Oh, goodness gracious, mercy sakes alive I sure am tired! There was so much to do in the town of Hellenthal I had to go back more than twice. Wanna join me in on a virtual tour through Hellenthal? Great! Let’s go…
I don’t expect you to feel sorry for me one iota, especially not after what I have to tell you about my experience. ;-)
My first experience of Hellenthal began along the Belgian-German border in the Eifel Region (which is where you’ll find the place) daffodils waved hello in the breeze. If all of Hellenthal was this beautiful I was in for a treat.
Great, the Daffodil Festival was in full swing (bloom?). Every year around the end of April, the flower holds a place of honor celebrating the return of spring. Ah, any reason to have a beer — this is the kind of town. ;-)
I was sorry to leave the festival, but I had other things to see in Hellenthal… like its castles. One of its most beautiful one is the Wildburg. Take a guided tour to see this 12th century castle (dungeon included), its church, and 16th century gatehouse.
The other is Burg Reifferscheid. The oldest parts of the castle date to 1106; but it did have to be rebuilt a couple of times. On the third Sunday of September medieval enthusiasts come for the Castle Festival where you’ll find many wearing period costumes and jugglers and musicians entertaining the crowd. There are even events for the little ones.
I was already wiped out and I still hadn’t gotten to see the Arskrippana in Losheim, a lovely and Europe’s largest crib and Nativity exhibition, and the mine pit. I had to get myself a strong cup of coffee to keep me going to see the Tierpark Hellenthal.
The park is filled with reindeer, wild cats, raccoons, and for the kids there’s a petting zoo with rabbits, donkeys, goats, and even chickens. Maybe I should have saved the trip here for my winter trip since it’s open year-round.
Ah, winter. No brightly colored daffodils greeted me this time. No, it was the bright white of snow that covered the landscape. Good thing I brought my skis!
Skiing wasn’t the only thing I had to do. There was tobogganing and I rented a pair of ice skates. Notice I didn’t say I was any good at it, but if you’re going to play some hockey on the ice, NEVER put your head down. Ouch!
I was too worn out to try cross-country skiing (there are 3 x 20km trails). If you’re going to do it all, you better pace yourself. ;-)
Didn’t I tell you that you wouldn’t feel sorry for me that I had to come here twice? Oh, I could just imagine how you’d feel if I had come there three times. ;-)
