We used the Deutsche Bahn app to purchase our train tickets to the station closest to our castle. We were able to find our way to the local metro station with only a little confusion which then connected us to the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (central train station). At the Hauptbahnhof was where we got to hop on our first long-distance train, I was excited. The train’s interior was simple but comfortable. There was a monitor which listed relevant travel details such as when we would arrive at upcoming stops and the speed at which the train was traveling reaching a max of 160 miles per hour on this trip. The train was fast, smooth and quite which are qualities I could never attribute to my train experiences in the US.
The castle could be seen perched on the mountain as we pulled into the train station. When planning our stay many months earlier I explained to Beth that the castle was nearly 2 kilometers from the train station and up a hill. The distances wasn’t an issue, but the hill was a little hillier than what we would have liked, especially while carrying our backpacks. The staff were friendly and welcoming. When we open the door to our junior suite we found they had arranged rose peddles in the shape of a heart on our bed.
The evening we arrived we reserved a table at the Michelin rated gourmet restaurant on the premises. We arrived at the restaurant and take in the view of the valley below from our mountain top table. It is a very rare thing for us to indulge in extravagances such as hotel suites and gourmet meals, so we definitely needed a little guidance from our waiter on how it all worked. I’m not even sure if he was our waiter or some combination of concierge, guide and educator. The food was delicious and beautiful. We took our time and effort to try and experience the artful morsels presented to us. The one thing we were not ready for was the 3 and a half our duration of our dinner. With our bellies full we went straight to bed.
Our following day was left open for a little down time. We had nothing planned. So, we went for a little run and spent the day relaxing around the castle’s property, walking the nearby paths. Beth spent some time painting water-color landscapes of the beautiful views. That evening we were treated to a “smoker” (a barbecue) at the second restaurant connected to the hotel.
