Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Hohenlimburg castle

There is a very enthusiastic guide at the Hohenlimburg castle.  He is full of information and eager to be of help.  Whether that's taking a photo for you, opening a gate to make a better picture frame, telling a story, giving a few facts, or unlocking the well.  Generally, he's there to talk to you.

He can tell you that the beginnings of the castle were in the 1200s, but that what is seen today is mostly from the 1700s and after.  But what he really likes to talk about is the metal industry museum housed in one of the buildings. 
Visitors can walk around the castle grounds, look out over the walls and tour the living quarters.

Nothing of it is super exciting, just a look at how people used to live.
The oddest thing at the castle is the black hand.  The story is that in order to prosecute someone, the complainant had to be present in court.  A murder victim could not do so easily, so a hand from the victim was used instead.  The tower of the castle, it seems, used to have many of these witnesses inside.  But it was struck by lightening and much of it was destroyed in a fire.  This one hand remained.  Today it is a main draw for all of those who have a curiosity for the paranormal, and many stories go around about the owner of the hand and other sad castle dwellers.

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