We used to travel! We used to go everywhere and do all the things. But now, we sit in our houses hoping for an end to this pandemic and a return to normal.
While we sit and wait for orders (hurry up and wait is the motto of the military) I thought I'd share a beautiful little German city we explored one afternoon in August of 2018. It was a typical German afternoon, the skies were cloudy, the breeze was crisp. We were looking forward to fall because with no air conditioning, the summers in Germany can be pretty brutal at times. This day was giving us serious fall vibes and we enjoyed every minute of our day trip to Kobern-Gondorf.
This sleepy little village sits on the Mosel river, and is flanked by vineyards towering up the steep slopes of the surrounding hillsides. It is a photog's dream! If you brave the steep hillside trails, the payoff is some seriously jaw-dropping views.
When we first arrived we were starving, so we met our friends at a restaurant we'd seen on Trip Advisor called Alte-Muhle Thomas Horeth. It sits a little above the city, as you are driving up toward the castle that is perched on the mountainside. There is parking, but it (as parking usually is in Europe) is limited. Parking just down the street is possible. This village isn't busy, so finding street-side parking and taking a short walk up the hill to the restaurant is very doable.
Thomas Horeth Alte-Muhle is one of the most whimsical restaurant settings I've ever experienced. The building is what's left of the old mill that once served Oberburg Kobern. Walking in you find yourself surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers. There are moss-covered garden statues peeking out from behind vegetation, and cobblestoned pathways that lead to the entrance. It looks like a fairytale garden. Once you enter the building, you are escorted by their friendly staff to your table. The restaurant itself is a maze of small buildings. There are tables tucked in cozy nooks and hallways along the way. After taking many twists and turns, we were seated in a beautiful little garden courtyard that was near the restaurant gift shop.
It was beautiful! Truly a unique setting in which to enjoy a traditional German meal. On this day, the courtyard was deserted except for our little party, so we enjoyed having the place to ourselves.
Of course, I sampled the local half-dry Riesling, which in my book is a win wherever you go in Germany. The food was delicious (I recommend the duck breast). The waitress did not speak much English, so brush up on your Deutsch ordering skills beforehand!
The gift shop in the restaurant boasts a large selection of German Schnapps, which are extremely popular and delicious! German Schnapps pack quite a punch, so be careful shooting these! :-)
After we had our bellies full we decided it was time to finally go explore the village. Right outside the restaurant we were greeted with a hillside trail that climbed straight up the slopes of the vineyard, leading to a castle. We were tempted, but the wine I'd had at lunch dictated that I wait at least a little while before embarking on such a cardiovascular adventure!
We walked a short ways down the side-walked street to the town center of Kobern-Gondorf. If you've spent much time touring Europe, you know that typically these city centers are crowded, bustling places, filled with people who are shopping, eating, or going to and from work. That was not the case in this little village on the Mosel. I have never seen a German village so undisturbed, so quiet, so empty. It was amazing. All the shops were open, the restaurants were taking patrons, but there was just nobody there. We took advantage of this moment of peace and explored the area a little bit.
The village is filled with photographic opportunities. The buildings are all two-timbre and line the cobble-stoned streets in traditional European splendor.
Once we spent enough time in the village, we decided to revisit that challenging hike up to the castle we had put off doing earlier. Whew, I knew it would be tough, but, looking back, this hike was probably quite dangerous.
We actually had to climb two ladders. One was on the side of the hill- the terrain was too steep otherwise, the other was on the side of the castle. As we climbed these rather treacherous ladders, we wondered if we were supposed to be on this trail at all, or was it really just for the vineyard workers?
Once we finally reached the top, the views did not disappoint. We spent quite a bit of time exploring the Oberburg ruins and catching our breath.
We found another interesting trail that led away from the castle along the ridgeline of the hilltops. This interesting little trail wasn't so steep, but offered gorgeous views of the scenery and once we reached the end...
...a biergarten! A fabulous way to end a difficult hike and get ready to take the long way- along the road that winds around the hills- back down to our waiting vehicle. No way were we trying to climb back down those terrifying ladders!
Kobern-Gondorf is about a two hour drive from Kaiserslautern, almost all of which is highway. It's an easy trip and a great way to spend an early fall afternoon.
Comments