plenty of palaces to visit by walking or taking a short train ride from Munich’s Marienplatz (the main square); however, a trip to the countryside to see castles built into the Bavarian Alps can also be a perfect way to break up your time spent in the big city and to learn about the history of the larger area. We’ll start with the palaces most easily reached from the Munich city center, and then move to those that are probably best to drive to.

By Foot or Train

Residenz München

From 1508 to 1918, the Residenz München was the official home of the Wittelsbach family dynasty: the dukes, electors, and kings of Bavaria. Located in Old Town and just a 5-minute walk from Marienplatz, you’ll find that it’s one of the most easily accessible sites if you’re staying in the historic center of Munich. 

The palace hosts a dizzying maze of rooms upon rooms—antechambers, galleries, places of worship—of elegant design in the Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles, according to the tastes of the late rulers. Much was destroyed in the 1945 bombings during World War II, but it has been reconstructed to what you see today. Although some of the furnishings were saved, many were remade to authentically resemble what it would have been. 

Your journey to see the tapestries, furniture, and grand art is self-paced. You can get a singular ticket to tour the royal rooms, or you can purchase a combination ticket that includes entrance into the royal treasury exhibition and the Cuvilliés Theatre. 


Schloss Nymphenburg

One of the most popular sites to visit in Munich, the Schloss Nymphenburg, began its construction in 1664 as the Bavarian electors’ summer residence. The grounds are expansive, so a trip here could take up as much as a half to a whole day, depending on how much time you wish to spend wandering the acres of residence and park. It’s fewer than 30 minutes away from the Marienplatz by public transit. 

Like the Residenz München, you can purchase separate tickets to each museum and site, or you can purchase a combination ticket. The combination ticket will get you entrance into the palace rooms, the Marstallmuseum (where you can see the original royal carriages and sleighs of the past), the Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain (where you learn about how the secret of Chinese porcelain came to Germany), and the park palaces.

The park palaces are worth noting. They are spread out across the grounds but, if you’re up for it, can add up to quite a nice day walking around and exploring. Each park palace had a different function and design, so the buildings you enter will give you even more of a look into the extravagant life of the royal family. 

By Car

Ready to get out into the Bavarian countryside? A popular day trip, and one that’s easy to find group tours of, is the ride to Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen and the Linderhof Palace in Ettal. Group tours can be as large as 40 people in a big bus. You can also get smaller tours that are capped at 20 people, which, of course, will cost a bit extra, but will give you a more intimate relationship with the tour guide and the fellow travelers. Or, you can opt to map it out yourself. Just ensure you grab tickets ahead of time, as there are timed entries for these popular German castles.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

Around a 2-hour drive from the Munich city center, Schloss Neuschwanstein is often known as the “Sleeping Beauty” or “Cinderella” castle, as this is the famous structure that inspired Walt Disney’s depictions of the iconic Disney World and Disneyland main castles. Although the Schloss Neuschwanstein is medieval-looking, it wasn’t actually built during that era. King Ludwig II of Bavaria was simply inspired in 1869 to build his lofty castle in the medieval style. It actually has a state-of-the-art kitchen with the newest technology, including a stove and roasting oven with a plate warmer.

The story goes that castle construction did not go as quickly and smoothly as the young king had hoped—plus, it got rather cold living there in the winter—so he focused his attention on the creation of the Linderhof Palace for his winter residence. Therefore, the Neuschwanstein Castle tour only takes you through the two upper levels; the palace is largely unfinished. What you do get to see is still mind-blowing, with wall murals depicting medieval scenes, ceilings that seem to tower over you forever, and artistic odes to his favorite composer, Richard Wagner.

The location is right across the way from his father’s castle—Prince Maximilian II’s Schloss Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig grew up and which he cherished dearly. You can also visit the Hohenschwangau Castle, but note that it involves some steep steps to reach.

