Wartburg Castle
From:
Eisenach, Germany
ABOVE: A view of Wartburg Castle, where Martin
Luther hid out and translated the Bible into German in 1521-1522.
Eisenach's
Wartburg is everything that a German castle should be:
-
It's old. Wartburg Castle
was founded in 1067, and its central structure dates back to the 12th
Century. By comparison, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria--which was inspired, in
part, by the Wartburg--is a modern fairy-tale confection from the late
1800s.
-
It's imposing. Wartburg
Castle looks like a fortress, even though it was never used for military
purposes.
-
It's perched on a mountaintop.
Or at least a hilltop: The castle is 410 meters or 1,230 feet above sea
level, which is 220 meters or 722 feet higher than the town which it
overlooks.
-
It's historic. Martin
Luther hid out in Wartburg Castle for 300 days in 1521-1522 after being
declared an outlaw and a heretic at the Diet of Worms, and he translated the
Bible into German during his stay. Another famous German, the poet Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe, spent five weeks at the Wartburg in 1777.
-
It's romantic. Parts of
the castle were transformed into a fantasy of mosaics, frescoes, and other
expressions of German Romanticism from 1838 to 1890, and Wagner set
Tannhäuser--officially titled
"Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg"--in the castle and
its surroundings.
-
It's on UNESCO's World Cultural
Heritage List. The castle received its blessing from UNESCO in
December, 2009.
In light of these characteristics, it shouldn't be surprising
that Wartburg Castle draws many thousands of tourists and Protestant pilgrims
annually. It's also a musical and preaching venue, with operatic performances,
chamber music, blues, jazz, Christmas music, and religious services in the
Festival Hall or Castle Chapel during the course of the year. There's even a
Weihnachtsmarkt on the weekends before Christmas.
A trip to Eisenach simply isn't complete without a visit to the
Wartburg. Fortunately, the castle is easy to reach from town (whether by public
transportation or car), and it's open to visitors year-round.
For practical advice, including tips on reaching Wartburg Castle
by car or public bus, read the
Wartburg Castle visitor information on page 2. Also see the captioned
pictures in our Wartburg Castle photo
gallery.
Next page:
Visitor information
Photo: Wartburg Stiftung Eisenach.
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