Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 2015
Tour Day 2: Trier
We woke up on the second day of the tour excited to be in Germany!
After planning for this tour for so long, it was surreal to actually have arrived! We enjoyed an included breakfast at our hotel before commencing our first walking tour. We loved the breakfast time on the tour. It was always very relaxed and we enjoyed getting to know different members of the group. We got to know everyone's habits - the early risers who got to the breakfast room as soon as it opened and relaxed until it was time to hit the road, and the last minute people who rushed in to grab something to go.
We met our first local guide, Paula, who helped us understand what all the fuss is about when people talk about the local guides! She was awesome - so knowledgeable, humorous, and easy to listen to. She has a PhD in history and really knows her stuff! We didn't know anything about Trier before the tour, so we were fascinated to learn all about the Roman history of the city - Trier was one of the four Roman capitals and dates back to 18 B.C. We saw a few types of Roman baths as well as some more modern architecture. One of my favorite details was seeing the metal squares mixed throughout the stones on the sidewalk denoting where a Jewish home existed before WWII. The German people are very aware of their history and make a big effort to memorialize the Jewish people - We thought it was a beautiful tribute woven into every day life.
Lunch with a view
After our walking tour, we headed towards the famous Burg Eltz castle. On our way, we stopped for lunch in the adorable little town of Bielstein. RS Tours really pack in as much as possible by stopping for lunch in the greatest places, making the meal part of the experience. Bielstein was our favorite lunch stop of the trip. It is such a scenic town on the edge of the Mosel River, and we ate on the outdoor balcony of a charming little restaurant surrounded by views. We really couldn't have imagined a more picturesque place. We had some time after lunch to explore the town, climb up to the castle ruins, and stop at a little coffee shop for dessert. It was perfect! I think we could live there happily!
Burg Eltz
After lunch, we headed directly to Burg Eltz Castle. What a fascinating place! I believe in his book, Rick Steves says this is his favorite castle in Europe, and I can see why! It is actually 3 family homes, the oldest of which was started in the 9th century. It is still owned by the same family that lived there in the 12th century, lasting through 33 generations. That is staying power! The rooms were beautifully done and fascinating. We had a college student majoring in history leading us on our tour, and he was a wealth of knowledge. You could feel his passion. We chose to walk down to the castle from the parking lot, about 15 minutes away. If the weather is nice, we highly recommend this over taking the shuttle van, as you are rewarded with stunning views of the castle. After touring the castle, Hans offered another walk back to the bus through a more gently slopped, wooded walk. All in all it was a perfect day! We couldn't believe how much we had already done on our first full day of the tour! When we got back to Trier, we ate a quiet dinner, enjoyed one last sunset walk through the main square in Trier, and headed to bed to rest up for the next big day.