Mosel Wines

Porta Nigra -- the old Roman Gate

After Cologne, we've made our way to Trier (rhymes with clear) which is the oldest city in Germany.  It became the capital of the western Roman empire after the Emperor Diocletian divided the empire into four sectors.  You can still see evidence of the Roman empire with an intact city gate, the imperial throne room (which is now a church) and ruins of an amphitheater and thermal baths.

Trier sits at one end of the Mosel River valley which is the center of Germany's riesling vineyards and wineries.  On a previous trip to Germany, we sampled some riesling wines and discovered them to be some of Mona's favorites.  Today, we were able to visit one of the wineries and have a wine tasting. 

Dr. Loosen winery

We visited the Dr. Loosen winery in Bernkastel, a family-owned winery that has been producing wines in the middle Mosel region for over 200 years.  We can sometimes find their wines at home in the US, but we've learned that many of the wines produced in the region stay in the region.  We had a private tasting with two other couples from America, and tasted 6 different wines.  Dr. Loosen produces a wide variety of rieslings, and the tasting was tailored to our preferences -- we like more sweeter rieslings and the other four participants preferred drier wines.  Because of this, we tasted different wines from the others and learned about all 12 presented. 

Bernkastel -- in front of the giant advent
calendar

We had not been to Bernkastel before, and it's a lovely town along the Mosel.  It has a very traditional old town with half-timbered buildings and cobblestone streets.  They were having their own Christmas market, and although it was much smaller than others, it still had a nice variety of crafts and food.

For dinner, we had reservations at Weinstube Kesselstatt immedieately across from the Trier Cathedral.  This is the wine tavern of the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt winery which has 675 years(!) of wine-growing in the region.  We discovered this weinstube on a previous trip and wanted to make a repeat visit.  It was just as we remembered -- a cozy atmosphere with excellent food and wine.  We enjoyed two different glasses with dinner, bringing our total to eight different rieslings sampled.

Luckily for me, Mona only bought one bottle of wine to bring home, so my wallet didn't take too bad of a hit and my back will not be burdened with the extra weight in our luggage.  Win-Win.

Home of Kölsch

Köln is the proper German name for what we know as Cologne.  It is also the home of kölsch beer, which gets its name from Köln.  Kölsch beer is one of the most strictly-defined beer styles in Germany, and it must be brewed in a specific method and within a 50km radius of Cologne.  In America, we have kölsch-style beers that are likely made and taste like the Cologne original, but cannot truly be called kölsch.

We went to the Früh brewhouse near the cathedral which has been brewing beer for over 120 years.  Kölsch is served in a 0.2 liter skinny glass.  Once you order one, the server will keep bringing a refill until you place a coaster on top of your glass.  The server marks the number of beers you have on your coaster to calculate the bill at the end.

Even though she's not a beer drinker, I did convince Mona to try the kölsch since this is where it's made.  We ended up with a total of six beers on our bill....but I won't divulge who drank how many.

Cologne's Christmas Markets

We've learned that many cities in Germany have multiple Christmas markets and Cologne has been no exception.  The main Christmas market is next to the cathedral.  However, there are a number of others throughout the city squares and parks. We went to this market on Friday while visiting the cathedral.  It was similar to the one in Frankfurt, except the stalls and decor were much better coordinated around a common theme.  We toured two other markets on Saturday after getting back from Aachen, with different themes and vibes.

Stretching across the Alter Markt and Heumakrt squares is the Heinzels Winter Fairytale. It pays homage to the legend of Heinzelmännchen, friendly household spirits that would come out at night to help with chores and help craftsmen finish their work.  Although not a direct translation, we would think of Heinzelmännchen as gnomes.  The decor and theme for the entire market centered on gnomes.  This is the

largest market in Cologne and also has an outdoor ice skating rink and curling.  Rather than just have a small oval-shaped rink, this one has 100-meter long straightaways and circumnavigates a horseman statue in the middle of Heumarkt square.  These two squares are in the Old Town section of Cologne near the cathedral (and several beer halls) and it definitely had the largest crowds.

The Markt der Engel (Angel's Market) was in Neumarkt square and was the closest to our hotel -- less than a 10-minute walk.  This market is in a tree lined square, with plenty of stars and hanging white lights giving it a fairytale feel. This smaller market with its atmosphere and decor had an intimate feel even with a large crowd.

While each market has lots of glühwein and similar food offerings, there is still uniqueness and character.  We have many more markets to visit, so it will be interesting to see if any one jumps to the top of the list as our favorite.

Walking in the footsteps of Charlemagne

Today we drove about an hour west of Cologne to the city of Aachen near the border with Belgium.  Aachen isn't usually one of the top places listed when visiting Germany -- Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bavaria, and the Black Forest will likely be mentioned first. However in 800 AD, Aachen was the capital of most of Europe as it was the home of Charlemagne.  After the fall of the Roman Empire, Charlemagne united most of western and central Europe and was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III.  He died in 814 and was buried in the Aachen Cathedral.  You can read more about Charlemagne and his life by clicking here.

Royal throne

Given its history, Aachen Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the first in Germany to be designated as such.  In addition to being the final resting place of Charlemagne, it was also the site of the coronation of German kings and queens. Beginning with the coronation of King Otto 1 in 936, 30 kings and 12 queens were crowned here until 1531.  The imperial marble throne still resides in the cathedral though it is no longer used.

