Miscellaneous Tips, Germany

A sweeping, tree canopied drive through the forest is the beginning of ones drive along the picturesque countryside and quaint towns bringing you to Sleeping Beauty's Castle, nestled in quiet isolation. The castle is separated into 2 different sections. The first being the hotel/restaurant and the latter being in ruins. The castle is surrounded with parkland and a small zoological area of its own. After climbing the 92 steps up to the top of the turret (Sleeping Beauty's room) we were treated to a canopy bed, sitting area and spacious white tiled bathroom.We made our way toward the outdoor performance area where we watched a rendition of Sleeping Beauty in the ruins of the castle. A walk around the castle provided us with a view of the surrounding land which ended in the rose garden. The staff are courteous, punctual and friendly. As a part of our accommodation price, we were served a candlelight dinner in front of the floor to ceiling fireplace and watched the sunset across the adjacent wall to wall windows. A single weather beaten tree in the yard was illuminated against the shadows of the night and the staff advised that wolves were known to howl throughout the sleeping hours. I was indeed in paradise. Our first drink of the evening was a "fairy drink" and although I am aware that it consisted of wine and gin, I think perhaps there was more to it. It was indeed potent but delicious in small sips, served in a pewter cup and chilled . The 3 appetizers were duck liver, bacon of boar and a cream of broccoli soup. Our main entree consisted of beef and vegetables and no room for dessert. Although I can't say that I enjoyed the meal, I would definitely rank this hotel as one to always remember and treasure. It is a small wonder that the Grimm Brothers used this location for a fairy tale of their own. I could even imagine Red Riding Hood scampering across the country road as we drove in.

* The only problem we encountered was the ability to book online. I had tried several times to email the establishment and was only able to get reservations because of a family friend who lives in Germany that phoned them personally. If dropping in to obtain a room I suggest getting there early (well before dark) in case there are no vacancies. Its a long distance between a town with accommodations and driving at night could be confusing and frought with wrong turns.

Germany Hotels