A Romantic Journey!!!
‘April is the cruellest month’ metaphorically in the West perhaps because it stirs lives which have been hibernating lazily through the chill of the winter. April, but, is also a month which after ‘mixing memory with desire’ creates a euphoric mood of adventure and exploration . April, however, is truly the cruellest back home in India because it ushers in a perspiring, a panting summer in all its nascent furies. April is cruel or kind, therefore, depending on how you take it and what is your own state of mind.
Be that as it may, we decided to take April kindly particularly after the snowy chill of a reluctantly receding winter. Berlin being not enough to contain our euphoric mood, we planned a road trip over the Easter holidays to the South West of Germany extending through the Black Forest into the Alsace region of France. Memories of the area based on glimpses during an earlier journey through the region had kindled enough desire already in us to explore it further in greater depth.
Though we drove from Berlin, our real journey started when we reached the first medieval town of Wuerzburg in the Franconian-Bavarian region of Germany on the famous Romantische Strasse or the Romantic Road. About 360 Km long from Wuerzburg in the north to the Alpine town of Fussen in the south, the Romantic Road was a major trade route in the Middle Ages. Not so much the road but the places it connects still retain much of their medieval character. Truly speaking, we found nothing greatly romantic about the road, at least, between Wuerzburg and Rothenburg o. d. T., the section of the road that we covered to get a taste of the much touted Romantische Strasse. There are far more scenic drives in other parts of Germany, as for example, the drive from Offenbach to Triberg in the Black Forest along the gurgling Gutach is simply out of this world. Yet when you visit the towns like Wuerzburg, Rothenburg etc that this road connects, you realize why this road is called what it is called.
[simage=759,144,y,right,][simage=755,144,y,right,]Located in the heart of the Franconian wine growing region, Wuerzburg is a cosy town known for its architectural marvels, excellent wines and gourmet food. The pride of Wuerzburg, undoubtedly, is the Residenz (Residence Palace). Rightly included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Residenz with its Square and Court Garden was designed by several of the leading Baroque architects of the times. History comes alive when you see the chamber with a neo-classical double bed and bedside tables in the Northern Imperial Apartment where Emperor Napoleon and his wife Louis Marie had slept in 1812. Napoleon is known to have visited the Residenz three times between 1806 and 1813. The grand staircase and the colourful frescoes in the palace have a stunning impact on the visitors. Heavily damaged during the Allied bombings of the the World War II, the restored palace bears a testimony to the outstanding craftsmanship of the archaeologists and historians involved in the process.
[simage=788,144,y,left,][simage=779,144,y,left,][simage=778,144,y,left,]Rothenburg o. d. T.(ob der Tauber) is perhaps the best preserved, fortified, medieval town of Germany. Located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber river, the name “Rothenburg ob der Tauber” means, in German, “Red fortress above the Tauber”. The medieval cuteness of the town hits you as soon as you enter the walls of its old quarters. You feel like abandoning your transport and losing yourself into its cobbled lanes and by lanes flanked by centuries old buildings. The spacious square in front of the Rathaus called Marktplatz has an other worldly charm. Just hanging out there gives you an inexplicable pleasure and satisfaction. A walk atop the covered fort wall offers a panoramic view of the city which should not be missed. You cannot also miss the local delicacy Schneeball (Snowball), which is egg dough fried and then either sprinkled with powered sugar or covered with chocolate. The medieval charm of the city is so irresistible that it has appeared in several films and fictions such as films like Pinocchio, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and fiction like Elizabeth Peters’ Borrower of the Night.
[simage=848,160,y,left,][simage=850,160,y,left,][simage=1516,160,y,left,][simage=862,160,y,left,]The choice of visiting Triberg, Feldberg, Schluchsee in addition to the much visited Titisee and Freiburg in the Black Forest was a result of an internet search in the morning of our departure from Rothenburg. Oh, the world wide web has really made things so easy for us! I have already mentioned about the picturesque drive from Offenbach to Triberg along the Gutach river. In Triberg, the waters of the Gutach plunge over 160 meters in several cascades into the valley below thus making this to be Germany’s highest waterfall. It is a sight to see and delight in. We loved the experience of tiny water droplets flying across to play on the exposed surface of our skins. [simage=806,160,y,right,][simage=814,160,y,right,]Walk down and you would come across the largest Cuckoo Clock of the World. An entire hut has been converted into a clock. Incidentally, Triberg is the place where Cuckoo Clocks are originally manufactured. We made the University town of Freiburg our base and, then, undertook further forays into the Black Forest. The Altstadt in Freiburg is charming and pretty. By virtue of being conveniently located both from Switzerland and France, it naturally attracts lots of tourists. A glass of beer at the bustling Hausbrauerei Feirling is an experience in itself. An almost virgin lake at Schluchsee ( 3 Km long) was a delightful discovery as was the visit to the Skiing town of Feldberg, the highest point of the Alps in the Black Forest. Well, Titisee has an established pride of place on the touristic map and quite rightly so. Toy like layout of this township on the lake has a picture perfect setting. We tried to make friends with the ducks in the lake but they saw through us as we were trying to attract them without offering any sweetmeats in return. The Black Forest cakes available in the local bistros were absolutely fabulous to taste.
The most enchanting part of our trip, however, was a visit to Riquewihr in the Alsace region of France. Oh what a place! The layout and structure of this medieval village cum town seem to have frozen in early middle ages. Often considered as one of the most beautiful villages of France, Riquewihr appears unchanged over the centuries, and gives a great feeling for how a village in the region would have looked centuries ago. The place has retained much of its medieval fortification as well as a castle and every piece of town’s timbre framed architecture is miraculously preserved. [simage=884,160,y,left,][simage=889,160,y,left,][simage=887,144,y,right,][simage=894,144,y,right,]Nestled amidst sprawling and undulating vineyards, Riquewihr looks even more serenely medieval than Rothenburg o. d. T. It is said that the place has been able to retain its old world charm largely because the people living their have retained their lifestyles through generations. Aroma of wine pervades the township and it is wine which drives its economy. Well, you have to be there to feel and experience what I am trying to communicate. Driving to Colmar, the administrative headquarters of the Alsace region, thereafter, turned out to be merely a routine exercise.[simage=896,144,y,left,][simage=907,144,y,right,]
Journey back home to Berlin after all these exposure to the senses was a sombre and tiring affair. By the time it finished, I was already in romance with the places I had visited.
“A Romantic Journey!!!”