This weekend we traveled to Idar-Oberstein.
Only 15 minutes away from home through the winding hills.
Way up there are the main attractions- we are on a mission to get up to the tippy top!
First stop is the marketplace. This charming town is know for its gemstones of every kind. The fountain boy is holding a big gem and the girls each got a gem necklace:)
We ate lunch at a small outdoor cafe- pizza for the chickens and a local delicacy for us, Spießbraten (steak).
All fueled up- we were ready to climb this hill and accomplish this task!
UP, UP, UP!!!!!
Half way up is Felsenkirche (Crag Church). It is literally built into the hillside, an amazing feat! Some of the interior walls of the church are the bare stone of the hillside.
Legend has it that long ago 2 brothers fell in love with the same girl-Bertha was her name. The younger brother proposes to Bertha. When the older brother finds out, he throws his younger brother out the castle window killing him on the rocks below. Filled with much remorse, the eldest brother awaits for a "heavenly sign" that his sin had been forgiven. The local abbot suggests that he build a church on the exact place of his brothers death- Felsenkirche. Upon completion of the church the brother gets his sign- a spring opened from the hill inside the church! He then falls over dead on the church steps and is buried in the same grave as the brother he killed.
We are only 1/2 way up......keep climbing kiddos!
Getting closer!
We made it! This is Schloss Oberstein, castle to the Counts of Oberstein since 1325. Today it serves as a cultural grounds and small inn- currently under some renovations and upkeep to the surrounding grounds.
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| These 2 are convinced this tree was planted by a princess long ago! |
Ice cream at Eis Cafe to end our excursion! It was a great day:)
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