Schloss Linderhof

When Ludwig put his fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle on pause, construction of the Schloss Linderhof—just a one-hour drive away from Neuschwanstein—went into full swing. This palace was the only one that was completed during his lifetime. He was largely inspired by Versailles and King Louis XIV of France, otherwise known as the Sun King, and you will see obvious nods to the French king as soon as you walk into the palace. As Ludwig II’s winter home, you can almost imagine snow falling and Ludwig riding through the land on his royal sled at nightfall…

As with the Neuschwanstein Castle, you cannot take pictures on the inside. And it can take a lot to describe the grandeur of the rooms in this palace. The rooms feel smaller and give off a cozier feel, but there’s nothing quaint about the rococo decor. You will find yourself surrounded by objects of great worth and artistic merit, as well as walls and ceilings that are gilded in gold. There is even a “magic table” that could rise and lower from the king’s quarters down into a room where servants, staying unseen, filled His Majesty’s table with meals.

No less thought went into the Linderhof gardens and park, and especially not the fountain that graces the front of the palace. Every 30 minutes, you’ll get the chance to see water rush up into the air, reaching above 70 feet high. It’s quite an impressive sight.

Ready to Explore!

To ensure you don’t feel rushed, give these four German palaces and castles at least a full 3 days to explore. There are many other sites in Munich to pair with a day visiting the Residenz München, too, because Marienplatz offers markets, churches, biergartens, the nearby Englischer Garten, and more. You’ll find that although Munich is a modern city, it also grants you the opportunity to take a step backward in time to learn about Bavaria’s past.

Salamanca Is Spain at its Most Majestic

Salamanca’s Old Town boasts one of the largest and most beautiful town squares in Spain. Its labyrinth of pedestrian streets is a stroller’s paradise.

Story and photos by Randy Mink

Two of my favorite things to do in Europe are: 1) communing with the past in historic city centers with rambling pedestrian zones and 2) watching the world go by while noshing away at an outdoor cafe. For me, life doesn’t get better than this.

In west-central Spain, the perfect place to pursue both passions is Salamanca, a medium-size city just 100 minutes away from Madrid by high-speed train.

Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, one of the most magnificent town squares in Spain, is ringed with cafes serving up tapas, those delectable little bites craved by locals and tourists alike. Steps away, cobbled, car-free streets invite carefree wanderers to travel back centuries, as distant as the Middle Ages. Giving this outdoor museum a youthful vibe are students from around the world who attend the University of Salamanca, Spain’s oldest. It’s all there for a true European experience in this UNESCO World Heritage City.

Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor is one of the largest and most beautiful central squares in Spain. The Baroque architecture dates from the 1700s.

Salamanca is not exactly on the way to other big destinations—you have to seek it out. That gives the city a feeling of being undiscovered.

Tourist-friendly but not too crowded, the historic core is compact and manageable. The number of sights is not overwhelming, so there’s time to pause, reflect and loll about eating tapas on the Plaza or Calle Rua Mayor, the main pedestrian artery. Salamanca’s Old Town, to my mind, is Spain in a nutshell.

Salamanca’s Majestic Plaza Mayor

From your umbrella table on the Plaza Mayor, once a bullring and now criss-crossed by constant foot traffic, you can take in the sweeping expanse of Baroque architectural grandeur dating from the 1700s. Cement benches provide seating in the middle of the square, and three floors of stately, balconied apartments rise above the archways that rim its perimeter.

In the arcades, you’ll find not only cafes but restaurants, bakeries, ice cream shops and the tourist office as well. The flag-bedecked clock tower building, a common meeting point, houses the Town Hall. Stone medallions on the colonnades depict great Spanish writers, kings and queens, and explorers like Columbus and Cortes. (After years of controversy, the image of former dictator Francisco Franco was taken down in 2017.) Sort of a community living room, the Plaza Mayor is the heart and soul of Salamanca.

Tapa Tasting in Salamanca’s Old Town

On a bright spring day, I surveyed the splendor from my perch at Las Torres, nibbling on items from the tapas menu at the venerable cafe/bar, a Plaza Mayor fixture since 1927. My favorite was hornazo, a meat lover’s dream. This Salamanca province specialty consists of layers of pork chorizo, pork loin and ham wrapped in lattice-crusted yellow dough, and sometimes includes bits of hard-boiled egg. I also indulged in fried eggplant slices drizzled with honey (crujiente de berenjena-miel in Spanish), more of an Andalusia specialty (from that region’s historical North African influences).

“Hornazo,” a specialty of Salamanca province, consists of layers of pork chorizo, pork loin and ham wrapped in lattice-crusted yellow dough. It is served as a tapa at cafes and restaurants, and sold at bakeries and food shops in larger quantities.

