Burg Eltz

Burg Eltz is a castle in Germany in the hills above the north side of the Moselle River. The oldest part of it dates to the 9th century AD. It belongs to the Eltz family, and has been lived in by thirty three generations of that family since the 12th century. It is what is known in German as a Ganerbenburg or community of joint heirs. There are three houses that make up most of the castle. These are the Rubenach house, dating to 1472, the Rodendorf house, approximately 1500 and the Kempenich house, 1530. It is still occupied by Eltz family descendants who make part of it available to the public.  

Burg Eltz is situated on a rock outcropping and surrounded on three sides by the Elzbach River, a tributary of the Moselle. In the photo below you can see the Elzbach.

The castle was built on an old Roman trade route and provided protection for that as well as for goods and travelers along the Moselle. The photo below shows a view through a gun port to a fortification.

Below is another fortification at the base of the castle. Note the cannon balls.

The photos below are all inside the outer walls. This castle is very much like one expects from reading fairy tales and looking at movies of Disney princesses.

A very fun place to visit.

St Stephen's Cathedral, Metz, France

Metz, France is a city in eastern France on the Moselle river, about 60 miles due west of Saarbrucken, Germany. St Stephen's Cathedral, commonly known as Metz Cathedral is located there.

Metz Cathedral is made of local yellow Jaumont limestone. Its nave is one of the highest in the world, at 135.9 feet. It has the largest expanse of stained glass in the world, 69,920 square feet. The photo below is a view of the cathedral showing the south-east side.

The cathedral was begun in 1220 and not completed until 1520, with dedication in 1522. The photos below show some of the decorative sculptures on the exterior.

The photo below is of one of the portals. I believe Christ is on the center post.

The portal shown below is the portal through which you enter the cathedral. The center post has Mary holding the infant Christ.

This is what you see on entering the nave.

The side aisles are relatively low compared to the height of the nave, which allows the clerestory to be quite large and filled with stained glass windows, as shown below.

The stained glass dates from the 13th century through and including the 20th century. There is one remaining 13th century window which I do not have a photo of. The west rose window, shown below, is from the 14th century and done by a man named Herman Munster.

The two photos below are of the two transcept windows.

The window below is 20th century by Jacques Villon.

The next window is also 20th century by Marc Chagall.

I do not know who did the windows shown in the two photos below nor do I know their age.

The last three photos are along the Moselle just a couple of blocks from the cathedral.