Any discussion, about the list of panoramic castles across the world, cannot be complete without mentioning the name of the beautiful water castle of Germany, better known as the Mespelbrunn Castle. It is by far the most beautiful preserved castle of northern Bavaria which still has its actual furniture and shape.
Situated in a small town named Mespelbrunn, the location of this picturesque castle is in between Frankfurt and Würzburg cities of Germany. The town of Mespelbrunn seems to be a scene straight out of the romantic books and so is the Mespelbrunn Castle and its surroundings. The hills covered with green woods and the crystal clear water of the lake which reflects the image of the castle appears to be unreal in the modern world.
Past of the Mespelbrunn Castle
Seldom will you get to hear that a current day castle did not start with being a castle. However, such is the case with the Mespelbrunn Castle because when the oldest part of the castle was built in the thirteenth century by knight Hamann Echter, it was a mere house lacking any kind of fortifications. Echter actually got it as a reward for the service he gave to the Czechs. However, soon after in 15th century the surrounding forest of Spessart went under the dominance of the bandits who plundered whatever properties they got around. It was at that time to add up to the protection of the place that his son knight Peter Echter built the rest of the part of the castle which later on went to become such a wonderful tourist destination.
The Beauty of the Mespelbrunn Castle
The entire castle, especially the new portion, is built on a Renaissance style and has two lovely made columns on the northern and eastern sides. On these are carvings related to the Echter family. Every feature of the house reflects the brilliant craftsmanship which went in to the making of it. The windows are made of red sandstone, stained glass windows are all over the house, there are also the sixteenth century armours and pikes well preserved. And as the house was initially built for the staying of a priest, there was indeed a priest who stayed there for a long time who performed Holy Mass in the chapel.
The Mespelbrunn Castle was opened for the public in 1930s as the family of the knight started facing economical pressures. In the current times, while the main rooms of the palace are open for public viewing, the count family of Ingelheim have moved to the rooms on the southern side of the castle.
While the Mespelbrunn Castle opens for guided tours of public viewing for people, there are also provisions to hold functions such as weddings in the castle. The necessary information is available for public on the website of the castle.
Germany is a country famous for its automobile brands and one amongst them is Mercedes Benz. For any automobile enthusiast it is always a lifetime opportunity to see the automobile museum of Mercedes Benz situated in Stuttgart and go through the history of the global brand. The museum is a strong crowd puller of Stuttgart which is the home and headquarters of Daimler AG.
The current building of the Mercedes-Benz Museum which was built in 2006 takes a person back in time to 1886 to accompany through a journey which started with Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz’s path breaking invention. It highlights the concepts of innovation, research, development, and production. The entire premise, which stands on an area of 16,500 sq metres, exhibits the progressive journey and also the outcomes of the constant toil.
While the previous museum was with the factory of the Mercedes Benz, the current building of the Mercedes-Benz Museum has been is a product of the UN Studios. The concept of three overlapping circles is unique and is made further amazing with the centre being replaced by a triangular atrium. Thus, while checking out the svelte sports editions, Silver Arrows, and other models, the visitors get elevated to a height of 34 metres and are surrounded by the fascinating insights on the development of technology. The total numbers of vehicles which are on display within the Mercedes-Benz Museum mount up to 160 starting from the oldest versions.
The technological changes which are showcased by the Mercedes Benz Museum are captivating and are made more so the range of exhibits which are divided into two main sections namely, the Legends and the Collections. Both of these sections are further divided into themes with the Legends room dealing with history and the Collection room dealing with wealth and variety of vehicles produced by the brand over decades. While recreating the history, the Mercedes-Benz museum always keeps reminding that the brand has kept pace with the changing times and requirements.
The popularity of the Mercedes-Benz Museum is evident from the fact that the guided tours available are in all possible languages of the world. Moreover, in 2007 alone the number of people visiting the museum was recorded as 860,000. While visiting the Mercedes-Benz Museum many people also visit the Untertürkheim engine factory which produces a number of diesel engines for the brand. Within the museum the visitors usually opt for two interlinked tours which cover all the important facts and moments in the history of Mercedes-Benz.
Travelling to the Mercedes-Benz Museum can be done through both cars and public transports. The museum is closed on Mondays and has specific opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday. Apart from the normal exhibition of cars, the Mercedes-Benz Museum also has an open air cinema space and holds events which are interesting for kids.
