We took a day trip to Eisenach, a town in Thuringia that prides itself in being the birthplace of Bach as well as home to the famed Wartburg castle. The castle has been rebuilt over the years (including a restoration that was championed by Goethe) and doesn't look like a medieval castle anymore, but it's stone walls are steeped in history. St. Elizabeth lived there before devoting her life to service, and Martin Luther hid out there after being excommunicated from the church. I would tell you more about the history of the place, but the guided tour that we took was in German, and although I can now order a bratwurst with complete confidence, I cannot yet translate history lessons. However, the view from the castle needs no translation; the beauty of the German countryside speaks for itself:

Check out the windmills!

A view of the castle from outside:

A view of the castle from inside:

The Great Hall, where presumably the infamous mintstrel's competition took place (as told in Wagner's opera, Tannhauser.

This is Martin Luther's room, where he translated the Bible into German. The desk and chair are replicas, but the whale vertebra footstool (!) is original.

The road down the mountain...

A view out of one of the castle windows: