[Apr. 2025] After a satisfying meal in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, we walked around the town.
I had done some quick research beforehand and found that Esslingen Burg Castle was a good vantage point, so we headed there.
The rows of half-timbered houses along the way were fairytale-like, a quintessentially German sight.
We live in a convenient age where Google Maps can help you get to your destination with almost no trouble, but on the other hand, it feels like there are fewer adventures.
We walked along this streetscape, admiring it until we followed the map’s direction, only to find that it told us to climb a covered staircase instead of a street.
We started climbing the wooden staircase, half-believing it to be true.
And these weren’t just short steps—they were long.
It was completely unexpected, and the climb itself was well worth it, both in terms of the sights and the climb itself.
I looked it up and it turns out there are 314 steps.
Of course, the view from the top was amazing, but the views along the way were also quite impressive.
Vineyards stretched out before me, and beyond that I could see the old townscape.
The roofs are brick-coloured, just like in Italy, but the houses here are larger.
They have a solid feel.
Apparently, this is because in the past, each house served as both a residence and a workplace, and entire families lived together.
It was a beautiful view, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t great.
These stairs are called Burgstaffe, which means stairs to a castle, and are apparently common in other old castles.
We were hoping to find a castle building at the end, but there was no castle at all; just a small tower.
The German word “burg” apparently means a defensive structure, so it doesn’t necessarily refer to the home of royalty or nobility.
Halfway up the stairs, you emerge into a park, and beyond that is a row of old cannons, which certainly look like they’re guarding the town.
On our way back, instead of going down the stairs, we walked down the cobblestone streets through the vineyards.
As someone who’s more likely to slip and fall wherever I go, it was a bit scary, but it was a charming slope.
The clusters of dandelion fluff left a lasting impression on me.
