I made several visits to the Mayen-Koblenz district to see Burg Eltz (twice), Schloss Bürresheim, the Laacher See, and Schloss Sayn. What follows are some photos I took while there.
Oberstraße in Moselkern.Trail to Burg Eltz.Approaching Burg Eltz from the trail.View of the southeastern side of Burg Eltz; the castle dates back to the 12th-century AD, but of course many additions have been made since then; additionally, extensive restoration work was completed in the 1800s.View of Burg Eltz near the entrance gate.Approach and gate to Burg Eltz.Looking up from the inner bailey in Burg Eltz; the castle is still privately owned by the Kempenich, Rübenach, and Rodendorf families.Cupping head in an elector’s case.Interesting sculpture with four different faces (one on each side) and eyes shared between them.Three types of maces, a war-hammer, and an equestrian war-hammer (for Cuirassiers) with a wheel-lock pistol (from the 15th- and 16th-century AD).Drinking bowl in the shape of a ship (from 1685 AD).Another view of the inner bailey in Burg Eltz.Rain gutter spout in the shape of a dragon.Bridge and gate to the old city of Mayen.Schloss Bürresheim – a medieval castle that dates back to the 12th-century AD and has been expanded and remodeled since; it is now a mixture of Romanesque and Baroque architectural styles.Baroque ornamental garden, which was formerly a kitchen garden for Schloss Bürresheim.Looking up at the south round tower, which was built from the 13th- to 15th-century AD.Barbican in Schloss Bürresheim, which is the only access to the inner castle from the outer ward.Inside the covered gateway (known as “cannon alley”) for Schloss Bürresheim.Kitchen inside the castle.Inner bailey of Schloss Bürresheim.Looking out from the covered gateway toward the barbican.One last view of Schloss Bürresheim.Trail back to Mayen, from Schloss Bürresheim.Revisiting Burg Eltz.View of Burg Eltz from near the ruins of Burg Trutzeltz, which was a small siege castle built on a rocky outcrop to the north during the Eltz Feud (1331-1336/37 AD) – the siege lasted two years and trebuchets, as well as a pot-de-fer (a primitive cannon), were used against Burg Eltz.Woods along the trail to Old Sayn Castle.Römerturm am Pulverberg – a reconstruction of a Roman watchtower, which marks the Limes Germanicus (i.e. the frontier of the Roman Empire in Germany).Old Sayn Castle.Schloss Sayn – the New Sayn Castle.Painting of the new and old Sayn Castles, with the Schloßpark in the foreground.Portrait of Princess Leonilla zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (1816-1918 AD), after an oil painting by Franz X. Winterhalter – displayed in Schloss Sayn.Chapel inside Schloss Sayn.Butterfly in the Garten der Schmetterlinge (“Butterfly Garden”) in Schloßpark Sayn.A butterfly with partially transparent wings.Chameleon inside the butterfly garden.Pond in the Schloßpark Sayn.Woods near Monrepos in Neuwied.
