Castle Dracula, Bran Romania

On January 30, 2017January 30, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Romania11 Comments

Let us be clear, this is a complete tourist trap and has absolutely nothing to do with Vlad Dracula, the inspiration behind the Dracula legend. It isn’t really a castle, not in the true sense of gentry living, but literally the offices of border control agents. So why go? Well, despite knowing the truth, there is no Dracula, that the legendary leader of ancient Romania never lived here, perhaps stayed here, it is still an interesting place to visit. At the end of the day, it was more about Brasov and the general vicinity that we enjoyed the most, but seeing the castle was definitely a must for us to visit.

We read a lot of complaints about the size of the crowds visiting the castle before our arrival and needless to say, it is true. As with any popular tourist destination, complaining about the crowds is beyond ridiculous, what else would you truly expect. With that said, we were fortunate to be there during the off-season, so it could have definitely been worse. The second thing that we read was that the castle has been refurbished, not restored. There is old furniture, paintings, pieces from the period, but again, if you think about the fact that it was an office building, why would they have restored it, who would want to come? Give the tourists what they want and they will come, like we did.

Beyond that, it is truly a beautiful part of the country and although it isn’t as glamorous as castles in other parts of Europe, we did enjoy seeing it. Maybe it is the romantic notion of the folklore, the desire to transcend time and live forever, or just to say we have been there, we enjoyed our brief visit to the castle. We don’t need to encourage or discourage people to visit, they will come either way. We have seen many more beautiful castles, more historic sites, and even more popular destinations, but we will remember our visit to Bran Castle. Don’t go out of your way to go there, but if you get the chance, visit Transylvania. There are plenty of things to see within the region, even if you don’t go to Dracula’s castle.

Nürnberg, Germany, an Unexpected Surprise

On January 9, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany9 Comments

We decided to take a quick trip to Nürnberg this weekend and we were pleasantly surprised by the charm of the city. At this point, we find that we don’t have time to investigate some places before we travel there, so we simply make our plans, read a few reviews of places to see and then let the place reveal itself to us. We didn’t have many preconceptions about what we would see when we went to Nürnberg, but we did expect it to be similar to Köln or Frankfurt, but it was smaller and prettier than we expected. The old town is surrounded by a stone wall with a castle sitting on the hill overlooking the city and still has some of its medieval architecture.

Before traveling to Germany, our only thoughts of Nürnberg (Nuremberg) were associated with the famous trials of the NAZI leaders which took place in the city. We made sure to take time to visit the courthouse, which is still in use today, and learn more about the momentous events that occurred within those walls. Trying to understand how the role of justice has changed when it comes to war and atrocities that are committed by a country and how other countries can come together to impose punishment on those in charge is actually a relatively new concept. For all of us who grew up knowing that cruelty, genocide, and torture can be held accountable at a global level can thank those who put the policies in place at the end of World War II. Whether some countries can still escape this justice is obviously something to be debated at a different time.

One of the Ornate Doors inside of the Courtroom

It was a cold weekend, which is par for the course at this time of year, and we even woke up to snow on Sunday before heading back to Frankfurt. Nürnberg was also the place where punishment was dealt throughout the history of Germany, so perhaps there was some slight coincidence to the decision to hold the war trials in the city, but the main reason was due to the fact that the city had not been destroyed like so many others. Visiting the executioner’s house and the castle were definitely highlights of our visit as well as seeing the various churches and cathedrals that are always a centerpiece of old world cities.

It was a quick weekend trip and we enjoyed every minute of it. At some point we need to take a break and get some sleep, but that isn’t going to happen for a few weeks at least. We will relish some of these unexpected journeys in the years to come as much as we enjoy those trips that we have spent weeks planning and making sure that we know in advance everything that there is to see and do. So, here is to unexpected journeys in 2017 🙂.

Stained Glass Window inside of the Cathedral

Alsace, Neither German or French

On December 12, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France15 Comments

We Could Spend Hours Walking these Streets

After spending a few days in the Strasbourg region, one thing became abundantly clear. Throughout the history of the region, the people have alternated between German and French control, which has left the citizens feeling more independent than identifying with any particular country. When our guide drove us down the wine road through some of the smaller towns, he made the statement that he only speaks French or German when he has tourists who speak those languages, otherwise he only speaks Alsatian.

Regardless of the political and cultural conflicts that may exist, the area is truly spectacular for its history and the medieval buildings that can be found throughout the area. We only spent a day traveling through some of the smaller towns, but every moment was a glimpse into hundreds of years of history. Regardless of the actual size of the towns themselves, crowds were in abundance as locals and tourists alike traveled to enjoy the small Christmas markets that each of these locations had to offer. We were able to purchase a Christmas bread, which is a gingerbread loaf, as well as some other handmade items both for Christmas as well as just for display.

Strasbourg also has some wonderful medieval buildings, both the patchwork wooden buildings for the poor as well as the opulent mansions for the rich. There was much to love about our time in Strasbourg, France, and we will focus on those in some upcoming posts, but we thought that we would start with what struck us most about our time in the area and that is the incredible architecture and a true sense of history. It is a different feel than some of the larger, historic cities, it was all about the medieval villages, the castles, and towns surrounded by ancient fortress walls. It is certainly an area that deserves to be visited, although the intense marketing of the wine road has made it a definite tourist destination, so expect large crowds throughout the year.