European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1950, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars Markgraf s Fountain startled Noble guests by Harold Scarlett staff correspondent photos by Horst Messerschmidt Oyal guests usually paid with a Surprise wetting for their visits to the Price imposed by a democratically inclined Markgraf with a penchant for elaborate practical Markgraf George Wil Helm of Bayreuth took Pride in showing off his summer chateau outside especially his Shell encrusted Grotto this was where Many a haughty Nobleman and his lady had their Royal finery soaked As they admired the rooms Dee sea the Markgraf would Lead his guests into the slyly slip out and lock the then Retreat to a Balcony Over head to watch the suddenly the Gravelled floor would come alive with hidden fountains and turn the Grotto into a honeycomb of spouting Wilhelms summer built in is a strange blend of opulence and the ladies which was decorated by his wife favorite sister of Frederick the is Rich with Gilt Gay tapestries and overstuffed but the mens Wing is like a with simple wooden furniture and Straw matted the Markgraf liked to show that he could live like his a show spot of the chateau is the which is still ready to go at a moments burnished Copper pots and Zinc plates line the Kitchen and the huge stove is ready to Royal guests at the Ermitage often got a Surprise wetting in the castles Grotto room note miniature Crown Bobbing on Central a newer Section of the Castle below circles a statue sprinkled Pool and a newer addition to the built in a semicircle around a formal Garden and now is a Ladylike it was hit by artillery fire in from the starting Point of today the Ermitage is Only two Miles out on the Road to after leaving take the Road North to Berneck and the ruins of Wallenrod the which sprawl Over a Hill in the Center of May be reached by a 30minute they Are Good Hunting grounds for poker around and the Heights offer a panoramic View of the we now Cut East across the autobahn to Unter Steinach and Stadt site of the ruins of Nordeck the after an initial rough is fairly Good All the the ruins of Nordeck Perch on covered Hillside near Stadt Little is left of the whose exact age is but the ancient round if packed y Pur it is an excellent picnic it would also be a place for a Rosenberg Bishops fortress now we backtrack through Unter Steinach to you Are not too enthusiastic about ruined you May skip Nordeck and go directly to Klumbach from coming into you will see the formidable Castle fortress of Lassen Burg dominating the Heights above the Well save it for go straight through Klumbach and North to which is guarded by another ancient this massive redoubt was begun in 1130 by Bishop Otto i of Bamberg and was 400 years in the beginning in 1656 the French Engineer Vauban transformed the Castle into a fortress by adding strategic towers and a surround ing the Castle was used Over the Cen the fortress seen at left through the Entrance was used by the Bishops of Bamberg As a stronghold for their valuables in times Turies As a siege fortress by the Bishops of whenever danger threat they would gather their valuables from churches and lesser castles and retire to the Hilltop there they waited in safety behind its 12footthick Corner towers As their Cannon boomed at the foe from atop the massive Central although its Walls were 14 feet this Central Tower eventually developed a menacing crack from the pounding of the and 35 feet were lopped off the top to keep it from about 550 mostly now live in the and most of the Interior is closed to but Amateur military strategists will Marvel at the massive old walled earthen in some spots up to 100 feet if youre feeling theres a Beer Garden atop one of the battlement now we turn Back to Klumbach and the equally impressive Plass Enburg where hefty Iron Cannon still Survey the is of an italian Motif is strongly evident in the tiered Arches of Plass Enburg which Overlook the fortress once an area for jousting a group of sightseers enter the Gate of cites approaches through the fortress Plas Senbergs history is a richly Woven at various times it has been a prussian a labor a Penitentiary in an officers prison in world War a school for nazi party leaders in a prison Camp for German prisoners of it even has a the White wife of Otto of according to Agnes fell madly in