Around Hohenfels: 3 in 1

Greetings and welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place!

The last of the leaves are rapidly disappearing from the scene, leaving us with the dark, twisted branches of winter. The last few days have provided some opportunities for getting out and making your autumn shots a reality, so I hope you’ve managed to bring home some nice color! I’ve managed to shoot 3 rolls of Provia 100F from Fuji. The colors on this film are incredible! I hope to have some to share before too awfully long! I also managed to get in 10 sheets of Kodak’s Ektar 100 in large format. While a punchy, saturated film, the right shots take on a life of their own, which I hope to present.

Now, on to today’s topic. We’re going to give a quick rundown of 3 places to visit within 30 minutes drive of Hohenfels. There are quite a few other places, and most have information available online.

First on our list is the Thurn und Taxis palace in Regensburg. This is a palace in the heart of Regensburg, near the train station. It is occupied by the Prince of Thurn and Taxis. The family created the postal service for Europe some 300ish years ago. A lovely place with regular tours, the tour also includes some of St. Emmeram's, an old monastery. The gardens of the palace are beautiful, and the little park just outside the actual palace grounds is quite nice, also.
More information is available at this site.

Next up is Walhalla. Walhalla is just outside Regensburg, on the Danube. Built as a replica of the Parthenon, Walhalla is a tribute to Germanic speaking people who have contributed to the world in general. There are many busts and statues inside, and the view outside is incredible. It’s also a great place for a picnic and fall colors.
Click here for more about Walhalla.

Here are some pics from our next site, Kelheim.


ISO 100, f/16, 1/25
This is one of the many views from atop the Befreiungshalle in Kelheim. One can walk around the entire outside from 2 upper levels, which give you a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. It's worth the climb, but don't don't forget your camera!


ISO 1250, f/5.6, 1/80
This is inside the Church at Weltenburg. A 20 minute ferry ride from Kelheim, this monastery is the perfect place to enjoy a nice lunch and some photographic treasures! The meals served here come in extra large sizes, so bring your appetite.

Kelheim is a fantastic little town on the banks of the Danube, where it meets the Altmuhl River. Above Kelheim is the Befreiungshalle. The Befreiungshalle was built to commemorate the victories over Napoleon. The Winged victories inside have shields made from melted down canons and the door is cased in metal from melted canon balls. The town has some beautiful scenery, and is a great place to have some iced chocolate on a summer afternoon at one of the sidewalk cafes. You can even hop a ferry to the Weltenburg Abbey, where they brew some fantastic beer and enjoy a wonderful meal while waiting to catch the next ferry back.
Of course, to get the full scoop about the Befreiungshalle, click here

While none of the information is exhaustive here, I hope it will give you some ideas about how close things are. A wonderful afternoon with friends or family, or making some great shots, are all within a short distance of our place!

We want you to share your photos, especially of our place, with us on our Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. You can also e-mail questions, photos, or comments to HohenfelsVolks(at)tks-net.com, and we’ll get them posted!

Is there anything you’d like to see here? Do you have a question? Share your thoughts here or at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too! Don't forget, we're on Google+, too!

Around Hohenfels- Kelheim

Hello, Volks! Welcome to Hohenfels Volks and to our latest Around Hohenfels.

Today we’re taking a drive to Kelheim. Located at the junction of the Altmuhl and Donau rivers, this lovely little city has a long history. The area, populated since about 500 BC, and later, conquered by the Romans, eventually became what it is today.

One of the first thing visitors to Kelheim notice is the Befreiungshalle, or Hall of Liberation.


The Befreiungshalle

Built by Ludwig to commemorate the victory over Napoleon, this massive structure on a large hill overlooking the city is visible for quite some distance. It also provides breathtaking views. Inside are huge statues representing victories during the war. Between each pair of victories is a giant round shield made from melted cannons captured from Napoleon’s forces. The giant doors are also clad in melted down cannons.


The Victories, these statues are incredible!

Another great feature of the city is the river, not only is it quite a magnificent little scene, but the river cruises that run from the city make for a great way to spend your day. Taking a trip on one of the cruises to the Weltenburg monastery provides some amazing scenery and some opportunity for relaxing on the river. The monastery, a Benedictine abbey, has a magnificent church that is a wonderful example of Baroque art. Once at the monastery, it’s time to eat. They have a wonderful restaurant and brewery. Something not to miss! Make sure your camera batteries are charged and you can visualize and compose on the fly.

While at the Befreiungshalle, you can take a hike along an archaeology trail, part of Altmuhltal archeological park, and see working sites, or you can take a nice little nature hike. There is a restaurant for the hungry and a large grassy area for a picnic in nice weather. It takes some effort to get to the top of the hall, but it is worth the climbing, twisting, and tight spots for the incredible view and sense of majesty that come along with it.


The path to the Befreiungshalle from the visitor's center.

In town again, you can find the archaeological museum and see some wonderful exhibits, or check out the Franciscan church, which has a beautiful organ that has been re-worked to sound incredible.

The city was chosen by the dukes of Bavaria in the 12th century to be their seat, so given the wonderful history and beauty that greet every visitor, it’s no wonder that a return trip will definitely be part of your future!

Here’s hoping we run into each there someday! Enjoy the weekend and remember to share your pics and post your questions at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!