A Small, quaint town in the heart of the Black Forrest, Thomas and I stopped at the Guesthause Hirch for a wonderful german meal, the church bells rang, and the service was nice, the food superb. A town that one can easily relax in and fully enjoy!!! A place to get a breath of fresh air and enjoy the day. It is also easily accessible, not far from Baden Baden
A wonderful adventure with family!! My Uncle came to visit Germany from Maryland (and staying with his brother, my other Uncle). We all met up somewhere in the middle…in the lovely town of Neustadt an der WeinstraBe (literally translating into the “New City on the Wine Street” but it is truly an older city, being several hundreds of years old in age.)
The city hosts both multiple Protestant and Catholic Churches, Cathedrals, and squares/plazas galore, and many wonderful attractions, as we discovered wondering around the town after a delightful German lunch together. What a lovely treat to get to spend the day with my Uncles, cousin, Aunt and Thomas.
Play the video to experience beautiful Cathedral bells.
The St. Barbara Capella (church) was built in the beginning of the 1300s in the town edge
of Langensteinbach here in the Alb Valley.
A little history (compliments of the a German information website) tells the story beautifully here:
“The first documentary mention of the Barbara Chapel as “capella sanctae Barbarae” dates from 1432. The building itself dates back to the 14th century. Before the annexation of the chapel and the associated source to the Holy Barbara, a Celtic sanctuary was found there. Surely the dedication of the chapel is connected with it. Next to the church there was a graveyard for some time – wall remains can be seen on the square and foundations under the ground. Various legends surround the chapel and spring. For almost one and a half centuries, the chapel was a popular place of pilgrimage and the square before it was used for markets. A change took place in the second half of the 16th century with the rejection of the pilgrimage through the now reformed Wuerttemberg Duke. However, it would still be many years before the pilgrimage of the pilgrimage took place. In 1590, the church was still described as “a magnificent temple consecrated with artistic paintings on the Barbaraberg, sacred Barbara”. Twice a year in the presence of a large national market held before this temple. In the Langensteinbach camp book of 1605, however, the first records of the death of the church are described. The subsequent times of the Thirty Years’ War also made travel on land too dangerous, so that the pilgrimage finally fell into oblivion. The assignment of the church to the restituted monastery of Herrenalb did not change, as this was now impoverished. Only the market was continued on the Barbaraberg. In 1818 St. Barbara had completely ruined itself and remained exposed to the decay and plundering of the entire 19th century. In 1902 one remembered the ruin and began a restoration. Above all, the tower was to be used again as a lookout tower. During a new renovation, a massive spiral staircase was installed in the tower in 1966. The tower is open daily as a view tower and is located in the Waldpark St. Barbara in Karlsbad-Langensteinbach.”
What a wonderful adventure–driving through Freiburg, Germany (where we stopped for a Cappuccino), we continued on the #5 interstate, through border control/inspection, and into Switzerland!! We were able to change countries in a matter of about 2 1/2 hours, which to my American mind, is just outstanding and so surprising.
I, with passport in tow, felt giddy to be going to Switzerland and was anticipating a stamp in my passport. Alas, it would not be possible as the border control did not have a stamp and only did visual checks. Bummer, alas that is the rule. The inspector said that passport stamps are usually only available via the airport.
I gawked as we drove thru Basel, Switzerland, which is 2 kilometers from the border, inside Switzerland. Remembering, albeit too late, that Switzerland is neutral and not part of the European Union, I did not think to convert Euros to Swiss Francs but I was in luck.
Upon arriving in Laufenburg, already having crossed the Rhine (Rhein) River, we pulled off in the Aldstadt (historic) district, which in part borders the Rhine. Opening the car door, the scents of a Swiss Spring filled the air with beauty and grace and the air smelled of sweet things verses grilled sausages (which is often an occurrence in Germany.) The Videos tell the rest of the story and how I was in multiple places at once (and we went further into Switzerland and shopped in Leistal.)
I can attest, Swiss crafted cheese and chocolate are absolutely amazing!!!
Seek out local events, read/seek the local posters and attend local events (there are often free, inexpensive venues)
Hear music? Hunt down the source, ask a local about something interesting in the area. Use your senses, get “lost” by wandering and treasures will unfold
Try the local fare and cuisine, ask the server the daily special, purchase chow from a food wagon/truck
This is a great tip but by also checking out the postcards before endeavoring on the daily adventure, a postcard will also some highlights of the town/area you might not otherwise known of previously and thus will discover awesome things while hunting the sites
An exciting Saturday afternoon together at the Zoo together, where even the Hippotamus eat Germain cuisine of potatoes and cabbage.
The zoo is much larger than what first meets the eye and it is beautifully laid out, including animals and venues from all continents of the world.
The Seels (also know as Sea Dogs in German) and the Hippopotamus (Known as the
“River Horse” when translated from German) were very active while the Elephants trumpeted at dinner time. A splash of a good time as the seels breached and barked in the water.
Ingredients
1 can Tuna in oil
1 cup dry white rice
1 small head of broccoli
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups water
1 jar of Uncle Bens creamy curry sauce
In a medium skillet, add tuna (w. Oil), mushrooms, and chopped broccoli stems, saute on low heat for 5 minutes, add jar of curry sauce, simmer on low for 10 minutes.
In a pot (or rice cooker), cook rice w. 2 cups of water.
Steam fresh broccoli florets with a pinch of salt.
Serve curry mix over rice and broccoli as a side. Serves 2 to 4
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What an exciting and interesting afternoon-evening of people watching. So much variety and interactions galore–skipping children, a bicycle with a legit trailer, a skinned knee, an elderly man whistling down the cobble stones, a couple on a date (and enjoy Apfel Streudel) and so much more!! While enjoying the visual stimulation, my taste buds were delighted by Blood Orange infused teas and a snack on the very busy platz. What a beautiful day!!! 
50 reichs bank note from 1908 $9.99 OBO eBay
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My Travels 