Sir Rick, the first knight of Ehrenberg Enlarge photo |
The sword of Sir Rick in its museum display case, Reutte, Austria Enlarge photo |
Architect Armin and guidebook writer Rick celebrate atop newly excavated and restored castle ruins Enlarge photo |
The Ehrenberg castle ensemble once guarded the Tirolians from the Bavarians Enlarge photo |
I was in Hohenschwangau. It was “Mad” King Ludwig’s dad’s castle — Ludwig’s boyhood home. The walls were all painted in 1835 by a single artist, giving the place a Tolkien-romance-fantasy feel. Ludwig became king as a boy. And rather than live with the frustrations of a modern constitution and feisty parliament reigning him in, he spent his years lost in romantic literature and operas…chillin’ with Wagner as only a gay young king could.
Nymphs lounged on his circa 1835 walls. Stars twinkled from the ceiling over his bed. A telescope was set up in Ludwig’s bedroom, trained on a pinnacle on a distant ridge where he could watch Neuschwanstein, his castle fantasy, as it was being constructed.
On my last visit, I peered through that telescope at Neuschwanstein– the castle that inspired another boy named Disney. I could relate to this busy boy king. Bound by schoolwork and house rules, and with a stretched-out turtleneck and zits rather than crowns and composer friends, I, too, built a castle.
What I had that Ludwig lacked was a father who imported pianos. They came from Germany, encased in tongue-in-groove pine, sealed in a thick envelope of zinc sheeting. My treehouse was my castle: no parents reining me in, walls decorated with romantic circa 1968 magazines, nails sticking down through the ceiling just long enough to keep out bullies taller than me. With my sliding tongue-in-groove panels, I could see who was coming. With a shiny zinc roof, it was the envy of other little kings. There was no tree house like it.
On my first independent trip to Europe, I was 18. It was just after someone had purchased the vacant lot next to our house, and I had to tear down my tree house (epic bad day). I toured “Mad” King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein — a medieval castle dream. Then, just over the border in Austria, I found the Ehrenberg ruins–a medieval castle reality.
Just a mile outside of Reutte, Austria, are the brooding ruins of four castles that once made up the largest fort in Tirol — Ehrenberg. This impressive castle ensemble was built to defend against the Bavarians and to bottle up the strategic “Via Claudia” trade route that cut through the Alps here as it connected Italy and Germany.
One castle crowned its mountain like an ornery barnacle. The others were lost in a thick forest. I hiked up into the misty mountain of meaningless chunks of castle wall pinned down by pixie-stix trees and mossy with sword ferns. It inspired yet confused me. The barnacle castle was below. The ruins were on the bluff above. Like a big, hungry starfish sits on its food, this rotten military fantasy was being eaten by the forest.
A decade ago I met Armin Walch — a Reutte man with a vision. He was born the same year as me and pursued his project like the Indiana Jones of castle archeologists. Today — with European Union funding — he’s cut away the hungry forest, revealed and renovated what he calls the castle ensemble, created an interactive museum, and is open for business as countless children with medieval fantasies can, in turn, leap from rampart to rampart…sword ferns swinging. (See www.ehrenberg.at for details and photos.)
With my 2008 visit, we celebrated. The Reutte hoteliers and tourism folks gathered in the castle like some old-time city council. We ate rustic cheese and smoked game with coarse bread. We swilled wine and clinked pewter mugs.
I was honored for bringing so many visitors to this remote corner of Austria, and gave a magnanimous impromptu speech about the wonders of Americans climbing through history far from home. I knelt before a man in a coat of mail who drew a shiny sword with my name etched upon it and was knighted — Sir Rick, first knight of Ehrenberg. (With uncharacteristic modesty and characteristic insistence on packing light, I requested that my sword stay in the museum as a special exhibit to the former castle-loving boy who brought American tourism to Reutte with his guidebooks.)
On the way back to my hotel, Armin begged me to stop by his house for a drink. Behind his humble old town facade, this dynamic architect hid a sleek, futuristic, and creative pad. It was a royal domain for Armin and his family — two kids cozy on the carpet and a strikingly beautiful wife who Armin bedazzled at the university in Vienna and took to remote Reutte with promises of a princely life and a bitchin’ castle.