During my two days in Salamanca, I had other memorable tapas:

  • At the Plaza’s Cafeteria Los Escudos, I chose two classics—Iberian cured ham (jamon iberico), thinly sliced on the spot, and a wedge of Spanish omelette (tortilla de patatas), a simple egg-and-potato dish.
  • On a visit to Los Escudos the next day, I tried ensaladilla rusa—called paloma in Salamanca—a mayonnaise-y tapa with potato, peas and tiny bits of tuna, carrot, olive and hard-boiled egg, served with a wavy, shell-like crisp.
  • On Calle Rua Mayor, another prime spot for people-watching, I stopped at Cuatro Gatos for revuelto de farinato, a pretty orange-yellow concoction made of farinato (pork fat mixed with bread crumbs and paprika) and fried egg. Flavored with onion, salt, anise seed and other seasonings, farinato is called the “poor man’s chorizo.”
  • At several places, I ordered ham, chicken or Roquefort cheese croquettes. A favorite of mine, the croquette (croqueta) is a diminutive, deep-fried log of mush filled with the hot, creamy goodness of bechamel sauce (olive oil, butter, flour, milk). Yum.
  • For dinner at Lilicook Gastropub, I started with a plate of patatas bravas from the menu’s tapas section. The hefty portion of fried potatoes in spicy tomato/mayonnaise sauce could have been my whole meal.

(left) Among the many tapa choices in Salamanca, Spain is “revuelto de farinato,” a mixture of farinato (pork fat with bread crumbs and paprika) and fried egg. (center) Wedges of Spanish omelette, or “tortilla de patatas,” are popular with tapa lovers throughout Spain. This beauty is a creation of Cafeteria Los Escudos, a cafe on Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor. (right) Iberian cured ham (“jamon iberico”), a favorite tapa in Spain, is thinly sliced on the spot at Cafeteria Los Escudos, a cafe on Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor.

Seeing Salamanca From on High

In Europe, whenever the chance arises, I climb to the top of a major landmark—for bird’s-eye views and just the challenge and bragging rights of making it to the summit. Salamanca’s Old Town presented me opportunities at two buildings a short walk from the Plaza Mayor.

At La Clerecia Church, I ascended the wooden Scala Coeli, or “Stairway of Heaven,” on a 200-step trek to the passageway connecting its two bell towers. Setting my sights even higher, I then took the spiral, bell ringer’s stairwell for a look at the big iron bells. Besides enjoying panoramas of the city’s ancient churches, convents and palaces, I spied migratory storks nesting on the dome of the colossal Baroque church, which began life in 1617 as a training school for Jesuit missionaries and now is home to Pontificia University, a private Roman Catholic school.

I also tackled the 328-foot-tall bell tower—and tried my hand at bell ringing—at Salamanca’s somewhat quirky double-cathedral complex. Built centuries apart, the Old Cathedral and New Cathedral are actually attached—they share buttresses. In fact, you can’t visit the 13th century Romanesque church (Cathedral of Santa Maria) without going through the Cathedral of La Asuncion de la Virgen, or New Cathedral, which isn’t new at all—it was built hundreds of years ago in the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. The bell tower is the highest historic tower in Spain after La Giralda in Seville.

From a viewing platform, visitors can admire the Gothic-style nave of Salamanca’s New Cathedral.

For those who don’t make it to the bell room at the top, lower-level terraces offer fine views of the town and the cathedrals’ exteriors. A cell phone tour of the interiors, a cool activity on a hot day, highlights sumptuous wood carvings, murals and a massive organ.

The University Plays a Big Role in Salamanca

For its first 200 years, the University of Salamanca was in the Old Cathedral. Founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX of Leon, it ranks as one of the oldest universities in Europe, and, though its prestige peaked in the 16th century, clearly enhances the city’s image.

On a walk through the Old Town’s student quarter, it’s not uncommon to hear English spoken, as many American study-abroad programs take place at the university, which includes both historic buildings—some from the 15th century—and modern ones. Besides Spanish language courses, foreigners take classes in Spanish culture and literature.

