Oh the Places You'll Find...After Getting Lost - In search of the castle in Colmberg, Germany

For some travelers, destination is a fixed point, a goal achieved, a block checked. I begin my travels with such intentions, but usually circumstance derails the best-laid plans. This primarily stems from my complete lack of an instinctive sense of direction. If I suggest you turn right at the next light, it means the you should not only turn left, but also flip a U-turn, back-track a few kilometers, and then turn right. Not that my poor directional skills have steered me wrong every time. Based on experience, however, I would discourage you from solving navigational woes by following the car in front of you just because the driver "looks" like he or she is going in the right direction.

As luck would have it, getting lost provides me with fabulous opportunities to explore new territory. Since arriving in Germany, I had heard people talk about the old castle in Colmberg, but all I knew of Colmberg was that it shared the same autobahn exit off A7 as Rothenburg. So I set myself a goal: check out Colmberg castle. Easy enough and easy enough to find just take the Colmberg exit off of A7 and follow the signs. Right? I mean, how difficult could it be to find a castle in a small village?

Though the whole goal setting part proved simple, the getting there part proved more difficult. Anyone familiar with driving German roads under construction knows all to well the confusion of a poorly marked Umleitung-a detour-that takes you from a signposted road to a windy, narrow road that crosses hill and dale, with a tractor going 25 kilometers an hour your only companion. As a general rule on German detours, once you heed the instructions of the first umleitung sign, it may some time before you see another indicating that you are following the correct route. During this time, however, I suffered a plague of immense doubt in my direction-following abilities, turned-around, only to realize later I was following the correct course. Maddening as this experience was, I made the best of drive, though to this day I have no idea how I managed to find the village. Fortunately, the castle was easy to find. It was the only one in town.

The castle in Colmberg might disappoint those accustomed to the palatial excesses of Ludwig's concoctions to the south. The castle resides stolidly on a hill, an advantageous location for hiding from or fending off invading armies. Today, as you wander the grounds immediately surrounding the building, you might prize the extraordinary panoramic view above the castle's strategic placement. The building itself dates back to the first millennium, and luckily survived the turbulent history of the region. Though documentation is scant, brief mentions of the castle or its occupants reveal a long, if unremarkable history. For example, 1269 marks the mention of two ladies from the castle-Sophie and Gertud-in the council book of Rothenburg, but little else. Records of sale show that the castle went through many owners over the years, as the land surrounding changed hands between feuding principalities. In 1806, the castle became part of Bavaria, and was thereafter used as a government building until 1880. Again, the castle fell into private ownership. The current owners, the Unbehauen family, purchased the castle in 1964. Though some restoration work was necessary, the family opened the castle to the public as a hotel and restaurant. Guests and restaurant patrons can linger over the richly detailed furnishing, which include a historical displays of the castle's history and an impressive display of East Asian textiles and art that belonged to a previous owner, no less than the Imperial Consul of Japan.

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