The Schloss Area of Wittenberg
At the far end of the old town on the Schlossplatz are the Schloss (Castle) and more famous Schlosskirche (Castle Church). Both were built by Elector Frederick theWise around 1500 but were damaged during wars and rebuilt differently from the originals.
The Schloss was changed into a citadel in 1819 after Prussia annexed Saxony- Wittenberg as punishment for Saxony’s alliance with Napoleon. It currently houses a not particularly interesting Nature and Ethnology Museum. Of more interest is the restaurant in the cellar, the views from the garden, and the plaques in the courtyard with names of famous people associated with Wittenberg.
The Schlosskirche Allerheiligen is a major tourist draw. It is on the doors of this church that Martin Luther was supposed to have nailed his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. The church, and said door, burned down in 1760 during the Seven Years’ War. The current church was reconstructed in 1892 and incorporated one of the original castle towers as a church tower. In 1855, the 95 Theses were cast in bronze and are seen on the door facing the square. Inside the church are the graves of several Askanian counts who ruled the area from 1157 until 1422, but generally of more interest are the graves of both Luther and Melanchthon in the front of the church. Also of note are the bronze epitaph (1527 by Peter Vischer) of Fredrick the Wise and an alabaster statue (1537) of him kneeling in knight’s armor. The pulpit, altar, baptism font, and most other decorations date from 1892, although most are made to look older.
Ischgl is a small mountain village turned hip ski resort, with massive appeal among the party-hearty young crowds. It is... Read More
Andorra la Vella is its own little world, and not just because it’s a 290-square-mile independent principality (a fifth the... Read More
Bariloche (officially San Carlos de Bariloche) is the place to be seen. It is to Argentina what Aspen is to the... Read More
Aspen is America's most famous ski resort. And that's an understatement. For, as a ski complex, Aspen is unsurpassed. Its... Read More
Zermatt is a small but glamorous mountain resort town, with a population of approximately 5,700. It is one of Switzerland's... Read More
St. Moritz is a glitzy, alpine resort town in the celebrated Engadin Valley of Switzerland, with huge notoriety as the... Read More
Lake Tahoe is the premier lake resort of America, and the largest alpine lake in all of North America. It is an absolutely... Read More
St. Anton, Sankt Anton am Arlberg in German, is Austria's premier ski-bum resort! It's actually a small village cum... Read More
Kitzbühel, a small, Tyrolian resort town in the Kitzbüheler Alps, comes with international renown and huge snob appeal, and... Read More