Bad Wimpfen is a small town about 2 minutes from our home. It was far away from Heilbronn that it didn't get bombed out during either of the World Wars, so all of the medieval town is still (mostly) there.Simone took me here as one of the first places for me to see. It remains one of my favorite towns to go to and we drive through at least once a week.
The town's medieval structures date back to 1200 or just before. There is a map drawn up so you can see how the walls around the towers and fortress and church/courtyards looked during that time, with an explanation of all of the remaining structures. This first picture is of the 'Blaues Turm', or 'Blue Tower/Castle'.
This is a picture taken outside the grounds the current church. Whenever I walk by this place it weirds me out something nasty. All of the faces on the statues are either missing or worn away in a very disfigured way. Just creeps me out, that's all.
This next photo Pops took while they were here visiting. I think he liked the houses in the background with the Smart car in front of them. And yes, Smarts are very common here. SUV's not so much. If you saw some of the roads in Bad Wimpfen you'd understand.
In the back here was part of the original wall around the Altstadt (Old Town).
The picture below shows modern houses that would have fallen outside the Altstadt wall.
The picture below was taken from the other end of where the Altstadt's grounds began. The Blue Tower is in the background showing where the protective wall would have extended to. The grass here shows part of what would have been part of the courtyard. The stone on the right is the tower overlooking the valley and Neckar River it was built above.
Above is a jewelry shop Mom and I ate our ice cream in front of. It is in the modern part of town. At Christmas Bad Wimpfen holds one of the more famous Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets) in Germany. The entire town is turned into a Medieval Christmas Festival. This town is the perfect setting for such events. I will post pictures after this Christmas.
3 comments:
All these german towns appear to be scrubbed shiningly clean. Where are the dumpsters, advertising and plastic bags stuck up in a tree?
It must make you homesick. I'll save some medical waste for you.
Germany has got to be one of the cleanest countries in the world. Thus far everywhere I've been aside from Berlin has been super clean and ALWAYS in order/organized. That's not to say I didn't completely dig Berlin. I did quite a bit. Certain areas I checked out reminded me a lot of Chicago. Except the one street I (seriously accidentally) walked down in the former East German sector where the hookers, strung out on crack, were trying to find work. They all wore leather corsets on the outside of their garb that were so tight I thought their ribs simply didn't exist.
Speaking of plastic bags stuck up in a tree.
I went to Meier yesterday and told the check out lady I had my own bag.
When I produced the bag you sent from Germany, the check out guy next to me said, "That's the coolest thing I've ever seen."
America is ready for those bags, dude.
I love that bag.
I always forget my big bulky bags, but I can keep that one you sent in my pocket.
I hope people here can get their hands on those if they want them.
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