There are not many medieval castles in the U.S. -- some might point to Hearst Castle here --, but to see a complete old one, you need to go to Europe. Germany has many fine examples, but we went to visit the small castle of Burgdorf in Switzerland. Here you can find all the features of a castle nestled in a beautiful valley. Jonathan still remembers Hampton Court in England, but that one has been remodeled so many times, that you can't recognize the original parts so much anymore. There was even the possibility to dress up as knights and ladies in Burgdorf!
Es gibt in Amerika nicht viele Burgen, wenn man von Hearst Castle absieht, doch auch das ist nur zusammengekauft. Um eine echte Burg zu sehen, muß man schon nach Europa reisen. In Deutschland gibt es viele schöne Beispiele dieser geschichtlichen Periode, wir haben jedoch eine kleine Burg in der Schweiz, nämlich die Burg in Burgdorf besichtigt. Die Burg dort weist alle Kennzeichen eines solchen Baues auf und liegt noch dazu in einem hübschen Tälchen. Jonathan kann sich noch gut an Hampton Court in England erinnern, doch ist dieses Gebäude so oft umgebaut worden, daß man die urspünglichen mittelalterlichen Teile nicht mehr so gut erkennt. Hier in Burgdorf konnte man sich dazu noch als Ritter und Burgfräulein verkleiden, was die Sache noch interessanter machte.
On the way to the castle
Auf dem Weg zur Burg
The castle
Die Burg
This little path is called "poor sinners' path." It had to be taken by people on their way to their execution after being condemned to death.
Dieser Pfad führte die zum Tode Verurteilten zur Hinrichtungsstätte.
Sign for the "poor sinners' path"
Looking up to the castle
Sicht auf die Burg
Sign remembering Heinrich Pestalozzi, who wrote one of his books here.
Heinrich Pestalozzi hat hier gelebt und gearbeitet.
In the castle
Im Schloß
Portrait of Johann August Suter (or John Augustus Sutter, as he was called in America), one of the important figures of the Californian gold rush, lived here in Burgdorf.
Portrait Johann August Suters, einer der Hauptentdecker des kalifornischen Goldes, lebte hier.
Memorabilia of the Swiss author Jeremias Gotthelf
Erinnerungsstücke an den Schweizer Autoren Jeremias Gotthelf
Pestalozzi
Chapel
Kapelle
Wall-walk
Wehrgang
View from wall-walk
Blick vom Wehrgang
Sir Jonathan
Ritter Jonathan
Damsel Miriam
Burgfräulein Miriam
Damsel Veronika
Burgfräulein Veronika
Damsel Flora
Burgfräulein Flora
Sir Charlotte and the court jester Flora
Ritter Charlotte und der Hofnarr Flora
View from one of the towers
Blick von einem der Burgtürme
This bell tolled when somebody was condemned to death and was led to his execution
Diese Glocke wurde geläutet, wenn jemand zum Tode verurteilt war und sich auf dem Weg zur Hinrichtung befand.
Walking back to the railroad station
Auf dem Rückweg zum Bahnhof
Sheep grazing in the town
Grasende Schafe im Städtchen
Sunset from our balcony
Sonnenuntergang von unserem Balkon aus
Liebe Eva,
ReplyDeletees ist immer wieder toll von euren Reiseabenteuern zu lesen. Vielen Dank, es ist so spannend.
Seit ihr noch lange in Europa unterwegs?
(Vielleicht habe ich es ja überlesen?)
Wenn ihr wieder zu Hause seit, werde ich mein CD-Rom-Päckchen an euch losschicken.
Liebe Grüße
Nula
Danke, wir haben viel Spaß und genießen diese europäische Zeit. Zuletzt waren wir vor fast sechs Jahren hier. Leider geht sie in ca. einer Woche zu Ende. Ich bin schon wieder in Deutschland. Ich freue mich schon auf das Päckchen!
DeleteMy girls would love this! The town is so beautiful, and there are so many interesting people to learn about.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned about living half the year in Europe and half in the US. Which half?!!! A difficult decision? It's true that there are good and bad things about each place. I think it is not easy deciding where to live!! Maybe it is easier that he didn't get that job? When my mother was 12 she went with her family to live in Germany for two years. They returned home right before WWII began. I love hearing her stories about that time of her life. Your family will have many wonderful stories to tell when they return home :)
Burgdorf is a cute little town and has a castle! It's not far from Bern and easy to get to by train. What else do you need?
DeleteI think the college would have determined the time when you lived where. I would love to have a European Christmas, but for sight-seeing, spring, summer, or fall would be better. Maybe it's better he didn't get the job. We probably would have not started homeschooling :). Also, as visitors you always tend to see just the bright side of things. You don't have to deal with many things. My German friend that is now married to an Austrian said it was very hard to live in Austria at the beginning. It started with the language and a general anti-German attitude of the people there, but continued with mentality differences. So I might have many negative stories to tell if we actually had to live there. Who knows:):
That's interesting that you mom went back to Germany right before WWII. My mom was born the year the war ended, but my father was born during the war and still remembers fleeing from what is now Poland to Germany. My mother only remembers food shortages.
I do hope that many of our impressions will stay with the children.