Do you want to know more about the world that inspired the SEVEN KINGDOMS? Check out these fun links and books.
Fun Facts about the Rhine River in 4 Languages for kids, including the whale that swam the wrong way. This website lets you choose age group (8-11 years, 12-14 years) and language (English, Dutch, German, French). The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine website also has photos, videos and a quiz. Have fun!
Lovely footage of the castle that inspired Cochem Castle in TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS (from local German TV station). The 2 1/2 minute video is in German, (read my translation below):
Text of Reichsburg Cochem video in English:
The Reichsburg Cochem is an impressive fortress located on top of a hill that is visible from a distance. It stands more than 100 meters above the city of Cochem on the Mosel River.
Originally built in the year 1000, the castle was damaged and re-built many times. In the 19th century, it was completely re-built in the Neo-Gothic style by Louis Ravené, a wealthy businessman from Berlin. He bought the castle from the Prussians for a token 300 coins of silver. The castle served the family as a summer home for 75 years. Since 1978, the castle has belonged to the city of Cochem.
A steep, narrow, garden (not shown in video) leads from the Martin’s gate in Cochem all the way up to the castle gate. The castle still hosts concerts, festivals, Christmas-at-the-castle, and medieval feasts today.
This dramatic graphic novel about the history of Cochem castle is only available in German. Life wasn’t always a fairy tale in Cochem Castle!
GESCHICHTEN VON DER REICHSBURG COCHEM means Stories from the Cochem Castle.
The castle below is the inspiration for the Blackfly Kingdom. It’s called Kaub for short, after the city nearby, but its real name is
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein
Isn’t THAT a mouthful? 🙂 I love the way it looks like a boat in the middle of the Rhine River, don’t you? Early travelers probably hated it, because it was a toll-booth. If you didn’t pay, you got sent to the dungeon!
This seven-minute video (in German) works its way through all twenty-one of the castles in this most famous section of the Rhine Valley.
Which one should I put in my next SEVEN KINGDOMS FAIRY TALE?
For my taste, the music is a bit twinkly, so if you don’t understand German, you could turn off the sound and pretend you’re taking a Rhine cruise!
Have you taken the other castle tours?
Find the whole collection here.
