After the morning fog cleared, we were lucky to have an absolutely beautiful golden October weekend for our visit to the town and castle at Sigmaringen in the Swabian Alb—part of the Jura mountain range, between Stuttgart and Lake Constance (Bodensee).
It was one last opportunity to take the new Bully for a turn and go camping this year before the cold weather and short days set in. The castle on an outcropping overlooking a gentle, narrow spot along the Danube (Donau) dominated the surrounding, rather modern city that’s spread around and was an odd juxtaposition on the approach and when we went to pick up some provisions in the evening, with the castle’s turrets clearly visible from the parking lot of a discount supermarket chain.
Not that castles are always remote occurrences, monitoring peasants from on-high, but it was strange and impressive the way that this one just sort of mushroomed from the landscape. First we sought out the best vantage points, strolling through the historic part of town (Altstadt) and then climbing through the neighbourhoods to a chapel opposite, Saint Joseph’s, to get a view. Our campsite on the banks of the Danube, crooking around with a view of the castle at night was very nearby. The next morning we had a tour, which was an absolutely fantastic review of its history with an amazing inventory of finery to impress the visiting crowds.
No photography was allowed inside, unfortunately. Sigmaringen is the estate of a branch of the Hohenzollern family, the hereditary princes of Prussia and was host to many important and powerful guests during all its incarnations, and has been an independent principality of Prussia and the seat of the Vichy government of France in exile in its time. Aside from period furnishings from the family’s private collection, the memorable tour featured a lot of hunting trophies and a weapons collection fit for the past time of kings and an Andy Warhol painting of relative, Fredrick the Great.
It was one last opportunity to take the new Bully for a turn and go camping this year before the cold weather and short days set in. The castle on an outcropping overlooking a gentle, narrow spot along the Danube (Donau) dominated the surrounding, rather modern city that’s spread around and was an odd juxtaposition on the approach and when we went to pick up some provisions in the evening, with the castle’s turrets clearly visible from the parking lot of a discount supermarket chain.
Not that castles are always remote occurrences, monitoring peasants from on-high, but it was strange and impressive the way that this one just sort of mushroomed from the landscape. First we sought out the best vantage points, strolling through the historic part of town (Altstadt) and then climbing through the neighbourhoods to a chapel opposite, Saint Joseph’s, to get a view. Our campsite on the banks of the Danube, crooking around with a view of the castle at night was very nearby. The next morning we had a tour, which was an absolutely fantastic review of its history with an amazing inventory of finery to impress the visiting crowds.
No photography was allowed inside, unfortunately. Sigmaringen is the estate of a branch of the Hohenzollern family, the hereditary princes of Prussia and was host to many important and powerful guests during all its incarnations, and has been an independent principality of Prussia and the seat of the Vichy government of France in exile in its time. Aside from period furnishings from the family’s private collection, the memorable tour featured a lot of hunting trophies and a weapons collection fit for the past time of kings and an Andy Warhol painting of relative, Fredrick the Great.
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