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| View on Schönau |
Whenever we got a window with the slightest promise of fair weather we stepped out of our den and went hiking with Hilda. Sometimes we still got rained or snowed on, but the white stuff didn't stick.
We ventured out to the southwesterly part of the Rhineland-Palatinate region adjacent of the French border and marvelled at the mystic sandstone formations carved by weather and time or man.
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| View on Fischbach |
Once upon a time, from stone age over Celts to the middle ages people built their homes on and into those rocks.
And then we time-travelled from the dark ages to another dark chapter in contemporary times: The Cold War. Nearby Fischbach lies Area 1, a former NATO Cold War special weapons depot, once housing nuclear and other weapons. It was heavily fortified in the 1970s-80s, stored various arms, and was part of the Fischbach Ordnance Depot. After the Cold War, weapons were moved to Ramstein, the site was handed back to Germany in the mid-1990s, and extensive demolition and reforestation followed. Today, only relics remain and the area is partly protected as a historic site.
Was für ein (mich) berührender Bericht! Da wart ihr ja ganz in der Nähe von Dahn, das ist doch das Dorf Fischbach neben Dahn? Die bekannten Felsen und Burgen, wunderbare Erinnerungen weckt ihr in mir. Dazu die historischen Stätten vom kalten Krieg, die waren mir bisher unbekannt.
ReplyDeleteDahn möchte ich unbedingt auch dieses Jahr wieder besuchen, ich habe meine Ferien dort in allerbester Erinnerung, Wasigenstein ist notiert!
LG Werner
Ja, Dahn war nur ein Steinwurf entfernt von Fischbach, wo wir unser Domizil aufgeschlagen hatten. Wir hatten nur wenig Zeit, daher haben wir nur das "abgegrast", was bei uns in der Nähe war. Wenn Dich die Burgen interessieren, empfehle ich den deutsch-französischen Burgweg mit sagenhaften 8 Ruinen auf 33 km. https://www.dahner-felsenland.net/vg_dahner_felsenland/Tourismus/Wandern/Premiumwanderwege/Deutsch-französischer%20Burgenweg%2032,8%20km/. Sag uns Bescheid, wenn Du in diese Ecke reist, vielleicht können wir ein Treffen einrichten. LG SonjaM
ReplyDeleteSonja, the castle photos are magnificent - so much history worn into those steps. Are the rocky outcrops limestone? They're really interesting and I don't know of any other soft rocks like sandstone that would be in that region. The nuclear bunkers are creepy. You were really on the front line in the Cold War. I once ran my drag bike at Greenham Common in the UK where they kept nukes. The lack of security to get onto the base (as opposed to the actual bunkers) was quite worrying in those early days.
ReplyDeleteThank you Geoff, the rock is mainly from red sandstone with some granite thrown in. The region is popular for otherworldly formations, and many dwellings and castles have been built into it. As for the bunkers... it's still scary to think that we have been literally sitting on bombs. On the other side... it seemed to have been an appropriate threat given the situation back then, and worst case it would have made for a quick ending...
DeleteYou have such interesting places to explore. The sandstone formations are fascinating, so much history there.
ReplyDeleteCool pics, SonjaM....the ex-nuke storage pics were quite interesting.
ReplyDeletewieder interessante Orte, die Ihr besucht habt, schoene Fotos. Bei uns war diesen Winter so gut wie kein Schnee, das Kind in Berlin hat mehr bekommen.
ReplyDelete