(left and center) Cafes in the student quarter give Old Town Salamanca a youthful vibe. The University of Salamanca, Spain’s oldest, dates back to 1218. (right) The University of Salamanca, the oldest university in Spain, is among the many points of interest in Old Town, a warren of pedestrianized streets filled with examples of architectural splendor.

Intricate stone carvings on the facade of the main university building (Escuelas Mayores, or Upper Schools) provide the focal point for tourists exploring the hallowed streets of academia. The decorative style of ornamentation, popular during the late Spanish Renaissance, is called Plateresque because the filigree-like carvings resemble fine silver jewelry, plata being the Spanish word for “silver.” At any time of day, you’ll see people craning their necks trying to spot the “hidden” frog sitting on a human skull. (Vendors sell croaking toy frogs, and souvenir stores are full of frog trinkets.)

Frescoes and intricate stone carvings impress visitors touring Salamanca’s 13th-century Old Cathedral, a lovingly preserved survivor of the Middle Ages.

Also gracing the splendid facade are carvings of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who financed the university; their grandson, Hapsburg Emperor Charles V; and the pope at the time, plus mythical heroes, religious scenes and coats of arms. (This type of tapestry in sandstone, an Arabic influence, also is found adorning the New Cathedral, St. Stephen’s Monastery and other Old Town buildings from the period.) For an admission fee, tourists can go inside the academic shrine and see the original classrooms and lecture halls, now museum exhibits.

Savoring Salamanca’s Old World Splendor and its Golden Glow

The sandstone used in Old Town’s buildings, quarried in nearby Villamayor, takes on a golden cast as it ages, giving Salamanca a special patina and the nickname Golden City. New buildings constructed with the same stone exhibit a lighter shade.

The best place for photographing the Old World splendor from a distance is the Roman Bridge, a pedestrian span over the River Tormes. Located just outside the city walls, this 1st century relic comprises 26 arches, 15 of them originals. Standing by the bridge is the oldest monument in Salamanca—a weathered stone bull created by pre-Roman settlers about 2,300 years ago. From the bridge you see that the New Cathedral is much bigger than the Old Cathedral. A riverfront park has benches, bike paths and boats for rent.

The Roman Bridge, a walkway spanning the River Tormes, affords fine views dominated by the church towers and domes of Salamanca’s Old Town.

Salamanca Invites Strolling Day and Night

Salamanca’s Old Town doesn’t roll up the sidewalks after dark. Floodlit church towers, domes and facades cast a romantic spell, and ornate iron lampposts illuminate the stone streets. Strolling around this enchanting labyrinth one night around 11:30, I witnessed people thronging restaurants and cafes, lining up at ice cream stands, and sitting on park benches and church steps as they watched the crowds parade by. (I’ll never get used to the Spanish penchant for late-night dinners.) There were even families out with young kids, and a few souvenir stores were open as midnight approached. I loved the ambience—lively but relaxed.

Why was I pounding the pavement well past my bedtime? Having been seduced by the Golden City, I just wanted to soak up every last drop of magic before I had to leave by train the next morning for Madrid and my flight home to Chicago. Salamanca is truly a treasure to savor.

Floodlit buildings cast a romantic spell on Salamanca’s Old Town, a lively district that stays open late.

Menorca Artisans Keep Traditional Craftsmanship Alive

Story and photos by Alison Ramsey

In the west Mediterranean Sea, the Balearic Islands’ Menorca makes the most of its natural resources. And for being only about 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, it has a lot! This haven of coves and turquoise water licking untouched white sand beaches has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1993, and due to its wide diversity of habitats and landscape it is UNESCO-designated as the headquarters for the World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves for matters pertaining to sustainable development. Local farming practices focus on sustainability and preserving the island’s natural heritage. Using environmental resources found within the island’s ecosystem, resident farmers and artisans make a living from the offerings provided by landscape and livestock.

Across the island, wild olive tree wood is fashioned into fences to divide land and act as guard rails.

Menorca’s “mosaic landscape” of varying ecosystems consists of farmland, forests, and villages, with a bird’s-eye view revealing small plots of land divided by a network of dry-stone walls. Since ancient times, agrarians have gleaned rocks from the soil to build these mortar-less barriers that cover about 6,835 miles of the island (more than half the length of the Great Wall of China) and reduce erosion by blocking the wind from shifting soil to neighboring plots. Even the island’s prehistoric navetas (burial chambers) and talayots (shrines) were built by carefully selecting stones of varied size and shape, filling gaps with sand, and relying on gravity to secure them together.

