Our next stop was Miltenberg,
Germany, where cobblestone streets
guide you past medieval houses, a
town square, and town gates that
lead to Miltenberg Castle. River cities
were economic centers, so castles
were built with walls to protect them
from invaders. Miltenburg Castle was
constructed in the 1200s to protect the
growing trading post that connected
the Rhine-Main area with the overland
route to the Danube River. Being on
the river was key for the movement
of goods—one important commodity
being salt, which was used to p
reserve foods.
As we traveled along the Danube
River, we saw vineyards on the steepest
riverbanks. We learned that grapes are
still harvested by hand, a tradition dat-
ing back 2,000 years when the Romans
introduced viticulture to the region.
Of course, wine or beer was the
drink of choice for centuries because
water often contained bacteria due to
the disposal of human, animal, and
other waste near water wells. The
imagination can go wild just thinking
about the smells during the summer
and the run-off during the winter.
Fermentation helps kill bacteria, so
alcoholic beverages were even served
to children. Unfortunately, people did
100
not connect the affect of contaminants
affecting their water source. One of
our tour guides noted that we would
probably not survive in those early
times, as our bodies have lost many
natural defenses against bacteria.
During a tour of a palace, I asked
the tour guide how royalty dealt with
fleas and lice. The guide said that
one remedy was a cheesecloth filled
with sugar and kept under the cloth-
ing to attract the pests away from the
skin. Unfortunately, the reality is that
everyone itched – wealth and status
did not matter in that regard. Also,
since water was considered the cause
of diseases, bathing was not a popular
ritual in some royal courts. So, let your
imagination go wild on that one, too.
Our next port of call was Wurzburg,
Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage
site. Wurzburg suffered major damage
during WWII bombings, but careful
reconstruction led to the restoration
of landmarks such as the Wurzburg
Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s
largest and most ornate palaces.
Every region we visited on the river
cruise had a unique story or reputation.
Bamberg is known as the home of
smoked beer. The city is another
UNESCO World Heritage Site, but not
because of smoked beer. Bamberg touts
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
february/march 2019
a magnificent cathedral dating back to
the 11th century.
Fast becoming a history buff, I
learned that in the year 1007, Emperor
Heinrich II made Bamberg the center
of the Holy Roman Empire and the
capital of his reign. He wanted the city
to become a second Rome, and like its
Italian model, Bamberg was built on
seven hills, each with a church on top.
Unfortunately, the region developed a
dark side with its 17th century witch
trials. Five of Bamberg’s mayors—all
men—were burned at the stake
because of accusations of being
accomplices to witches.
We continued on to Nuremberg,
Germany, which had been virtually
destroyed by Allied bombers in
January 1945. Through painstaking
reconstruction using much of the
original stone, castles and churches were
restored to preserve its history. Our bus
tour took us past structures where the
Nazi rallies were held, and where the
Nurenberg Trials later took place.
One medieval city untouched by the
bombings during WWII is Regensburg,
Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. In parts of Regensburg, early
Roman walls still stand, and we truly
stepped through time, visiting St.
Peter’s Cathedral with its Gothic-style
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