Tag: Weinheim

How tall will you grow?

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In our local forest the sign posts direct you to the different exotic species found.  Three sequoia varieties are there, the coast or California redwood (Küstenmammutbaum), the giant redwood (Riesenmammutbaum), and the sequioadendron giganteum (Urweltmammutbaum).  One of the unique features of the Exotenwald Weinheim is that not only a few specimen were planted but whole hectares of one kind. When the arboretum was started around 1870 almost 1500 sequoias were planted, most of which survived and are now tall and majestic.  With the exception of the Urweltmammutbaum, said to be a living fossil and only discovered in 1941 – but there are a few of those as well, planted in 2011 and apparently thriving.

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Many of the paths are wide and well maintained, perfect for a stroll rather than a hike.

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But it is fun to leave those and turn down (or up) narrower

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and darker paths.

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For Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge.  More photos of paths, ways, streets, avenues, or alleys can be found here.

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All wrapped up

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I took a considerable detour to photograph this 500-year-old tower only to be confronted with this:

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Bollwerk in Fischbergtal

It wasn’t the first time I had similar luck.

Monopteros
Monopteros in Munich
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Pettenkofer Straße, Munich
Peterskirche
Peterskirche, Weinheim

For Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge.  More oddballs can be found here.

Let me lead you up the garden path

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In the town where I live there is a garden.  At 2.2 hectares in the middle of town, it is a small but wonderfully prolific botanical garden. The different sections and the paths are cleverly designed to give the impression of a much bigger place.

Albert-Ludwig-Grimm-Straße

When I was little this was my way to school.  I don’t remember that many cars parked there, if any, but the hedge on the right looked exactly like it does today.  It was old then, so it is at least 80 years old, possibly close to 200 years old now.  What lay beyond – this wonderful gem of a garden – was closed to the public.

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Since 1983, after the private enclosure was turned into a foundation, the garden became open to the public.  There is no entrance fee and the sights are wonderful at any time of the year.

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For Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge.

For more photos of paths, streets, roads, alleys click here.

For more information on the Hermannshof garden, click here.

 

There is no elevator

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Stairs leading to the castle ruin Windeck in Weinheim.
Bavaria
Stairs leading up to the statue of Bavaria from the Oktoberfestplatz in Munich.
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Stairs in Mainz leading to the Oberstadt.
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Stairs in the dunes behind Bamburgh Castle.

Stairs are paths, too.

For Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge.  More paths, streets, roads, etc. can be found here.

Spring springs again

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In our annual spring parade, nursery schools celebrate the awakening of spring.

Kita Bürgerpark
Der Frühling erwacht
Kindergarten Sonne
Frühlingserwachen
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Küken
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Bienchen

The Daily Post: Awakening.  More wide awake photos can be found here.

My home is a castle

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I was truly privileged as a child.  We lived in a modest house but the back garden bordered the high wall surrounding the castle grounds.  In my father’s day this park was off bounds for the townspeople (except on Easter Sunday or Monday, for a couple of hours).  Nowadays the park is public and the castle is the town hall.  To me, it was always the playground just behind the house.

For The Daily Post where Cheri asked to share a favourite place. More favourite places can be found here.

Three castles in one town

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Weinheim, in southwestern German, is known as the “two castle town” although “two fortress town” would be more accurate.   The lower one, called Windeck, is a ruin, more than a thousand years old.  The Wachenburg is a relatively new building, only about 100 years old, constructed as a venue for student fraternities of technical universities.  I like this shot because it shows the two castles from a different perspective than the usual photos of them.

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Technically, the town should even be called “three castle town” – as there is also a proper castle, the small palace of the local count.  My parents’ house is close, actually their garden borders the wall surrounding the castle grounds.  This photo is quite unusual and does the whole structure a bit of a disservice but I like it because it is how I used to look up to the tower as a child, through the branches of the large cedar (said to be the oldest in Germany).   My dad used to work in this building (it houses the town council nowadays) and one can just see the window of his office in the bottom right corner.

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Another wonderful feature and tourist attraction is the botanical garden “Hermannshof” which features many trees planted 200 years ago. It is a pleasure to visit any time of year.  This photograph was taken in early summer.

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This is for The Daily Post, sharing photos of the place I live – again, after being away for many years.  Other people showing off their world can be found here.