After three nights in Weinheim, we checked out and headed for Heilbronn, stopping by in Mosbach and Bad Wimpfen along the way.
One of four castles in Neckarsteinach, taken with an Olympus E5.
Last night, there was some wedding function at the hotel we were staying at. Guests were streaming in over the course of the evening. A few busloads of Japanese tourists also shipped into the hotel. They were still milling around the hotel posing and taking photographs of each other early this morning during breakfast time.
Another of four castles in Neckarsteinach, taken with an Olympus E450.
We checked out around noon, after the kids had completed their daily compo practices. The route recommended by the GPS took us through the hills. We drove through Neckarsteinach – “the town with four castles”, stopping to snap some photos of the castles overlooking the road. We had considered visiting the charming town square and perhaps the castles but Justin was fast asleep in the car and we wanted him to catch up on some sleep so we gave the town a miss.
Yet another of four castles in Neckarsteinach, taken with an Olympus E450.
Next stop was a little town named Mosbach. It had a very charming old quarter town square and it was really fun just wandering through the streets, taking in the half-timbered houses lining the streets. We were amazed at how cheap the ice-cream was – 70 Euro cents per scoop in a cone. I vaguely remembered it to be 1.5 to 2 Euros for the same single-scoop cone in France. Naturally, we stuffed ourselves silly – after all, we’d done plenty of walking to justify the extra calories.
Relief on the corner of a building in Mosbach, with half-timbered houses in the background. Taken with an Olympus E5
After Mosbach, we stopped by Bad Wimpfen, a town some 15 km to the north of our destination Heilbronn. It was even more charming than Mostback, with a more extensive old town and the castle foundation surrounding it. We went up the Blauer Turm (Blue Tower) which gave us a 360 degrees panoramic view of the surrounding Neckar valley. Justin was really fresh from his nap and made it up and down the steep stairs all on his own.
Roses by the road, with the Blauer Turm in the background. Taken with an Olympus E5.
Strolling around the castle walls was very pleasant in the evening hour. It seems that with the longer day, the golden hour around sunrise and sunset has been stretched to last longer by another hour or so – it’s actually a boon to photographers.
View of Bad Wimpfen old quarters from the Blauer Turm. Taken with an Olympus 450 with Pop-Art effect.
After Bad Wimpfen, it took only 20 minutes to arrive at our next hotel at Heilbronn, where we planned to stay for the next two nights.
Tags: Bad Wimpfen, Germany, Heilbronn, Mosbach