Ever since I've been stationed here in Europe, I've squandered many precious moments wishing I could stay in a castle for one night. Keep in mind our usual travel accommodations consist of a family friendly budget hotel or billeting at a US military base so the notion of staying in a castle is a significant departure from the norm. Maybe it is the little boy in me but staying overnight in a castle had a wonderful appeal about it. Last weekend this dream was realized and we stayed at Burg Stahleck in Bacharach. Before I go into detail about our castle, let me tell you a little about Bacharach. On the way there Jen asked me what my favorite German city was. That was a tough one for me. Munich has the hofbrauhaus and Garmish has it's Bavarian charm. Berlin has an incredible sense of history and Rothenberg is ripped straight out of a fairytale. All of these places fall just short of Bacharach in my book. In 1842 Victor Hugo wrote about the village by stating, "No doors, no roof or windows, a magnificent skeleton puts its silhouette against the sky. Above it, the ivy-covered castle ruins provide a fitting crown. This is Bacharach, land of fairy tales, covered with legends and sagas."
The crown jewel of Bacharach is it's towering castle on a hill overlooking the mighty Rhine river. We've visited this castle or Burg many times before. We liked it so much that it seems we've dragged all of our visitors to the place over the last three years. To be honest, we've been there so many times that it was starting to get boring. Staying overnight, however, provided us with a completely unique experience.
The best part about all of this was the price. Our whole family stayed at the castle (w/private room/shower/breakfast) for only 42 euro or around 55 bucks. This place is the best kept secret in Europe! Now if only we could find such deals in Rome or Paris. Here are some of the highlights:
Spring Flowers and our Desert Rose
Jen and I leaving...reluctantly...our castle for the day
Luke Loves His Ice Cream (just like his dad)
All of us the next day sopping wet and exploring St Goar's Burg Rheinfels
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