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Forget White Castle and Burger King while living in Europe – here you can eat in a real castle and dine with the “king.”
Whether your taste runs toward getting down-and-dirty for a finger-licking medieval dinner or perhaps a more refined meal where the glint of the candlelight reflects off your dainty wine glass, Cochem Castle offers unique options in the Eifel region.
***image1***If eating dinner without utensils while learning a little bit of history appeals to you, you may want to check out one of the Cochem Castle medieval dinners. Both the local ITT and the Kaiserslautern community RTT offer regular trips.
The Cochem trip begins with an hour-or-so bus ride, followed by a breathtaking – figuratively and literally – walk up the hill to the castle.
Cochem Castle – originally built around the year 1000 – was almost destroyed in the 1700s. From that time, it went through many stages and today it has seven rooms that have been reconstructed.
The castle has many features very similar to the original designs, according to the tour guide. One feature that would be almost as convenient as a remote control is key holes with guides. Raised metal on both sides of the key hole guides the key into the hole, pending darkness, drunkenness or a combination of both. Apparently, this feature was very useful back then, as gentlemen were allowed five liters of wine a day and ladies allowed three – and that was just to stay warm.
Another dandy feature no castle should be without is a winding staircase. The purpose, according to the tour guide, was defense. Men defending the castle would make sure their assailants were on the steps below them. They always fought with their right hands and anyone fighting while going up or down the stairs, while lower than their assailant, would leave one side unprotected. The steps to the castle were also constructed with this in mind.
An additional item for the warriors was a chair with three legs and one armrest. This chair was reserved for knights in armor. They would sit, straddling the armrest, and when they left they would lean forward on the armrest to get up without any assistance. According to the tour guide, each suit of armor weighed about 100 pounds.
After the tour of the castle, dinner is served, but not before a knight, baroness and noble man are chosen and dressed.
***image2***On my first trip to the castle, I went with a co-worker. On the bus ride there, the tour guide asked if anyone was celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Knowing that my co-worker loved to be the center of attention, I volunteered her up, adamant that it was her birthday. (Thankfully, the tour guide didn’t look at her ID card.)
So when dinner came around, my friend was given the opportunity to dress with other “members of the court” for the feast. She dined at the head table with the “king.” Hindsight being 20/20, next time I may just have to say it’s my birthday.
Dinner was a mini-theater as the host and servants entertained us as the courses were brought out − minus a knife, fork and spoon. Wine, bread, soup, a large turkey leg and grapes were the fare.
The turkey leg looked like it was once attached to a bird on steroids. Between the messier courses, wenches came by with two buckets of water suspended from a pole behind their necks, allowing us to wash, rinse and dry our hands.
After all, after this excellent meal, anything else would have been uncivilized.
For details, visit www.reichsburg-cochem.de.
