Stop #5: Hechingen, Germany

So I decided to go a little off the beaten-path, literally!
To tell you the truth, I have no idea why I went with my friends Jessica and Lisa to the city of Hechingen, Germany. Maybe it's because we had student passes with der Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (VRN) that were good for all regional trains up to certain cities in the area. Or maybe they heard about this castle in the area. Or maybe we were bored. I have no idea.
BUT, I can tell you, we had a great time hiking around the Hohenzollern Castle. Although, our hike would have been even better if: a.) we had a map. b) the fog that coated the entire region had not been there. c) we had known exactly what were were there to see.
From the few pictures I have and the glitch of memory I have left, here's what there is to do in Hechinen, including:

• Berg Hohenzollern (or Hohenzollern Castle): The only remaining section from the first castle is the chapel, and the standing castle remaining today is the 3rd built on an isolated mountain. The castle dates back to the 11th Century. It remains the house of the Hohenzollern family, a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania (so says Wikipedia). Who knew that the Prussian king was also the German Emperor?! AND that there was actually one today, although he is not recognized by the Federal Republic of Germany... AND he is 158th in line for the British Throne, should something happen to the other 157 people in front of him!! I wonder if he got his invite to Kate and William's wedding yet....

Sadly, I learned more reading about Hechingen on Wikipedia tonight that I did when I actually visited it. But it was a beautiful castle, although one cannot go through most of it. We enjoyed walking around it and a sample of trinkets and rooms open to the public.
(Upper picture: City Square in Hechingen, Germany. Lower picture: Hohenzollern Castle. Both June 2007.)