Wednesday 1st August
Our campsite for tonight: Am Burggarten, Hachenburg – GPS N50.662720. E7.827220
Small carpark with 8 shady spaces allotted for Mohos. Set beside a beautiful treed park which is part of the castle grounds called Burggarten .
Lovely little village with a small Old Town of cobbled stone streets and narrow alleys. The castle was disappointing. Three levels set in two quadrants, an inner and outer with courtyard in the middle. Is now a functioning university. Certainly looks more like a university not a castle.
A band was setting up in the small square which apparently happens every Thursday night in the summer months.
Opted not to stay the Thursday night as some comments in our APP referred to young people using this carpark as a gathering point in the evenings. Did not experience this on our first night so did not want to chance our luck for a second night.
Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd August
Our campsite for two nights: Ederberglandhalle, Frankenberg – GPS N51.056519. E8.802170
This is a really great little Stellplatz with huge pitches and trees and walls of high shrubs everywhere – very private and cool and quiet.
Met up with a great German couple, Hermann and Waltraud, from Urmitz – we stayed in Urmitz only a few nights ago while visiting Koblenz. Frankenberg was Hermann & Waltraud’s home town many years ago so they were able to give us a run down on the village. They also have a brother living in Mt Tamborine in Queensland, Australia, which is probably only about 50 km from where we live.
There was a 60’s band scheduled to play in the new part of town in the evening so we ambled down and joined in the festivities. Interesting concept where you purchased a glass (wine or beer which actually was plastic) for €5 each and then €2 coupons to use for eats and drinks. You couldn’t get a drink without the purchased glass. Food and drink stations were set up and you used your coupons to purchase these. The purchase of the glasses was an entry charge to cover the cost of the band.
Band was great (though we did not know any of the songs which were certainly not from the 60’s and were all sung in German). Would say around 1000 people crowded the square.
Really enjoyed the Old Town next day. The Rathaus (town hall) in Old Town was one of the best we have seen – we seem to keep saying that with every new Rathaus we see. Looks like a small fairytale medieval castle. Cobbled stoned streets and quaint little shops and again the wonderful three storey houses (Fachwerk)were a treat.
The Old Town is at the top of a hill and surrounding the old cathedral, beautiful parks and gardens offer a magnificent view of the town below. It was a steep climb to the Old Town and the area is very hilly but well worth the effort.
The Stellplatz is gratis and also has bonus free wifi which works throughout the old and new towns. Certainly appreciated having the wi fi as we had quite a long on line chat with Qantas when they advised our return flights had changed – leaving us with 37 hours on planes and in airports on the way home – not happy Jan! Quite a saga but finally managed to get an earlier flight which gets us home 12 hours earlier than original flight- hope there are no other changes!!
Saturday 4th August
Arrived at our first choice of campsites in Fritzlar to find a circus tent erected opposite the Stellplatz and absolutely no shade whatsoever. No way was this suitable but as we really wanted to see this village we found a shaded spot nearby the swimming pool. On with the walking shoes (third pair for me now) and trekked uphill to the old town.
Another wonderful Old Town and St Peters Cathedral where again they were setting up a stage abutting the Cathedral for an evening concert. This week is one of the two – three busiest weeks of the summer season and nearly every place we have visited during this time is “partying” big time. The town is encircled with a 2.5 km fortified wall where there are at least a dozen Turms (towers) guarding the city.
Just outside the walled gates we came across a parking area for Mohos and out of 6 – there were two spots left (we couldn’t believe our luck). We hurried back down the hill and returned ASAP to find we were in still in luck – still two spots left. What a win as this was only 100 metres from the centre of Old Town.
Our campsite for tonight: Parking Fritzlar – N51.132210. E9.269740
Still amazingly hot well into the late afternoon so after a few cool drinks we headed into the square for dinner (great pizza) and then to the concert. Great night but at 10.30 pm the temp was still in the mid thirties!
Sunday 5th August
We have been on the German Fairytale Road over the last few days now. Named as such because the Brothers Grimm lived here and it is where the fairy tales were written.
Our campsite for tonight: Wohnmobil Stellplatz, Baunatal -GPS N51.256340. E9.398870
This is a huge stadium parking area where there are avenues of trees shading the parking places (for cars) and right next door is the Stellplatz – out in the open – without a tree to be seen. It amazes us that most of the Moho owners in Germany are not bothered by the sun and have no issues with frying in the full sun in their sauna boxes. TV reception is their first priority and electricity is second – most do not seem to have solar panels.
We parked in the shady car spots for the rest of the day and moved into the Stellplatz in the evening. Did not venture out of the shade today so cannot report on this town.