The region of South Tirol in northern Italy is so much more like Germany or Austria than Italy, with its tall steepled churches, picture-book chalets, and snow-covered mountains. Local restaurants serve wurst and sauerkraut, and in many of the villages German is the predominant language, not Italian. The town of Kastelruth (
Castelrotto in Italian) is one of those charming little villages, symbolized by the tallest (and probably the loudest!) bell tower in the region. The local townspeople enjoy celebrating their folklore and often dress in traditional costume, making it a delightful place to visit.
One of Kastelruth's annual traditions takes place on the streets every year in June and is known as the
Oswald von Wolkenstein Ride. Who is Oswald von Wolkenstein?? Well, he was a South Tyrolean poet, composer and troubadour in the 14th and 15th century who was admired for his diplomacy and military conquests. In 1983 a medieval horse show was organized in Kastelruth to honor von Wolkenstein, and the event has increased in popularity ever since.
The three day festivities begin on a Friday with a village fair and the usual food, drink, and merriment. On Saturday there is an opening pageant with bands, carriages, horses and knights followed by concerts, medieval markets, knight's games, and fireworks. The riding tournaments, which actually begin on Sunday, consist of 36 equestrian teams competing in events that test medieval horsemanship skills such as spearing rings at full gallop, jumping hurdles, slalom gates, and negotiating a labyrinth. It's a thrilling show to watch and reminds me of the terrific jousting shows in
Carcassonne, France.
The final tournament and awards ceremony take place at Prösels Castle (
Castello di Presule in Italian) below the Schlern mountain nearby, and is followed by more celebrating and medieval festivity. Kastelruth is the ideal home base for exploring the Alps, the Dolomites, and the annual Oswald Von Wolkenstein Ride!
Just returned from an International Fair hosted by my daughter's Girl Scout troop. What a terrific way to expose young girls to other countries and cultures! Each participating Brownie or Junior troop chose a country to exhibit with a poster board of facts and photos, some food or snack from that country, and a craft or costume. The event opened with a parade of countries, each troop waving their flag. Then, every girl had a "passport" and she could visit the exhibits, get her passport stamped, and sample the food. Later, each troop performed a native dance from their country or sang a song or recited facts.
The city of Düsseldorf is a strong contender for 11/11 party central. The day is called Hoppeditz Awakening here, named after a tradition based on the Hoppeditz character, who is sort of a carnival fool, or jester. Hoppeditz reawakens every year on 11/11 at 11:11 a.m. on the Marktplatz in front of the town hall to open the Düsseldorf Karneval. He begins by lampooning local politics, and he and the mayor engage in some good-natured hectoring, before the program continues on Burgplatz. More than 300 carnival sessions and costume balls are celebrated in Düsseldorf between Hoppeditz Awakening and Ash Wednesday.
Just wanted to post a quick Saturday link up to a great blog I read yesterday about an all around fun activity in Germany. Take your family to see a mountain of monkeys - more than 200 Barbary macaques! - near Lake Constance. The monkeys roam freely and can be fed popcorn by the visitors.
Naturally I was apprehensive the first time we took the kids to Europe, and a little nervous about the very first hotel we'd stay in since it would make a lasting impression. I had carefully selected the Crescent Hotel in London, and we were not disappointed in it as a no-frills, economy hotel. They accommodated our family of four by placing an extra single bed in one of their family rooms, which are usually triples. It crowded the area just a bit, but when the kids are still little people it's no problem. The private bathroom was quite spacious, so that helped. London can get very warm in the summer and air conditioning is still a novelty in budget hotels, so another pleasing feature of our room was that it was slightly underground, in sort of a half basement, and stayed very cool.
If you find yourself in Germany with children during the fall, why not take them apple picking? Appel-Happel is a large family-owned apple farm in the Rhineland countryside near the city of Mainz. The friendly farmers here love children and school groups and offer lots of hands-on demonstrations about what they do, what they grow, and the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Outside the store next to the orchards, you can sample the many different varieties of apples they grow before you start picking. Besides apples, one can pick peaches, pears, walnuts, berries, and much more when in season. Appel-Happel also makes their own marmalades, fresh pressed juices, wines and vinegars. There's even a kid-sized trampoline and a picnic area.
Appel-Happel's website is unfortunately only in German, but there's not much more you need to know besides how to get there. Their address is:
