Not far from Frankfurt, Ania and I decided to visit the town of Königstein im Taunus. With a short S-Bahn ride, we reached the town and from there headed on foot. Located at the foothill of the Taunus mountain range in a hilly landscape. From the train station, we headed slightly uphill and reached the old town. It was small but very picturesque, characterized by many timber-framed houses. Walking along the main street we reached the tiny main square where the timber-framed town hall was located. Sloping down and irregularly shaped and at the meeting of several streets the square had a very picturesque aspect. From there we continued on uphill eventually reaching the town's castle, Burg Königstein. Located on a hilltop towering above town this castle was built starting from the 12th century and expanded throughout the following centuries. It grew in size and power, especially during the 14th and 16th centuries but during the Napoleonic Wars, it was heavily bombed by Prussian troops attacking French troops that had withdrawn there following the reconquest of Frankfurt. After becoming partly ruined the local population further despoiled it by using its stone to rebuild houses and other buildings destroyed during the war. Thus nowadays the castle stands as a ruin but is still worth a visit, also considered one of the largest castle ruins in the country. We paid the entry fee and headed through the main gate and then round and through the outer wall built in the 16th century. Once inside the inner ring, we visited the older and medieval part consisting of a series of buildings and rooms serving different purposes. The highlight was then the climb to the top of the well-preserved keep from where we enjoyed a spectacular 360-degree view. Down to one side the old town, around some other towns and villages, behind the Taunus mountain range, and far in the distance the city of Frankfurt with its many skyscrapers. Once we had enjoyed the view we headed through the rest of the ruins and then back out. Descending into town once more we had a walk around admiring some side streets and then decided to have an early dinner there instead of back in Frankfurt. We opted for a traditional restaurant located on the main street called Stadtschänke where I had schnitzel with potatoes, salad, and a beer, while Ania had potatoes and veggies with beer. After dinner we headed to the nearby square where we took a bus to a nearby town and from there a train back to Frankfurt.
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