Burghotel Auf Schönburg: A Castle Hotel (Europe 2024)

Upon reaching the quaint village of Oberwesel, impressive in its own right with ancient churches and half-timbered houses, we wound our way up treacherous mountain roads until we arrived near dusk at the famed castle hotel: Burghotel Auf Schönburg. There we were greeted by dames in dirndls, who escorted us with giant metal keys to our private villa. We spent a few hours relaxing (and letting the baby run around) before enjoying dinner at the castle restaurant. The next morning, with light streaming through the diamond-leaded windows, we finally beheld the gorgeous views of the castle’s fortress wall and the vineyards below.

The castle is over 1100 years old with a tumultuous history including many tribal feuds and its destruction by the French in the late 17th century. It was rebuilt into a hotel 200 years later. Even in its more modern state, it was wondrous to imagine the hundreds of people who had led lives within these stone walls.

Haunted?

While the rest of us were at our fancy buffet breakfast, Jordie rested awake in bed, all alone. She says she heard something like footsteps above her in the room where Dallin, Beckham and I had slept, sounding from the far side of our bed toward the door. When she heard tapping as well, she called out jokingly, "It's alright, you can stay." “Call me crazy,” she said when we returned, “But I know what I heard.” I'm just glad she heard these sounds before check-out rather than before we went to bed!

We stayed in the Hochzeitssuite, or the honeymoon suite, a two-story villa with a private entrance and room for all 5 of us. Some photos of the suite: