Bad Munstereifel

As ever, this week’s excursion to Bad Munstereifel had me catching the train. It was a little disconcerting for the train to stop in Euskirchen and then depart but back in the same direction we'd only just arrived! But it was all fine. The train to Bad Munstereifel follows a single track spur line so I guess (and hope, as I write this on the train) that it's one train and one train only.

Apart from some steep hills up and away from the Rhine flood plain, the area around Bonn is surprisingly flat. The journey to Euskirchen is easy going through flat, open plains. Once we leave Euskirchen, the flat land slowly gives way to more undulating terrain that becomes hilly and more closed in. Finally, as we arrive in Bad Munstereifel the valley closes in completely and ends at the town itself. The hills are covered in trees which are now beginning to become more and more green. The occasional house peeks through the trees and the feeling is one of peace and quiet.

This is one of the easier train rides as the train stops at the end of the line in Bonn and arrives at the end of the line in Bad Munstereifel with no changes, you simply sit in the train until it leaves Bonn and then get off when the train line ends.

As you leave the railway station, you walk around a slight corner and are then confronted with this:

It is a medieval gatehouse built into a massive city wall. The effect is stunning; here is olde worlde power. No one comes in here unless the good folk of Bad Munstereifel decide to let you in. Fortunately today the gates are wide open and folks come and go as they like.

I was watching a documentary about the Vikings ravaging England back in the 7th and 8th Centuries. The Vikings were having a great time but couldn't seem to make an impression in the south. For there, the locals had built wooden palisades and, when danger threatened, pulled the local population and their livestock in behind the palisade. The Vikings had no patience for sieges and couldn't penetrate the palisade so would leave the locals alone. Once the coast was clear, the gates were opened and the farmers could return to their land with their animals in tow.

I'm wondering if that was the mentality here? The massive walls of Bad Munstereifel (some of them must be over forty feet high) are intimidating even today.

Once siege engines progressed beyond gunpowder, such city walls like those at Bad Munstereifel became obsolete and invariably the shaped, regular stones in the walls became easy pickings for builders looking to create new houses etc. The walls are slowly destroyed and used as raw materials for next generation buildings.
So to see and visit an almost complete city wall is remarkable in this day and age.

Sadly, for the avid walker/tourist, only 200 metres or so of wall is available for actually walking on. Given that there must be three or more kilometers of wall, this is a little frustrating as walking the walls would be a great way to see the city as the watch would have seen it some 500 or more years ago. The one section that is open however does provide a magnificent vista over the town itself.

As the picture shows, even the inner city is a tribute to the medieval. Some of the buildings show they were built in the early 1600's so there is plenty of history here.
Intriguingly, a stream winds its way through the town. This is charming and beautiful but seems a little odd for such a once heavily defended town. An obvious weakness in the defense, but I would assume there would be wells or cisterns to store water if the supply was cut off. As well, there are obvious recesses for massive portcullis that would allow the water to flow but prevent easy access. Also, there are obvious fortifications for a large garrison near both of ends of town where the stream flows in and out again.

Maybe they knew what they were doing after all J

Today, the stream provides a relaxing back drop for the town.

Bad Munstereifel is now a tourist town. Shops are open on a Sunday - this is unheard of anywhere else I've been in Germany. The shops range from the standard tourist traps to nice antiques to jewelry to general merchandise. As well, there are loads of pubs, restaurants and coffee houses. At Sylvia's recommendation, I've begun writing this at Am Salzmarkt while enjoying a coffee and kuchen. Both are awesome!

With the weather improving almost weekly, I'm sitting outside wearing a tee shirt (no jacket, jumper or coat in sight) and enjoying the sunshine. I even lashed out and paid 7 Euro for a pair of sunglasses.

Bad Munstereifel is delightful. A walled city that has managed to retain its medieval feel. The need for such heavy defence is well and truly past and it now feels as if the walls are saying, 'relax and enjoy!'

'Slow down', they seem to say. 'We have been here for 500 or more years so we understand patience. Slow down and simply enjoy!'

Come to Bad Munstereifel, enjoy a pleasant lunch, explore some of the town, check out the city walls, do some shopping and then finish with a coffee and cake. Take your time and enjoy each moment. You won't regret it.