Burg Eltz

It took a few weeks for us to get things situated at our apartment before we could start traveling and sightseeing.  I had to get my driver’s license, we needed to purchase a second car, set up our utilities at that Rathaus in Landstuhl, unpack, buy groceries, etc…  Even with my planning, none of it could be done instantly.  While doing all of these things, I felt that valuable travel time was being wasted and I was getting irritated.  Eric had to remind me that Isabelle & I had only arrived less than a month before and promised that we would see all that we possibly could in the three years we would be stationed here.  I quit pouting.

So once we had things situated (but still did not have Internet), I jumped at the chance to see our first castle, Burg Eltz!  Burg (German for castle) Eltz is Rick Steves’ most favorite castle in all of Europe!  I have a thing for Rick Steves- his books are my travel “bibles,” if he says to see it, I’m going to!  I plan on seeing every single place in ‘Rick Steves Germany 2013’ book and almost every place in his ‘Best of Europe 2013’ book.  

Burg Eltz is just 2 hours from where we live and made for the perfect day trip.  The castle is down in a beautiful valley with dark green hills surrounding it so we had to walk down a steep path to get to it {my butt sure appreciated the walk back to the car}.  

Burg Eltz has been in the same family for 850 years and is still decorated the same as it was in the 1400’s.  It was never destroyed in World War II or by any other cause so the decorations, tapestries, and furniture are the same (no pictures allowed inside the castle...sorry).  A descendant of the Eltz family still owns it with his wife and children and come once every week to check on things and stay when on vacation.  

Some vacation home, huh?!

The castle is in the Mosel Valley along the Mosel river.  It is more beautiful than I could ever describe or catch in a picture.  It's no wonder that this is Rick Steves' most favorite castle, it is breathtaking!!