We had picked the "Schloss Hotel auf der Burg Hirschhorn" from the internet, not knowing much other than a couple pictures. It was wonderful, from this gate house up through the schloss*. Once again, this confirmed our faith in travel in Germany - good, family-run hotels and guest-houses are everywhere and they hardly ever disappoint.
website: http://www.castle-hotel.de
* I have not found a good English translation for "schloss". In French, it is "Chateau", which we also use in English but, somehow, it doesn't capture the right feel. Some schloss/chateau were fortified but many were not, they were just big stone houses of the rich. Perhaps "country palace" is the closest simple description, but I'll use the shorter, German word.
The next morning, we headed out to Burg Hornberg, another castle we had almost to ourselves. The castle was started before the 13th Century by the Counts von Lauffen. For the next four hundred years, a succession of bishops, knights, sovereigns, and royalty owned the place. This was a heavily fortified guard post, perched high on a hill overlooking and guarding the Neckar River. Nowadays, the fortress is mostly ruins, but it was easy to picture the life there.
Nearby Hotel: http://www.castle-hotel-hornberg.com/neckar/leisure/
Index to a zillion castles in the area (in German but has maps): http://www.historisches-wuerttemberg.de/frame/frame.htm
I think Marianne was already decorating this room.
Meanwhile, Geoff and Suzanne had found the castle sofa and picture window.
Down the road, in Bad Wimpfen, we passed on the chance to climb another tower, and looked for lunch instead. The restaurant specialized in chicken and, despite the chilly weather, we opted for outside seating. The table was almost in the middle of the street, but I think we only saw three cars during our leisurely meal.
city website: http://www.bad-wimpfen.de
