Germany Day 9 - Taking the Fun out of Funicular

We spent much of today in the touristy town of Heidelberg. Of course we started the day by asking 'what is your only comfort in life and death?' since that's one of the few things I memorized back in middle school.  The castle in Heidelberg is well worth going to but it was crowded. We got there pretty early and got the last parking spot in the garage closest to the funicular and were greeted with long lines out the door of the station. Things on the first funicular moved pretty quick so we got to the castle in good spirits.

At first I didn't realize that every wall I was looking at was part of the ridiculously huge castle. It was started in 1214 but the various owners just kept adding on more and more despite multiple lightning strikes, fires, and the French. At this point it's technically a ruin but it's still spectacular.

We walked around the gardens and terrace which had spectacular views again. Eventually we found our way to the real star of the show, the dude below and his (probable) orgy chamber. We found a nice bench by him and enjoyed being away from the abundant crowds until it started raining.

We wandered our way toward the funicular to go to the top of the mountain. Do not go on the funicular to the top of the mountain! After a short ride in a modern train car we got off to requeue for an older car for our last leg of the trip. What they don't tell you is that this car has only 1/3 the capacity of the first one and is much slower. We waited in line for about an hour at which point everyone was getting really pushy. A group of guys decided that they could just slowly creep around the side just as the car got to us and cut in line. Luckily, I'm pretty big and didn't understand whatever language the guys cursed at me so it all worked out with me as a roadblock. The Germans are generally a pretty reserved bunch but I assume they were all applauding me in their heads. 

The view at the top was nice, but not worth the two hours it took to ride up.  

Eventually we made our way back down and over to Dilsberg Fortress. The town of Dilsberg is really quaint and pretty much foot-traffic only. The fortress was a nice, quiet respite from the crowds we had battled all day so we just relaxed and smelled the roses. 

We had read online previously that Mark Twain had visited Dilsberg Fortress and wrote the following: "There were some who believed it had never been a well at all, and was never deeper than it is now — eighty feet; that at that depth a subterranean passage branched from it and descended gradually to a remote place in the valley, where it opened into somebody's cellar or other hidden recess, and that the secret of this locality is now lost."

Cris and I were intrigued. Could there really be a hidden entrance deep within the forest that was a secret underground passage to the castle's well? Could two American's on holiday really find such a lost treasure that eluded Mark Twain? With hopeful hearts and adventurers souls we started our search at the most logical location.... 

After a brief conversation with the guy that worked at the front gate we had a map and key in hand. A short walk down into the woods led us to a well-lit cave that wound underground to the bottom of the well. I love caves so this was a perfect way to end the day. 

Read more about Dilsberg in Twain's words here: