Burg Eltz Castle

Burg Eltz Castle
(pronounced "boorg elts")

This castle is so neat and set in such a beautiful area.
Go here for more information: http://www.burg-eltz.de/e_index.html

(Unfortunately, we brought the wrong lens with us in order to do this castle justice.  I am so sad that we weren't able to get pictures of the front gate and others.  Instead, we got a lot of zoomed in 'details' of the castle and its structure.)

Elz is the name of the stream that runs past the castle and through the valley, ending in the Mosel River.  In 1157 there was first record of a Burg (or castle) on the Elz - can you believe that?   This castle has been in the Eltz family for 850 years and it pretty much looks the same as it did in 1490.  There were 3 families that lived here and would gather together in one of the rooms to discuss 'family business' together.  The tour takes you through 2 of the 3 homes.  The 3rd home is the residence of the castellan (who maintains the castle), or where the Eltz family stays when they visit.

The bottom left doorway is the entrance in the castle where you are led to a corridor where the line for the tours is, the tour then lets you inside the castle itself.

There are 80 room with 40 fireplaces and flowers everywhere!

Isn't this light neat?! 

Inside the corridor waiting in line to enter the castle and begin our tour.

I LOVE this picture!  Isn't that dragon cool?  When it rains, the rain water runs off the roof-top into a pipe and out this dragon's mouth.  Though I am completely grateful that the weather was perfect when we were there, it still would be neat to see the water spewing out of this dragons mouth, if only for a small moment ...