Some people might have been to France and went to visit some of the most magnificent churches over there, but didn’t fully appreciate all the artwork or the sculptures found within the churches.
Now, you might be asking yourself; what does some church in France have to do with the town of Weeze in Germany?
Well, I’m just trying to tell you not to make such a mistake. So let me give you the history of the area so that when you come here, you’ll appreciate it all the more.
Weeze lies between Düsseldorf and Cleves. Being so close to Cleves, you can see the birth house of Anne von Kleve. Ahh, here’s where it gets interesting. Anne was the fourth wife of the notorious Henry VIII of England.
Thankfully, Anne didn’t lose her head — but, fickle Henry had his marriage annulled after only a couple of months. He didn’t even bother to consummate the marriage, but they remained friends for the rest of the king’s life. I guess the king didn’t appreciate a nice German girl when he met one! ;-)
Since royalty is big around here, come see the castles. Wissen Castle is an awesome moated 14th century version; as is Schloss Kalbeck (b. 1326). Many concerts are held within the classic gardens and unless you got the most severest of allergies, you’re gonna love it.
The ruins of Hertefeld Castle are pretty awesome, too. It was once a 14th century manor house before being converted to Baroque castle (destroyed in 1945); but, it’s the classical theater performances held here that keep bringing people back.
When your days of castle hopping are over, you’ve got fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, cycling, and just plain walking around the surrounding forest. That’s more than enough sporting activities to do all in one day; and I’m just tired thinking about it.
As if I’m not worn out enough, Weeze holds an annual half-marathon on Whitsunday — that’s about 50 days after Easter for those who aren’t too familiar with the Christian calendar. There are also two Kirmes Festivals (church festivals).
And if you’re an international traveler, like I am, then it might interest you to know that this town even has a Flughafen, the Weeze Airport a.k.a. Niederrhein Airport [NRN].
I sure hope that you’ll appreciate Weeze for how wonderful it really is.
