14 May 2011 Magnificent Munzenberg Castle

Only 5 miles more north was the Munzenberg castle, better known as the Wetterau Inkpot, It was really a surprise to us. It is just ruins but enough was left to get the real feel of it. It has two round towers (keeps) which can be seen from a great distance. As we first walked up the pathway to the castle we saw a pretty estate that someone still lives in. I had to take a few pictures of that. Imagine having a castle in your very own back yard. What a view.

The Romanesque castle was built in 1160 and has a curtain (inner wall) that surrounds the Palas, The Summer Hall, Falkenstein Residence and the two keeps. A second wall or Bailey Wall, provided more protection, and within that space they had a deer hunting ground. The Count's of Munzenberg played a roll in the Holy Roman Empire. It shows signs of former opulence with its beautiful window casements.

The main building had several residential apartments which were heated by open fireplaces. There is a chapel there and a huge second floor hall that looked out over the picturesque courtryside. In some of the pictures I took, you can see the anchor slots for the beams that held the floors for the 2nd and 3rd levels. There is a high walk way around most of the castle and we took pictures from every vantage point. It is a beautiful valley below with the town sporting white washed buildings and stark orange tile. I put this castle right up there with Sankt Gohr.

































































This is a view of the castle from the keep which is opposite the Keep you can see in these pictures. Gene ran up 142 steps to get the view of the valley from there.