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Germany Travel Tips - Castles

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The Middle Ages are alive and kicking, so join in the fun!

Sustained by the enormous interest shown in their mostly turbulent histories, colourful festivities and feasts are re-enacted within their ruins, which stunningly and authentically revive and recreate the Middle Ages. You can experience the spectacle of jousting, minerals and real banquets. Country markets with traditional skills and crafts, fancy-dress pursuits and street theatre are popular, and form a link to the myths and legends which every castle accumulates.

Castles and palaces in Germany stage these festivities all year round. In spring you can choose between Spring festivals, May markets, Pentecost markets and historic pastoral dances. Or you can visit a traditional cake and waters festival of the salt workers, enjoy a Kaiserburg (imperial castle) concert in the knights´ hall and then plunge into a mediaeval spectacle with the small traders´ market. After the midsummer night festival you can welcome in the new season at a "Musical summer " in the "Serenadenhof". The long days become even longer with castles illuminated with brilliant fireworks, and blues nights in the palace courtyard, and if your ears are still not ringing after the wine festival, we can recommend the open air concerts in the castle courtyard or serenades at the "gunpowder" tower. However, there are also alternatives in the ruins, e.g. a samba festival, rock in the castle moat, a Dracula piece or real Baroque fireworks. Autumn is varied with harvest festivities, wine festivals, oven festivals, garland festivals and many music and theater festivals. In November and December there is only the one widespread event, and that is the unforgettable Christmas Markets with centuries old traditions.

A single mediaeval banquet is a fantastic time-travel experience to a different world. Fresh bread, for example, is baked in the castle courtyard, and home-made cream cheese and butter is produced. Gourmets expect delicacies like a Burgundy roast, grilled Camembert and excellent wines and new wines. In addition they expect home-made fare, which has been baked and brewed according to old recipes. Minstrels and jugglers, knights, noblemen and women, monks and quacks in original costumes, colorful flags and big colorful coat-of-arms provide the historic atmosphere.
In the evening when the firework display is in progress, the entire castle mound is illuminated like a volcano, and the Catherine-wheels let the Middle Ages culminate with a festive finale.

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