(left) Unique to the island, Menorca’s navetas are pre-Talaiotic burial monuments shaped like an inverted boat and built using only large stone blocks. (middle) The island’s naturally rocky soil is gleaned to build stone walls that separate land plots. Wild olive trees with olives not suitable for harvesting are formed into farm gates using their distinctive, curvy wood. (right) Prevalent on Menorca are cement-free stacked-stone walls and sturdy gates crafted from wild olive trees.

Vineyards on Menorca are typically surrounded by these stone walls, a drainage situation that adequately waters the vines without leaving them overly damp. Local beverages created from the natural flora offerings of the land include the Vi de la Terra Illa de Menorca indication of quality wine, aromatic Menorcan gin (the oldest in Spain) produced using wine-based alcohol distilled with native herbs and juniper berries in old copper stills, and herb liquor digestifs.

The olive tree is another landscape prevalence, including the Spanish arbequina variety, which is used to produce a popular extra virgin olive oil with a mild, creamy flavor and slow kick. Oral history says the famous condiment mayonnaise heralds from Menorca, where the invading French Duke of Richelieu first tried the local sauce (a simple mixture of olive oil, egg, and salt) and brought it back to the French court, naming the recipe “mahonnaise” after the town Mahón. The oldest written source of Menorcan recipes is Art de la Cuina, a book by Fra Francesc Roger detailing the island’s cultural gastronomy in more than 200 18th century recipes, including a recipe for mayo using native olive oil. Not only are olives used for oil production, the strong wood from wild olive trees whose olives aren’t large enough to harvest is crafted into rustic, swing farm gates in a distinctive curvy design seen all across the island.

The oldest written source of Menorcan recipes is Art de la Cuina, a book by Fra Francesc Roger detailing the island’s cultural gastronomy in more than 200 18th century recipes, including a recipe for mayo using native olive oil.

Using age-old methods, farmers use milk from Menorcan cows to produce rounded-edge square blocks of Mahón-Menorca Denomination of Origin cheese with a flavorful, oily dark rind (even Arabic documents from the year 1000 describe the tasty qualities of cow’s milk Menorcan cheese). Farms like Son Piris produce artisan cheese (made with raw milk and intended for immediate consumption) or the more industrialized and slightly sweeter pasteurized-milk cheeses. Martina Fedelich of Son Piris explained that it is difficult to imitate the Menorcan bacteria used in their cheese, as they are unique and isolated from other cheeses and even differ from those on neighboring island Mallorca. Easy to identify, Mahón-Menorca cheese’s unique shape comes from the cheesecloth used during the pressing process, and fabric lines from the cloth remain visible in the rind.

(clockwise from upper left) The unique shape of Mahón-Menorca cheese comes from the cheesecloth used during the pressing process, and fabric lines from the cloth remain visible in the rind; Son Piris cheeses are wrapped tightly in cheesecloth, which holds together the solid cheese curd while allowing for drainage of liquid whey; Wrapped cheeses are pressed to remove excess moisture; After their tightly wrapped cloths are removed, the cheese is set out to dry; Martina Fedelich of Son Piris serves the famous farm-to-table Mahón-Menorca Denomination of Origin cheese.  

Agriculture is a key trade on Menorca; however, the most important manufacturing business on the island is shoe design and production—an industry dating back to the 18th century. Footwear made in Menorca is known for its high quality and meticulous craftsmanship. The most famous sandal shape, with a cowhide leather upper and sole, was first created to protect farmers’ feet while working the rocky soil. Nowadays, these avarcas (also called abarcas or menorquinas) are sold with heels and straps of all styles and colors, but use recycled tires as a hardy sole. Popularity and production have been increasing especially over the past few years, and they are worn by Menorcans and visitors alike.

RIA brand avarcas fashioned from leather with a colorful woven upper are a stylish update to traditional peasant footwear. Pou Nou clothing motifs echo the sea life and landscape of the island, like this fish-print tunic in shades of blue.

