Still here, part two...

Felsenkirche (Church in the Rock)

So, after a day of shopping, it was a day of sightseeing. Idar Oberstein is a town that consists of two villages: Idar and Oberstein (isn't that clever?). I was staying in Oberstein and if I leaned out of my bedroom window I could see a lovely church. It was called the 'Felsenkirche' or Church in the Rock. There were signs all over town towards the church so I felt it would be a good idea to go and follow those signs. It wasn't until halfway up a very steep hill that I first saw the sign: church closed until March 14th! I walked on anyway, because there were also two castles to visit.

Oberstein Castle

After a tough walk up the hill (especially for me, since I have NO physical fitness whatsoever) I managed to get to the first castle. Well, that was a big word, there was only a small tower left standing. It did however give me a great view over both the town and the other castle. Especially with the beautiful spring weather. When I had enjoyed the view enough and had rested my legs enough I continued further up the hill towards the other castle, which was looking more like a castle. It was closed though, so only outside photos.

The Gemstone Museum (Manhattan)

During the afternoon I visited the gemstone museum. Idar Oberstein is very well known for its mining of stones and the making of jewelry. The museum had some great pieces, but after two floors of gemstones (and still two to go) I had more or less had enough. I did visit them all though, despite the aching and shaking legs.