Exploring Frankenburg, Germany
A view of the town from our balcony at the Die Sonne Frankenberg.
The eagle has landed. Our Lufthansa flight from Sofia to Frankfurt is on the ground and we are headed to Frankenberg, about two hours north of Frankfurt, for a little rest and relaxation before an exhausting week coming up. We get to the rental car agency and the model we reserved is not available. Bob haggles, and we get in a small all wheel drive Mercedes sedan and start fiddling with the nav system. It is in German, and we don’t speak German. Switching to English was the easy part. Getting the hotel address in was trickier. It was on my phone and there is no reception in the garage. We leave the garage, enter the info in the nav and head on our way despite a few moments of tension.
The highways are well-maintained and I would say 80% of the cars here are either Mercedes, BMW, Audi or Volkswagen. Makes sense. We arrive at our destination, Die Sonne Frankenberg around 7:00pm and are shown to our room. It is spacious.
After unpacking we head to the restaurant Philipp Soldan, which is billed as fine dining. And it is. The interior is modern yet rustic at the same time, and the kitchen looks amazing and well-organized. Diners choose from one of three price-fixe menus. We go for the four course, which is good, because there are a lot of extra courses they slide in here and there. We are in for a treat.
Bob orders some wine and it is great. The first course is complimentary — little snackables consisting of mostly raw fish and one with veal tartare. I eat both tartare, trading Bob one salmon for it. Next is a variety of homemade breads with butter, leek oil and a red pepper spread. Yummy, but I am treating is gently to conserve space. Third is an amuse bouchée of oyster with a lovely herb foam. We are on the third course and have not even started the four course dinner. Bob tries to give me his oyster, but no go. Four more courses to come.
Finally the first course arrives and it is amazing! Brandade with caviar and a chive buerre blanc and some creme fraiche. Presentation is spectacular and it tastes just as good. The second course is a Wels catfish in Waldorf Style — some type of celery and nut arrangement on top, which I can taste but not really see. Again, amazing. Next, a palate cleanser of tonic sorbet with ginger foam. Bob eats his and half of mine. There is a lot of time between courses for conversation and we have a lot to talk about! The main course comes and it is off the charts. A smoked duck breast with duck jus, chervil, lamb’s lettuce and mushroom creme. I will let the picture speak for itself. Sublime.
Finally there is an apple dessert with white chocolate and sorrel. I don’t really like white chocolate but I sure liked this. Wow, what a dining experience! Except it isn’t over. They come over with a cookie and chocolate tray, all handmade and all amazing. We take one little tray back to the room. Time for rest. But not before utilizing the very large hot tub. My feet were asking for it.
We wake up the next morning to dappled sunshine. We haven’t the sun seen since last Sunday in London, so I'll take it. I look out over the balcony for a view of Frankenberg. It is adorable in the way you would expect a German hamlet to be. Plaster buildings with timber trim, ringing church bells, rolling hills. After a coffee or two and some juice and more than a bit of lounging around, we finally head off.
The Die Sonne Hotel, the Sonne Spa, and the Rathhaus (Town Hall) in Frankenberg, Germany.
Our first stop is the hotel spa. We are looking for some pampering. The woman at the front desk tells us that all of her technicians, as well as she, are sick and there are no treatments this weekend. We wish her well and get out as quickly as possible. Now for the town. The Town Hall (Rathhaus) is directly outside and it is an amazing example of 1500's Gothic half-timber construction. In the belfry there is a carillon that rings every day at 11:45am and 3:45pm. We heard it from our room this morning.
Next we head down the street and tour a German grocery store. Bob sees German Haribo gummy bears which are different from those in the states and it takes him back to his childhood. Bob's dad was in the Army, stationed in Germany and his main memory is gummy bears. We will be bringing them home for souvenirs, kids.
We continue along and come across a pedestrian way with shops of every kind. Clothing, housewares, toy shops, fabric, opticians, kitchen supplies, shoe stores, butcher shops, cafes, restaurants and night clubs -- anything you could need, you will find in town. We try to cover as much as possible. Bob buys a pair of shoes and I see a flyer for a concert tonight. Jorg Bomhardt is playing at the Ederberglanhalle. We are going to try to make it. Below are some scenes from today's exploration.
After a few hours of walking about, we head back to the hotel (around 3:30pm) for some snackage. The hotel's second restaurant is called Phillipo Bar and Lounge. Bob is on a call and leaves me to order. I get wine, cheese, bacon-wrapped dates, merguez sausage and some ciabatta with oil and a spice dip. We eat it all. By now it is 5:00pm, and we head back to the room. We want to watch a movie but the furniture is all wrong. So we re-arrange it. The coffee table and couch are moved to face the tv, and the chair goes to another corner. It makes so much more sense now. They will thank us later. We also get some blankets from housekeeping for snuggling. All we need is popcorn, but we are full. Life is good. Time for a movie and some rest.
Phillipo Bar and Lounge at the Die Sonne Frankenberg. A great stop for cheese, tapas or a meal. Note the flavored schnapps collection.
We finish the movie and head to the hotel's third restaurant, SonneStuben, for some dinner. We each get a salad. I order the venison bratwurst with mashed potatoes, warm sauerkraut and local mustard. Bob gets a filet mignon with fries and a lovely homemade sauce for dipping both into. We go back to the room for another movie. No concert tonight. Tomorrow we get in the car and do a little exploring. Where, I'm not sure, but I promise to let you know about it.
Dinner at the SonneStuben, Die Sonne Hotel, Frankenberg. The venison bratwurst was house-made from locally harvested venison.