European River Cruise - Wertheim, Germany

View of Werthim Castle as we approach Wertheim, Germany

A beautiful sight from our cabin window as we are docked in Wertheim

The morning walking tour of Wertheim took in the Spiter Turm.  Centuries of flooding has caused the tower to lean.  Flood levels are marked on the outside.  Apparently it was used as a watch tower and a prison for drunks and bickering women.  Supposedly the women were restrained facing each other so they only had each other to bicker with. 

Wertheim has a long history of glass making.   Before our tour, a glass blower was aboard our ship explaining his craft.  This sculpture was in the park by the ship.

Entering town through one of the Medieval gates, Main Tor.  1839 is etched into the arch of the gate.

This building is called the Witch's house.  From 1626 to 1631, one of the largest mass trials and mass-executions seen in Europe, took place in Germany.  In Wurzburg, 157 men, women and children were confirmed to have been burned at the stake with the majority having been first beheaded.

 

The blue building has been around for centuries and the flood levels are marked on its side by the door.  Wertheim is at the confluence of the Main and Tauber Rivers.

Notice the flood mark up by the top of the photo.

Bicycling is big in Germany and to signify just how big, this is a bicycle repair vending machine outside a bicycle shop.

These are stolpersteins, brass plates affixed to cobblestones which bear the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination.  Usually the plates are placed at that person's last place of residence but they can also be placed where the person worked. 
 

Wertheim has a medieval town center with half-timbered houses and small streets.

We crossed through town and came to the Tauber River.

We crossed the Tauber using this bridge.

Looking back across we could see the castle on the hill and Kittsteintor tower.

We crossed back over the river on this bridge.

The back way up the hill to the castle.

The rose garden behind the Rathaus.

Killian's Chapel

Reminder over the chapel doors to make sure you watch what you are doing instead of paying so much attention to what other people are doing.  It shows a monkey holding a mirror.

Engelsbrunnen well from 1574

Choo-Choo "train" that carries people from the main gate to the castle and back.

Construction on Wertheim Castle began in the second half of the 12th century. 

Orange electric fence keeps goats on the hillside where they keep the vegetation from getting out of hand.

Main entrance to the castle.

Looking back down to the town and the Main River.  Main is pronounced "mine".

Zooming in on our ship shows that it is docked right where the Main and Tauber merge.

Overview of Wertheim Castle.

From the Wertheim Tourist Information website, "Once the domicile of the Counts of Wertheim the fortress (extension during 15th to 17th century) is one of the most picturesque ruins in Germany with a deep moat and impressive bulwark. In 1618 the castle was partly destroyed by an explosion; during the Thirty Years' War in 1634 and 1647 it was under heavy fire. Today the castle is owned by the Community of Wertheim growing into a more and more attractive setting for cultural events."

After paying our 2€ entrance fee, the first part of the castle we came to was Holder Tower.

Holder Tower

As we continued on, we looked back at Holder Tower (lower right) with the Keep towering above everything else.

 Keep on left  and palace façade on right.

Looking out on the city from the base of the Upper Rampart.

Interior of upper rampart.

Looking out one of the upper rampart windows.

You can see the top of the lower ramparts in this photo.

View of keep from upper ramparts.  There's a café in the section to the right.  They were setting up for a wedding.

You might have to enlarge to read these plaques.

Front of palace façade.

Headed up to the top of the keep

View from the top of the keep.