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.
![comic book shows castle and royal family](https://laureldecher.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/51h76mzreul-_sx349_bo1204203200.jpg)
The castle below is the inspiration for the Blackfly Kingdom. It’s called Kaub for short, after the city near it, 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.