European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse The Waldeck Cut if right in the background looks Down on the dim and the Dentt. Below t scent from Kohlenburg of dirt uber t Short drive from the Holmberg Castle. Der Graff in the comb try Castle f animal Park. Waldeck Bonn \ West. Germany Frankfurt Tinli Tonii to Trtat / Iii e 11 my sol mum reached by elevator bathroom hair dryers Ami bedroom Swik lies no Lily hotel personnel when guests do no wish in be disturbed. The c ont on regional spec wild game from the forests Mil fresh fish from i i Lileree. A visit ust be lure the closed in. 5 Lor. Two month Ilii m something of ,1 of a fever. I Fie is pc museum was no l inner open it loses oct. 1 re. Neither was the witches Tower said to .1 dark Dungeon dating from the 14th Elury where prisoners were fed through a Hole in the coining. The promised elaborate breakfast Buffet Dirl not materialize. Instead there was Only the Normal hotel breakfast of Coffee Rolls and cold cuts. Service could be described As disinterested at Best. Some guests were asked if they wanted eggs others were not. The dinner menu the evening before also had been a letdown. The waiter rattled off a list of dishes that were not available leaving a slim Choice of entrees. The restaurant did however live up to its High priced rating. The wine list was impressive for its Sie and for the Cost by Glass or bottle. An a la carte dinner for two including horse oeuvre a bottle of 1983 riesling 46 Marks an entree of filet of Perch and dessert came to 203 Marks $122. What the Castle lacked in old world atmosphere was More than made up by the attractions of the surrounding Countryside. The deep forests of the area the magnificent stretch of water behind the Eder dam and the spa resort of bad Wil Dungen make it a popular tourist Region with a full Range of water sports and other activities offered during the summer. The Eder dam dates Back to 1914, when it was among the world s largest. Several villages had to be sacrificed to the artificial Lake that formed behind its Walls. At places rooftops Are visible below. The dam itself was a world War ii casualty. One night in May 1943, it was one of three targets blasted by 19 Lancaster bombers of the British Royal air Force with secret weapons spinning bombs. The bombs skipped along the surface of the water not exploding until they dropped below the surface near the Stone retaining Wail. They then blew a Gap in the dam 77 wide and 72 feet his ,1 catastrophic flood in which i Mil people died. the Lime in visit the town of a Olsen the former residence of the k Printer just a half hour away. The once moated Trulsen Castle modelled after the in Versailles offers a collection of Art and furnishings t Iasi Elered Mion the finest examples of architect lure in Germany. It also is a member of the cast irn Schloss or Ani action Anri is open to guests. Another excursion can be to the walled town of i Rit Ler with its historic town Hall one of the oldest still in use in West Germany. Unlike Waldeck Holmberg Castle does t present a breathtaking picture from afar. Its one Turret in fact looks More like a silo than a Battle lower. The 55-bed Holmberg hotel also lacks the Waldeck extras. There is no elevator inside swimming Pool or Sauna. The rooms however Are comfortable and attractively furnished. And inside Holmberg wins in offering Castle atmosphere. A Fine example of 12th and 13th-Century Castle architecture Holmberg is filled with period furnishings Armor and old weapons that Lake the visitor Back in time. Prices Range from 100 to 140 Marks $60 to $84 for double rooms with Baths 85 to 110 Marks $51 to $66 for doubles with showers and 50 to 65 Marks $30 to $39 for singles with showers. The More expensive double rooms include theme decor. There is for example a Rococo bridal suite where couples who have exchanged vows in the Castle s Chapel can spend their wedding night. Originally a moated Castle Holmberg has outer and inner Walls with heavy Gates. There is no fortified Gatehouse but there is a medieval oddity few castles boast resting against the base of the Turret Wall is an outdoor courtroom where the ruling lord sat to pass judgment on criminals and Settle civil disputes. According to history Holmberg was never taken by siege. It managed to survive the War of 1449, the Farmers uprising in 1525 and the later destruction of the town of Holmberg by the Kaiser s troops. It was in the hands of the Hohenzollern family for 500 years 72 stripes Militine it fruity 1, 1990
