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| Schloss Johannisburg |
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| Some local period piece furnishings |
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| The castle has two great river views on the bend. |
Yesterday Nancy was teaching her last German class. So I needed something to fill in the 4 hours while I waited for her. So I drove about 15 miles east to the Main River. On the other side - in Bavaria was the town of Aschaffenburg - the home of the Schloss Johannesburg. A schloss is another name for a castle - usually one that was more like a country palace - that was later turned into a home.
Schloss Johannesburg was built in 1605 for the Prince Bishop of Mainz. It was his second residence - his main one being in Mainz - about 60 miles west. For two hundred years it was used for that purpose. It was built with taxes from his fief.
The building is symmetrical with a large central square - and four corner towers. It has a strategic view of the Main River. It is on the bend of the river where its canons could control any ships coming or going. It is built of local red sandstone - giving it a very distinct appearance as it rises out of the surrounding city. Today - it is the center of a thriving tourist trade. There are plenty of support shops downtown serving the visiting tourists. It is a stop for tour buses - and river boat tours.
During World War II - the castle was burned - and anything not hidden away was destroyed. There is an effort to try to furnish it with period pieces - but there are so many rooms - and so little furniture. The top floor has been made into an art museum. A collection of large cork building covers 4 rooms.
I had the places pretty well to myself. There must have been 10 guards on duty to prevent little old me from taking pictures of anything. Some places in Germany let you take all the pictures you want - other places treat your cameras like flame throwers. Sometimes the guards just seem to need something to do. So they warn tourists - no photo.
It is amazing that these castles still stand - some date back 1000 years. You wonder how they survived all the turmoil. Surely they can stand a few iphone pictures sans flash. I used to have a pair of glasses that took pictures - but the quality was poor. I am on the market for a better pair.
A 3 euros admission was charged for the top floor museum. You can walk around the rest of the palace for free.
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| There is an old keep tower inside the newer castle |
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| Each corner has magnificent spiral steps |
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| This is on the Main river between Frankfurt and Nuremberg |
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| They are repairing two towers |
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| I had the place to myself |
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| A canon could command the river |
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| We have had splendid weather here. In 39 days we have had no daytime rain. |
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| The tan building was another museum. |
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