Editor’s note: the castle in the photo at the top of this post is not Eisenberg Castle.
Our next destination is another Google find: Eisenberg. Just down the road from Fussen, and its famous Neuschwanstein Castle (another dream project of King Ludwig II and the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle), are located the ruins of two castles. Burgruine (Burg – castle, ruine – ruins) Eisenberg and Burgruine Hohenfreyberg. Just to confuse things even more, “berg” means “mountain”. I would have thought “Bergruine Eisenburg” would have made more sense (ruins on a mountain, castle Eisenburg). We decided to pass on Neuschwanstein as it is more touristy and we do like a good ruin.
So, off to Eisenberg we go. About 3+ hours from Rothenberg od de Tauber (our previous stop). We have found a motorhome parking lot in what looks like a business park. Hmmm… When we arrive it is in fact a business/industrial park and the enterprising owners of a lumber storage warehouse have created a small motorhome park behind the warehouse.
The business/industrial park looks new and the buildings are all recent. The motorhome facilities (shower, washrooms, fresh water, power, dump station) are all new and in perfect condition. A good find. An odd location, but we had two neighbours (motorhomes) on one night, so word must be getting out about the location (45 minute walk to the ruins) and great facilities.
It snowed during the night (just an inch or so) and there were flurries on our walk up to the ruins. By the time we got to the top of the berg there was a few inches of snow on the ground. The first ruins we visited, Eisenberg, was the original castle built in 1313. There are quite a few walls still standing in the Eisenberg ruins.
The photo at the top of this post was taken from Eisenberg castle and shows Burgruine Hohenfreyberg. Hohenfreyberg castle was built by the eldest son of Frederick of Freyberg who was the lord of Eisenberg castle (I am guessing that son Freyberg wanted to get away from mummy and daddy, but didn’t want to move too far from home). Freyberg junior ran out of money and work on the castle stopped in 1432.
Like Eisenberg, there are quite a few walls of Hohenfreyberg castle still standing.
