My German Roots

With the rents in town, it was a great excuse to go and visit where my great grandfather grew up...just a small town in Germany, only 40 minutes from Zurich.

 

Small indeed. It was better than a paid German course. But we managed.  We stayed in town at the local guest house which has been there and running since the days my great grandfather was there.  We met a few locals, checked out the local church, and paid a visit to Wilmendingen Schloss, the house my great grandfather grew up in.  Its a bit run down nowadays but I am sure it was a great site.  We also met some relatives - completely down to earth and we had a great catch up.  Afternoon tea turned into dinner and drinks.  It was great to hear stories, meet people you have ties to and see what life would be like living on a different side of the world. 



 

 

Wilmendingen Schloss

 

Also very interesting is the local myth, where Wilmendingen Schloss and Kussaburg Schloss, a nearby castle, are connected by an underground tunnel.  Not true but nevertheless, worth a visit to Kussaburg.  Much much bigger and more traditional of a castle but much more in ruins.  I still cant believe how many castles there are in Europe...on a hillside in nearly every town.  

 

 

Kussaburg Schloss





 Kussaburg Schloss

 

We had a long weekend, which meant an extra day to spend with the rents and a little extra time to see the surrounding countryside - what Germany and Switzerland do best.  We took a day to visit Titisee in the Black Forest - a great area for hiking, swimming, boating and biking, the Rheinfalls, and Laufenburg - a picturesque town in Germany and Switzerland straddling the Rhein river. 



 

 

 Laufenburg