Burg Elzt, Müden, GERMANY

(Sounds like 'boorg' and not 'berg'.)

Left at about 10.30, which is actually pretty late, but, well, it is Sunday.  This time I was prepared for the detour and that really saved me a heap of kilometers and time.  Nevertheless ... what I did not expect was that I would have to climb down a mountain to reach it, at least from where I had parked my car.  That path was 1.7 km. long, downhill, so not so bad.  The path was the roughest I have ever done.  It felt like I was in some jungle ... haha!  And then there it was, and I had to climb up another hill to get to it.

Burg Elzt was built about a thousand years ago, initially as a simple structure.  By 1157, though, around the time of Emperor Frederic Barbarossa, it already looked like this.  In short, what you see here is the original structure, looking very much like the ones you find in the fairy tales.  The same family has owned it for the past 600 years or so, 33 generations in an unbroken line, and they still own it today even though they now live somewhere near Frankfurt.  Can you imagine this as your estate and then bringing the grandchildren here for medieval-themed birthday parties?  It must be fun!

Masks required inside, and social distancing, too, but that last one was a bit problematic.  The line was (still) long when I arrived, which was roughly 45 minutes after I parked the car, about 16.00.  By 16.45 I was at the entrance, which was good, too, as 17.00 is the cut-off time.  I hope everyone behind me made it.  All tours are guided because it is still a private estate, and that is also the reason no photographs may be taken inside.  It is, however, permitted to take pictures in the small museum.  Inside, the oak-beam ceilings are still the original, and so are all the paintings on the wall.  It was renovated recently, so all rooms en suite with modern toilets.  The oldest bed, though, was put together in 1520, a year before the Spaniards reached the Philippines, and around the time AW's first recorded ancestor entered the books.  To make it even better, the few clouds that were hanging around finally disappeared.

My tour was done around 18.00.  Took the shuttle bus uphill back to the parking area ... and it was the wrong parking area, or, rather, the wrong mountain.  Back down to the castle, back across the stream, and up again to 'my' parking area.  This tortuous climb took all of 40 minutes.  AW was giggling on the other end of the line when I phoned him.  Ended up with foot cramp, both feet, which took about 10 minutes to relax, then on the road again to go home.  I left at 19.40, stopped for a short while to rest and buy a drink and a bite, and I was home by 23.45.

A couple of extras!