HOHENZOLLERN CASTLE
18.01.2017
On Wednesday 18 January the TSAP 2017 group travelled by bus to the famous Hohenzollern Castle near Hechingen. This was a much anticipated excursion as none of us had seen or been in a real castle before! The castle was announced by excited exclamations from the group, “Look! You can see the castle up on the hill!“ and students rushing to the bus windows to take pictures. The castle loomed above us, looking impressive even at a distance. The bus drove us part of the way up the steep hill and parked. From there we had to walk.
To give you a bit of background information; Germany was experiencing one of their coldest Winters during this TSAP exchange. The Neckar River in Tübingen had frozen for the first time in years and daily temperatures had been ranging between -1 and -12 degrees Celcius in the week leading up to this trip. We had been warned by our coordinators and host families that the hill on which Hohenzollern Castle sits is particularly cold as it is very high up, exposed to the elements and the castle itself is even colder than outside. Armed with this daunting information and dressed so warmly we resembled marshmallows on legs, we set out at a brisk walk up the hill, stopping only to breathe in the frigid air and take in our surroundings. The forest through which we walked looked like the storybook pictures of a typical Winter Wonderland. As we climbed, so the temperature dropped. We reached the top of the hill and we were greeted by howling winds. Despite the cold and the wind we were not put off taking countless pictures before heading into the castle! The view from the castle entrance is nothing short of magnificent – you can see for miles. It really gives a sense of just how small we are in this world.
We headed into the castle for a guided tour, placing giant-sized slippers on our feet as we entered so that our shoes did not damage or dirty the beautiful floors. Our guide started the tour by showing us a mural of the Hohenzollern dynasty family tree. From the entrance room we then headed into the main dining hall. What appealed to me most was the huge, intricate chandeliers that decorated the ceiling, adding to the sense of grandeur of the room. I imagined elaborate balls and dancing taking place beneath them. I also imagined the poor castle staff who had to light every one of those candles! The pillars framing the room were enormous and made of solid marble. The guide explained that they were carried up the hill by builders during the recontruction of the castle. I think each of us shuddered at the thought of doing the hike up to the castle lugging a heavy marble pillar! The next room that stood out for me was the King’s bedroom. The room was very modest with minimal furnishings and a small bed – not what I‘d expect from a King! The queen‘s bedroom was more lavish and was very beautiful. A few more beautiful, exquisitely decorated rooms followed and we ended off in a large room that displayed the Crown Jewels and many other interesting pieces of royal family jewellery. The crown in particular was truly something to behold!
Our walk down the hill back to the bus was a cold one but we made it to the bus in one piece, albeit with a few numb fingers and toes! When the Germans say "Wear all your clothes when you go to Hohenzollern.", that means: wear ALL your clothes! On hearing the guide explain that the King did not actually live in the castle (it was built as a monument) one of the students remarked, "The cold even drove the King down the hill!".
Despite the cold we all had a wonderful afternoon and enjoyed the castle tour very much.
Another bucket list item ticked off.
Kerry-Leigh Anderson
