A slice of heaven... Monschau, Germany

Now that the weather is warming up, we are catching up on one of our favorite pastimes -- exploring Europe. This past weekend, we spent the day in Monschau, Germany.

The town centre over the River Rur. The Haller (watchtower) is on the northern hill. Monschau's Rotes Haus (red house) is on the left and Restaurant Tomasa is on the right.

Located about an hour and a half drive from Tervuren, just 2 km across the Belgian border in the Eifel mountain range, this small historic town is considered by many as the most beautiful in the Rhineland region. Quite stunning, situated in a valley surrounded by dolomite cliffs, this town was left unscathed after WWII, which accounts for the extraordinarily well-preserved houses that are centuries old, tucked into peaceful hilly landscapes. We enjoyed walking through narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses topped with high slate roofs, some richly colored and ornate.

We stopped for a leisurely lunch at Restaurant Tomasa, located in the Hotel Horchem in the center of town (recommended by a girl at the tourism office). Our outdoor table sat right over the River Rur, offering spectacular views of the cascading river and surrounding town. While Ray and I ordered off the restaurant's formal menu, the girls opted for a simple bratwurst, which was being sold at the hotels own bratwurst stand. The good food, great company, a nice glass of wine, beautiful weather and perfect setting in this beautiful town of Monschau, made for what felt like a "slice of heaven"...

After lunch, we walked up the stairs (144 steps from what we were told) up to the town's medieval castle. Situated high on the cliffs, the castle ruins offered outstanding panoramic views of the town of Monschau and its surrounding landscape. Although the castle is mainly in ruins, it was worth the climb for its view (and the exercise!). Did I mention the various playgrounds we ran across while browsing through town?

We then strolled back to town and browsed a few of the shops, one of which was selling Monschau's local mustard made in several different flavors. I opted for the honey poppyseed (quite delish) which I bought for our neighbor. And wild boar salami for my dad. Good luck finding a souvenir (other than postcards) that say Monschau on it -- I could not find a single magnet to add to my mom's collection!

The girls convinced us to stop for some local Eis (ice-cream). We knew from our previous trips to Germany that it was no doubt going to be good. It was.

Right as we were driving out of town, it started drizzling, then gray skies with rain all the way home. Perfect timing after a perfect day. We will definitely visit Monschau again, for its Christmas Market, which is said to be the most picturesque in all of Germany...