Avarca company MIBO proudly carries the Avarca de Menorca hallmark—another island-specific denomination of origin—which guarantees that their footwear is crafted locally and made with high-quality materials. Founded in 1998 by Miguel Pascual and Bosco Moll, MIBO designs and manufactures these iconic Menorcan sandals using traditional methodology combined with modern technology. Moll said, “The process to make a pair of avarcas from Menorca has about 25 operations, which all need the hands of craftsmen to be able to make them. We also use technology that helps the craftsmen, but it always requires expert hands. … The future of our product and our brand passes through the qualified training of our craftsmen-workers since there are no schools or training cycles that help this task.”

(left) A traditional style with modern updates, some MIBO avarcas feature trendy details like cut-outs, bows, and textured mosaic prints. (right) A MIBO artisan carefully guides a hallmark-stamped leather sole through machine stitching. Photos courtesy of MIBO.

Another prestigious Menorcan shoe brand known internationally for its impeccable quality and innovative designs is Pretty Ballerinas, a unique line of leather flats produced by the Mascaró Group footwear company. These fashions have been famously worn by Kate Moss, Kate Middleton, the Queen of Spain, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Angelina Jolie, among other celebrities. Fanny Cano, vivacious franchisee and owner of Pretty Ballerinas U.S. (the sole U.S. store, located in New York City), was born on Mallorca and has worked for the Mascaró brand since 1998. Fanny said:

“I love when through our very personal customer service we get to transmit to our customers the island’s vibes. They know they are wearing a unique piece crafted by hand on a small island in the Mediterranean. They feel the quality and the time invested in their pair of shoes. Explaining to the clients where and how the shoes are made—in a very artisanal and old-fashioned method—it really helps them to get tele-transported to the smell of the leather, the artisan hands sewing the shoes, mixed with the breeze of the sea and the taste of the food.”

Fanny Cano, Pretty Ballerinas franchisee and owner of the New York City store, poses before the iconic pink boxes and glamorous storefront that identify this high-quality brand of Menorca-made women’s leather flats. Easily identifiable by a pink lining and stamped ballerina slipper icon on the underside, Pretty Ballerinas flats and matching handbags exhibit a unique style and luxurious leather silhouette. Top-left and bottom-right photos courtesy of Fanny Cano.

Woodworking, earthenware, basket weaving, traditional llaüt wooden boat carpentry, and other crafts using fabrics, stone, and paper are sold in island shops and markets during the summer months. The quality of local, professional artisans’ work is acknowledged by the Artesanía de Menorca (Craft of Menorca) hallmark, and the Centre Artesanal de Menorca (Artisan Centre of Menorca) at the Es Mercadal fairground exhibits and sells many of these handmade products.

A Menorca-born leader in local artistry is Pou Nou clothing company, whose designers work closely with area artists to produce contemporary designs and stylish garments that reflect the colors and shapes of Mediterranean life. Drawing inspiration from the sea, sky, and island itself, Pou Nou creates hand-printed T-shirts and breezy, comfortable fashions for all ages using natural fibers like linen and cotton.

(clockwise from left) Pou Nou team members select nature-inspired artwork for clothing designs; Pou Nou colors and designs are inspired by Menorca’s flora and fauna, sea, and sky; Using a Mediterranean-inspired color palette, a Pou Nou team member tests a screen-print design.
Photos courtesy of Pou Nou.

Collaboration with local artists results in Pou Nou’s unique island-wear designs.

Owner Joan Carrés said, “I am proud of having been in the business for 36 years, following my original idea of combining good quality garments with original artwork from local artists.” Pou Nou’s easy-to-wear styles and unique artist collaborations feature screen-printed sea creatures, flowers, geckos, insects, boats, bikes, palm leaves, and nautical themes. With Pou Nou only available for purchase in Spain and other European countries, U.S. travelers looking for this island-wear can reach the Balearic Islands by flying directly from New York/Newark (EWR) to Palma de Mallorca (PMI) through United Airlines’ new, seasonal direct flight offerings. Menorca has been like a hidden treasure for many years, largely reached only from mainland Spain, but these new direct flights from the United States allow easier access to Menorca-made specialty items and scenic views of iconic landscape features. The island’s varied ecosystems and natural offerings provide ample resources for a thriving artisan business, with agriculture, footwear, fashion, and handcraft industries using materials and inspiration offered by the beautiful land and sea.