The interior of the cathedral is a blend of architectural styles given its lenghty history of being constructed in stages.  It is more ornate than we expected.  The original portion was constructed as an octagon with a domed roof. The choir section, built in the 1400s in the gothic style, has 80-foot high windows. Mosaic tiles cover the walls on the lower level of the octagon, and gilded paintings cover the dome.  Photos definitely do not do justice to seeing it in person.

Aachen's Christmas market is adjacent to the Cathedral, and we walked through the various stalls while drinking glühwein.  On the way back to the parking garage, I was able to find a spot without crowds to fly my drone and capture the entire cathedral in a single photo.  Even with overcast skies and misting rain, it still made for a beautiful sight.

Cologne Cathedral

We've been fortunate to have visited Germany in the past, but we've never made it to Cologne.  This has been high on Bryan's list because of Cologne Cathedral.  It is undoubtedly the best-known of Germany's cathedrals, a gothic masterpiece whose construction began in the 1300s. Construction stalled for centuries and the cathedral wasn't completed until 1880.  It's still considered gothic and not Neo-gothic, because it was completed according to the original plans.  Its immense size makes it difficult to photograph because it won't fit in the frame except at a significant angle.

Besides its stunning architecture, the cathedral is also home to the Shrine of the Magi. Acquisition of relics were important to many in the Middle Ages, and in the 12th century Cologne Cathedral acquired what was reported to be the bones of the Three Kings.  

Shrine of the Magi

The reliquary holding these bones is made of gilded silver, jewels, and enamel, giving it the appearance of gold.  This also put the cathedral on the so-called pilgrimage map bringing in many visitors.

The Chapel of the Cross, one of several side chapels inside the cathedral, features the Gero Crucifix.  It's named for Archbishop Gero of Cologne who commissioned its creation.  It dates to 970 and is made of carved oak.  It marked a turning point in western art by depicting Christ's realistic agony.

Gero Crucifix

Cologne Cathedral was more impressive in person than what we expected, certainly living up to its hype.  It's difficult to capture the architectural elegance and its sheer size in photos.  Our plan is to attend the main choral mass on Sunday, and we look forward to worshiping in the cathedal during the glory of the Christmas season.

First stop.....Frankfurt

Frankfurt skyline along the Main River

A lot of travelers know Frankfurt for its airport.  It is a gateway to all of Europe and a frequent place to change planes on to ultimate destinations.  Frankfurt is a modern city and a European banking hub.  Much of the city was destroyed during the Allied bombing in World War II, so it doesn't retain as much of the historic charm of other places in Europe.  There as a small section of the "Old Town" that was rebuilt in the historic architectural style.  Even though buildings look the part, they are of modern construction.

The Old Town

Given this history, Frankfurt is not usually on the list of places to visit.  However, we broke that mold and spent the day exploring and seeing its Christmas market.  We walked through the business district of skyscrapers to see the Opera House.  The original one was destroyed in the war, but the current one was rebuilt in its style in the 1980s.  The Christmas market stretched for many blocks winding through "Old Town." We detoured from the market to see the cathedral and city hall and to walk along the Main River.

Most Christmas Markets are an all-day affair, starting around 10am and going until 8:00 or 9:00pm.  If the Frankfurt market is any indication, the early hours aren't too crowded, but by 4:00pm things are hopping and lines are longer.  Frankfurt's market did not have many craftspeople, but there was plenty of food and drink.  There's really no need to eat before going to the market as all of the major food groups were covered -- meat, bread, potatoes, and sweets.  There were also some vegetables and salad available, but why bother with all of the other goodness to sample?

Our initial strategy in choosing what to eat was 1) typical German food 2) food we don't get at home and 3) where the lines were longest.  That led us to bratwurst for Bryan and a large chicken skewer for Mona.  We shared Kartoffelpuffer which are fried potato pancakes and served with applesauce for dipping. We finished with a trdelnik, which we first discovered in Prague and is frequently translated to English as a chimney cake.  It's dough wrapped in a spiral, baked, and then covered in cinnamon and sugar. Super delish.  And of course, multiple mugs of glühwein, which is mulled German wine that can be either red or white.

Enjoying our glühwein

We finished our time at the Christmas market by listening to an organ concert at St. Katherine's Church (1681) and advent singing with a choir and audience participation at the Liebfrauenkirche, a catholic church with adjoining monastery originally constructed in the 1300s.  This was a festive beginning to our German adventure and is quickly getting us into the Christmas sprit.

It's Christmas Market Time!

Hello from Lisbon!  We're on a layover on our journey to Germany so I'm trying to get a head start on the blog.

We've entered Advent, and in Germany that means it's the season for Christmas markets as well as church celebrations.  Christmas markets have taken place here for centuries. Stalls selling all kinds of handmade goods and food pop up in public squares throughout the country.  Cities and towns are awash in lights and decorations.  Dresden is home to the oldest Christmas market -- its Striezelmarkt was first held in 1434 and continues to this day.

We won't make it to Dresden during this trip, but we plan on visiting several markets throughout the country while we're here the next two weeks, including in Cologne, Nuremburg, and Munich.  People who have visited these markets have told us to expect great food and a festive atmosphere.  A few commented that once you've seen one, you've really seen them all.  I'm not sure that's true, but we're going to put that view to the test.  We will absolutely be doing all things Christmas market in each place we visit. Hopefully, I won't have to buy another suitcase for the souvenirs we might buy.