On the banks of the Moselle River is Bernkastel-Kues, Germany, with its iconic architecture and small-town charm. I am on the Viking River Cruise from Zurich to Paris. This morning, I set out on my own to discover its charms.
Since it is Sunday, the sound of church bells fills the air as I walk across the bridge and into the residential neighborhoods of Kues. The twin community is surrounded by vineyards and meticulously kept.
Returning to Bernkastel, I discover the charms that have made this town of just over 1,000 a popular tourist destination.
The medieval market square is one of the main attractions. The centuries-old half-timbered houses, the Renaissance town hall (1608), the graceful St. Michael’s Fountain (1606), and the picturesque “Spitzhäuschen” (pointed house built in 1416) are a reflection of medieval charm.
The sight truly takes my breath away. It is so beautiful that I could not have imagined a more beautiful historic site.
The town hall façade is a magnificent work of the late German Renaissance by the Trier sculptor R. H. Hoffmann. Hoffmann’s patron was the then Archbishop Lothar von Metternich, whose coat of arms adorns the town hall bay beside the Kurtric cross and the Bernkasteler coat of arms. The oriel rests on a basalt column and carries a stone figure of the Salvator Mundi, the Redeemer of the World, with the globe on an elaborately curved roof.
I find more charming architecture following one of the streets and then alleys away from the market square. Except for bakeries and a few groceries, stores are closed on Sunday in Germany. The streets are quiet. Only a handful of locals patronizing the two bakeries and Viking passengers exploring are on the streets.
I am reluctant to leave this place as I return to the ship. Elegant swans glide along the river, and cormorants dry their wings near the boat. I slowly take in the history all around me.
This place in time will stay with me forever.
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