With a schnapps from local herbs — unique to Reutte — in hand, we climbed boyishly to his rooftop, where Armin had designed and built a viewing perch. The floodlighting was on. The mountain overlooking his town was crowned by a castle that, in his youth, almost no one knew even existed. With his pretty blond wife suddenly romantic wallpaper, Armin took me to his telescope. We marveled at his castle ensemble.
Great post Rick – I too had a big tree house as a kid (more of a house next to a tree – just recently torn down after standing for 25+ yrs) – and I too love love love castles even today. I can relate to the castle passion since even as a kid I was hooked on castles and knew I needed to study architecture so I could help rebuild them. I did study arch in university but am in another profession right now. Maybe some day will go back! But when in Europe I can never get enough castles. As an adult now I can go to as many as I want, with no one telling me “one is enough -they are all the same!” Can never get enough! Thanks for sharing! Tom in Newport Beach CA
I want to see pictures! The word paintings aren’t enough to show what Armin has done with Ehrenburg.
Across the valley from the Neuschwanstein Castle, we could see the childhood home of Ludwig II, the golden-hued Neo-Gothic Hohenschwangau Castle. As he grew up he could see the spot where he wanted to build his castle, and later through a telescope, from his bed-chamber he watched construction of Neuschwanstein – his dream come true. === To visit Neuschwanstein there is a choice: Walk up the path/stairway, take a horse-drawn carriage, or ride a bus. We’ve done them all. The walk is long and steep, the horse carriage is interesting, but for the most spectacular view of the castle (short of an airplane ride), the bus stops near the Marienbrücke (named for Ludwig II’s mother) which spans the Pöllat gorge. It’s then but a short, downhill walk from the bridge to the castle. === Besides the hot and cold running water in the kitchen, rising hot air in the chimney turns a rotisserie and this movement rotates the spit for cooking game and poultry. (As invented by Leonardo da Vinci.)
Congratulation R….sorry Sir Rick. All Hail Sir Rick – First Knight of Ehrenberg.
Great story! Felt I was there with you. Another great place to put on my to visit list.
I would venture to say that this must be a first in the history of travel writing! Congratulations, Rick!
I like to pictures.
I like the pictures.
The photos are nice but where’s the one of Armin’s wife? Everyone likes to see a good looking blonde, including you’re female followers.
Rick, Jackie has a great blog going truly thought provoking, informative and entertaining you must be very proud…and she’s going to Georgetown -WOW can we say proud parent???!!
Well, somebody has to say it — “Rick, your pen is mightier than the sword!” This is really good writing, as usual. Thanks for letting us share in all your adventures.
We were through Reutte a couple of times about two years ago. Visited the Ehrenberg area for a short while. At dinner one evening in a Gasthaus in Garmish, we shared a table with a nice Italian couple who lived in Reutte. Rich you are right about that being a great little corner of the world.
On a Rick Steves tour, a 6 of us – suggested by one of our super guides – Stephanie – who came along, hiked from our wonderful hotel in Reutte up to this ‘ruined’ castle. This was an option that was presented to us and what a great trek it was. Thanks for wonderful memories. Harriet
This castle is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, I think we took 50 picture from every angle you could find!
Grace works in amazing ways. Your childhood treehouse was torndown and now that you’ve made the whole world your backyard, you’ve discovered a magical castle hidden amidst the trees, in the lot next door… Europe. Congratulations Sir Rick of writinghood!
Thank you for taking me back to Reutte, my favorite place on earth. Thanks to your guidebook back in the 80’s, we met Armella and Karl Brutscher in Ehenbichl. We returned many times over the years to stay at their zimmer, and remain friends with their daughter and son-in-law (and next-door neighbor!) to this day. The Ehrenberg ruins as they are now are amazing. Thank you for the photos, and for leaving your sword behind for all to see!
I really wanna go!! Also, call it denial – but I am shocked to think King Ludwig II was GAY. (No one else on the web, Steven, is that forthright about it…) Still in google photos? you would see he looks like any guy in my very-alternative neighborhood! ; )