How to Plan an International Trip: Travel Tales and Tips : Germany Trip Report, Day 11: Gotha

Oct 8, 2015, Thursday:

Son's training was over and the team was being driven to Frankfurt to board the flight home. He had chosen to fly on Sunday and we had 2 1/2 days at our disposal.

We had decided to include some castles in the vicinity… Gotha (Freidenstein castle), Eisenach (Wartburg castle), Kassel (daytrip to Sababurg Sleeping beauty castle and Trendelburg Rapunzel castle)

Around noon on Oct 8, we took the train from Weimar to Gotha.

Hotel am Schlosspark, Gotha:

We stayed at a heritage hotel in the castle park, Hotel am Schlosspark Gotha...This hotel, set in Chateau Park Friedenstein and its 40 acres of parkland, is an 8-minute walk from the baroque Friedenstein Palace and a 15-minute walk from Gotha train station. We had our bags and so took a taxi from train station...€6 for 1 1/2 km uphill trip to our hotel

(am means at in German... schloss is palace; hotel at... same way Frankfurt is Frankfurt am Main ...referring to the Main river on whose banks the city is situated)

Checked in and then walked to the Friedenstein Palace.

Friedenstein Palace:

The palace square is charming.

This is the Gotha Palace square fountain... red tower ahead is the Rathaus (town hall)

Here’s a Quirky facade... the window sports a tear through which the interior can be seen...

Freidenstein palace has connection to the British monarchy, specifically Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria. Albert’s father Ernst I of the House of Saxe-Coburg inherited this Duchy in 1826. (there is the interesting story why the British monarchy started calling themselves House of Windsor during the world war to dissociate themselves from their previously used German family name of House of Saxe-Coburg)

This is the Statue of Ernst the Pious in front of Friedenstein. In 1640, Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, also known as Ernst der Fromme ("Ernest the Pious"), first ruler of the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, took this as his residence, naming the castle Friedenstein (literally "peace-rock"), Ernst made a point... as the site was previously occupied by Grimmenstein Castle and was associated with the 30 year war.

This is Friedenstein Palace entrance..."Kiss of peace" above the main gate: Friede ernehret, Unfriede verzehret (peace nourished, devoured strife)

We managed a 3 hour visit to the lovely palace. Had to wear these bulky shoes so that the parquet flooring is not ruined. The red band on hand is for our separate camera ticket

This is the Banquet hall with elaborate stucco work

The stucco work is awesome

All rooms are opulent

This is the theater.

Parquet flooring is so elaborate. (Parquet is hardwood pieces laid in geometric patterns).

Furniture pieces are well crafted.

Amber and ivory craft pieces are exquisite

Porcelain collection is lovely; so is the numismatic collection (coins)

Elephant (ca. 1710) by the famous Dresden Goldsmith Dinglinger; The elephant measures 13 × 12 × 17 cm. It is made of cast silver, partly gilt, with emeralds and diamonds