Sundays in My City

This Sunday I get to share a tour of the old town of Hueckeswagen. Hueckeswagen is one of the towns surrounding ours, so although I cannot call it "My City", it is close enough, I think, to qualify. Hueckeswagen is really, really old. It is like our town, a village with one or two bakeries, one or two gas stations, one or two churches, but they got a castle. A real castle!

Lucky me, my friend works there, in the castle(!), because the city administration offices are in there, and she works for the mayor. I told her I would like to come take pics of Hueckeswagen for a Sunday in My City. She has no idea what that is, but welcomed me to share her lunchbreak with her. Here is our yellow car parked in the square below the castle. I couldn't get the whole castle in the pic, I couldn't get back far enough from it. Here is the left half.

Here is the right half.







The castle has one of those drop-down gates like in the movies.












Happily, she took a 2 hour lunch break and gave me a real tour, because she grew up there, and is an expert on the town. Now I can share the secrets of Hueckeswagen with the world. This is the chuch right next door to the castle. She said recently they were cleaning up the steeple, and found a skeleton. I wish I knew what that was all about!






The old town is Denkmal geschutzt, that means, almost all the buildings are protected by the historical society. The sign has our state flag, and indicates the people who live here cannot change anything about the appearance of their home.








The homes all connect, and wind along the curvy narrow street. It was this street that made me know I must do a photo tour here. This is Bergisches Land architecture at its best, in my humble opinion. School had just let out so we shared the sidewalks with kids with backpacks.

(Sadly, Wikipedia articles about Germany are condensed versions when you ask for them in English. The German Wiki is much more detailed.)





The street is very very narrow. I did not like driving through here, and my car is not large.










A man is cleaning the outside of his home. I am always impressed when I see Germans cleaning their windows in Winter. I do it now too!

My friend said that the streets used to be cobblestones, making it rough as she rode her bike around town as a kid. She showed me the home she grew up in, and told me the story from her childhood--the night of a deep snowfall, when she was sick in bed, but her mind was on her pony, who was also sick. She waited for nightfall and crawled out through the basement window (pictured). When her father came home, he saw footprints leading away from that window, and knew it was his daughter, sneaking out to go visit her pony.

I said, "Oh, stand in front of your house for me please so I can get a picture!" and she obliged.










She showed me some of the famous doorways of Hueckeswagen.






Why do you need a DenkmalSchutz sign on the castle itself? Like someone might not notice it's a castle, and modify it?









Some of these pretty doors are famous, she said, and used in calendars of the region.








Catholic church side door.










We made our way down to the "market street" where I saw a statue that shows the town's history in textile production, like much of the Bergisches Land. However, digging deeper into the history, I found that the town was first setttled by a family who made saddles. I guess I shouldn't really use the words "first settled" but that is as far back in the history books you can go.



The market street was just as narrow and windy as the last one, but just lower on the hillside.











I admit, I was tempted by the wares. Must be the quaint and old atmosphere! As we walked through town, my friend would see someone she knew, and say "Mahlzeit!". I must have heard her say it 15 times before I said, "What does that mean?" and she said it is a greeting used at lunchtime, that people should enjoy their lunch (or lunchbreak, cuz they weren't eating at the time). Hm, you learn something new everyday in a new country. And it really feels new to me here still.



We crossed over main street and she took me to a cafe that would give Starbucks some good competition, if Starbucks ever heads out this way. I told our waitress so! She bought me traditional German waffles with hot cherries and cream. I was so stuffed afterwards, and kind of guilty from the sugar overload. But it was a nice treat, and the conversation was great too!



For some reason there is a piece of the Berlin wall in the town's center. Hm!















A well in front of the castle. Remarkable, I wish you could have seen it.










1085, the year of the first city certificate. It begins, "In the name of the holy and inseparable Trinity...". Wow, we don't start our official city documents like that anymore! Last time I saw something really old, I was looking at the Dead Sea Scrolls.








I got to see inside the castle! I really liked how the walls are over a meter thick. And I took a deep breath when I realized it was one of the structures that survived the wars. A lot of old beautiful things were destroyed in Germany. You see that most in Berlin. Way out here in the country, I love to get a glimpse of the unrenovated past.






Alas, I was only in the administration section of the castle, not the museum portion (that costs money) so I did not get to see the really good stuff. I was simply grateful to be in that old castle, running around with my camera taking shots of stupid stuff like walls and windows: ) After my friend had to go back to work (her office is quite modern, and her windowsill is a meter thick!), I wandered around (with permission) and twice people tried to help me find something, or my way out. I felt so foolish, but strangers with cameras are easily recognized.




Outside the castle two cats played in the street. The grey one let me pet him.











I shopped some more in the market district, and then drove home, inspired by an old town, and hoping its residents appreciate its charm. This picture shows a war memorial, listing names of soldiers who died in several wars.






I was invited back to visit the Christmas market here. Christmas Markets in Germany are wonderful, and the best time of year to be in Germany is now.



Thank you (if you got this far) for reading about another Sunday in My City. This one was really special to me. Sorry it was late, but we were in church so long today! For more Sundays in Others' Cities...