Discount hotel prague

After leaving Heidelberg, Germany, with its red sandstone castle sitting solidly on the mountaintop, and setting out along the Castle Road, a remarkable parade of castles begins. Between years 1200 and 1230, the skilled specialists belonging to the Guild of Stonemasons built 1,000 castles in southern Germany.

From the highway at Neckarsteinach, only 35 minutes from Heidelberg, you see a real treat. Four castles simultaneously dominate the hillsides in four compass directions.

Your ride to Hirschhorn takes only 20 minutes more. Castle Hirschhorn stands at the summit of the hill overlooking the Neckar Valley and provides a majestic view downstream over the Hirschhorn Bend and the wooded valley. The castle contains the Sehlosshotel Hirschhorn (www.castle-hotels.de).

Heading farther upstream, you pass Castle Dilsberg. In Dilsberg follow the signs "Burgruine" to the ruins of the castle and climb the tower (97 steps) for a panorama over the Neckar River Bend.

At Obrigheim you discover another castle with a hotel, Schloss Neuburg (www.schloss-neuburg.com).

House wine

You can recognize 11th-century Hornberg Castle from afar by its round keep. It stands at the summit of a vine-covered hill and is now partly in ruins. The Hotel-Restaurant Burg Hornberg (www.burg-hotel-hornberg.de) overlooks the vine-covered hillside and serves the wines grown on their hillside.

Farther, Guttenberg Castle, defended on its mountainside by an impressive wall. contains an impressive collection of interesting objects and archives. Be sure to read the interesting museum guide "Life in Guttenberg Castle." Also at the castle you find a rare treat. Claus Fentzloff and his wife, Bettina, breed, nurse and train rare birds of prey--eagles, vultures and owls--and present a flight show of the large birds (www. deutschegreifenwarte.de).

In the spa city of Bad Rappenau you find the Baroque Heinsheim Castle dating from 1810 (www. schloss-heinsheim.de) with its hotel and restaurant nestled under majestic, ancient trees. It is not large and towering on a hilltop like your usual castle, but the hotel is comfortable and the restaurant draws visitors from the entire community.

Bad Wimpfen, one hour and 45 minutes from Heidelberg, is an excellent stopping point. It was the imperial residence of the Hohenstaufens in the 13th century, and a walk takes you through the picturesque network of streets lined with half-timbered houses and past the admirable 19th-century Blue Tower and the remains of Emperor Barbarosa's Imperial Palace. To guard the Imperial Palace, Barbarosa was responsible for the construction of the entire range of castles on the left side of the Neckar River.

Heilbronn (www.heilbronn-marketing.de), which means "Holy Fountain," piggybacked its way onto the Castle Road itinerary, even though it doesn't have a castle, because it is the most important city between Heidelbergand Wurzburg and is well known for its marvelous Gothic City Hall with the amazing mechanical clock on the facade. The clock shows the position of the sun plus the zodiac's symbol, the day of the week and the time as well as the phases of the moon. It is no wonder it was regarded as a technical marvel of its age.

The ever-flowing Holy Fountain has been piped into the excellent Gothic St. Killian's Church. Luncheon at the Wine Villa Heilbronn (www.wein-villa.de) call include tasting of three local pinot noir wines.

Schwabisch Hall

The city of Schwabisch Hall is a real jewel on the Castle Road. Many residents have moved there from more-famous Rothenburg because they prefer it, and you see why, but you must ask the Deutsch Touring bus to stop there. It is a demand stop because drivers must detour from the main highway.

This old town, built in tiers up the steep flank of the Kocher Valley, grew around salt springs that were known as far back as Celtic times (whenever you see "Hall" in a name, it means "salt"), and you can see remainders of the salt industry as well as splendid half-timbered houses and the marvelous Marktplatz dominated by the monumental stone steps of St. Michael's Church--all of which attests to the city's past prosperity.

Schwabisch Hall has never been damaged by war during its history. Hall's biggest disaster was from fire. In the Middle Ages, the three most-feared events were plague, war and fire. Close to the Marktplatz, the 4-star Adelshof Hotel & Restaurant (www.hotel-adelshof.de) is a convenient location to begin exploring the attractive town.

Across the river, you will be rewarded with an excursion to the interesting buildings and furnishings of Gross Comburg Abbey, dating from the Romanesque period. The Romanesque chandelier from 1130 in the form of a crown in iron, plated with copper and gilded with gold, is one of the most precious in the West.

Head on to Rothenburg in one hour, 20 minutes, through rolling hills over a back road so narrow it is virtually one-way. Here you can continue on the Romantic Highway to Munich or Fussen.

German Castle Road

The German Castle Road between Rothenburg and Heidelberg is so-called because it connects red-sandstone Heidelberg Castle, heart of Romanticism, on one end with the red castle at Rothenburg ob der Tauber, except Rothenburg's red castle has long since been dismantled and its stones toted away for other purposes.

At the beginning of the 1990s, with the opening of the borders to the east, it became possible to initiate contacts with the Czech Republic. The negotiations were successful and so, in 1994, the 40th anniversary of the Castle Road, the route was extended to Prague and the length increased from nearly 200 miles to 620 miles, but Deutsche Touring wasn't interested.

Deutsche Touring, the bus subsidiary of the German Federal Railroad, has operated the original route from Mannheim to Rothenburg since 1979. This trip quickly became a favorite with travelers, due in part to the free passage originally granted to holders of Eurailpasses and German Railpasses (it now grants a 60% discount to pass holders and is still popular).

Deutsche Touring's vehicles are Mercedes coaches with large windows and ample luggage space below. Those sitting in front will appreciate the panoramic windshield. Passengers on the scenic route are guided by exemplary recorded announcements in English and Japanese and by English-speaking hosts giving personal directions.

Deutsche Touring Castle Road buses depart Mannheim at 7:30 a.m. and Heidelberg at 7:55 a.m. From Stuttgart or Heidelberg, GermanRail trains reach Heilbronn and Bad Wimpfen better than hourly and Schwabisch Hall from Heilbronn.

I thank for their hospitality and arrangements the German National Tourist Office (www.cometo germany.com), the Heidelberg Tourist Office (www.cvb-heidelberg.de), the Castle Road management (www.burgenstrasse.de), the Odenwald Tourist Association (www. tg-odenwald.de) and the Baden-Wurttemburg Tourist Office. It is well to point out that the rates of the castle hotels along the Castle Road are very reasonable.

Note: Jay Brunhouse is pleased to answer readers' questions e-mailed to railfox@aol.com.