white covers of snow.
snow is very rare in the region i live in, even though we have a low mountain range just around the corner ( which usually is enough to get at least a little bit of snow flurries in other parts of germany ). i don't know if it's because we're also close to the rhine river, which apparently seems to be one of the causes to why we rarely get snow, as it is said to bring a warmer climate with it. it could also be the climate change that feeds into this. this winter for example, we only had 1 snow day, which was in early december. i am still pining for at least 1 more day until the official winter ends, which gives us at least 2 months. fingers crossed. i actually really love snow, and if the winter around these parts wouldn't be so grey and dark most of the time, i would definitely show more appreciation for it. whenever there's snow or frost, everything feels so still and quiet, as if a soft layer of silk was put over earth. even people seem more tranquil and peaceful during snow times... at least they do not roam the earth in their usual hastiness and furore, probably all cuddling up inside because fear of freezing to death, lol. strangely, that never deters me from venturing outside. i like the cold and clean air, it feels fresh and almost untouched, whole even.
which is why on a snowy day in january last year i seized the opportunity and made my way up the taunus mountains, searching for a nice spot to take in the beauty that is white winter. i ended up in kemel, part of the heidenrod municipality. i don't know anymore what exactly drew me to this little village, but it ended up being a good decision as i had a pretty lovely walk through the nearby woods and over the icy fields. i even discovered a lovely architectural jewel!
kemel is situated on one of the highest points of the western taunus mountains, about 510 meters above sea level. it may not sound high, but considering that the highest point of the taunus is about 880 meters, i'd count this into the middle field of heights when it comes to this particular mountain range.
passing by the cemetery of kemel ( it's situated on the right ).
the snow crunched perfectly under my feet, the cool air filling my lungs. it felt so good to be out there. why does snow have that effect on me, i wonder? does anyone else feel the same way, like, feeling alive when out in freezing temperatures? it feels so invigorating to me.
and everything seems so much more enchanting. little details such as golden leftover autumn leaves shining golden inbetween whiteness send me into a frenzy of wonder and excitement.
like, come on, are you for real, nature? i love such details, and the contrast and... ( * trails of into abstract jibberish of excitement ).
my shoes matched the snow! ( these are some of favourites, i wear them a lot )
there's a little nature trail inside the woods of kemel, which will give you informations on the ecosystem that is a forest. i didn't walk all of it, only a tiny part. here's the 'wood youth hut', the place where the local kids can learn more about the woods they are surrounded by and what creatures and plants inhabit it.
my geometrics loving heart absolutely adored this random triangle. it probably serves a purpose, but i never figured out what it was supposed to be.
it just made for an awesome motive, an abstract element in a natural environment.
little baby fir trees with blankets on their branches.
close to the youth hut you can also find a small plant nursery.
there are more activities you can do on that trail, for example crawling through the 'badger's burrow'. which i did not do, this time, despite my tendency to try stuff like this, because i am a huge kid after all. it was still a little too wet and cold for my taste, so on my two legs i stayed ;)
i walked this little elevated log causeway over some marshy areas, though, which was fun and added another interesting component to the nature trail!
love them old and knobby trees!
this is actually a willow tunnel, and i'm pretty sure it's lovely in summer, when the trees still have their leaves.
underneath this patch of snowbound grass was a marsh and through that marsh also ran a little stream that you could hear bubbleing when you were really quiet.
the marsh. definitely not advisable to tramp through it, you might get wet feet or lose a shoe, even when everything seems frozen!
it's a really cool idea to lead a wooden path over the marsh, so you could safely walk over it.
a tiny bit of a revealed water hole. liked the parabolic arrangement of the tree logs.
i left the nature trail and strolled along the periphery of the village. these lusciously red containers belong to a local waste management company.
there's something about the colour red in a wintery scenery that's really pleasant. i know, it's strange! but it looks damn cool.
found an old taunus transit, a transporter made by car company ford. they were built between 1953 and 1966.
icicles trapped inside an almost impenetrable sleeping beauty bush ;P
water treatment premises. i liked the very matter-of-fact construction type of this little building, functional and clean. so typically 1960ies.
outside of kemel you can find a special construct, a lookout tower which is situated on grounds that were once part of the ancient roman border limes that went through the taunus mountains. that tower is not a replica of the watchtowers the romans built to protect this border, but the dimensions are inspired by them and also the appearance is based on them, too. kemel was once a roman fort as well ( built in 200 AD approximately ). in the center of the village researchers have found outlines of a fort, which was probably a replacement for two more smaller ones that can be traced outside of kemel, around precisely the area you are currently looking at. they were situated outside of present-day kemel, on very exposed grounds, which was probably contributing to the decision to build a new and bigger fort ( where the village now resides - it was more sheltered and secure ). the fort was given up around 260 AD, but it laid the foundation for the development of the little village of kemel.
i climbed up the tower and enjoyed a most wonderful view of the village and the surrounding taunus mountains.
on my way back to the village i met this cutiepie and had a serious cuddle session. look how completely gorgeous this cat is! 🐱
kemel has two churches, one from the 13th century and another one that i will present to you in a minute. this one is the old evangelical church. the tower is of romanesque origin. apparently the old fort of the romans was situated in this area, making this the oldest part of the village.
the local kindergarten 'regenbogenland' resides in a building that is made of lots of wood and has colourful highlights that want to remind you of the rainbow in the day-care center's name. this building is an addition to the actual kindergarten and it was designed by mayer jenner oumar architekten in 2017.
from afar i made out a most curious looking bell tower, immediately pinging my brain to check it out up close. i am definitely not able to withstand the lure of modern architecture, and especially so when it comes to modern churches! though religion often is deeply anchored in the past and still has worldviews that don't exactly match my own or the modern society's, i recognize their courage to build worshipping places that are experimental, visionary and sometimes defy any explanation. only museum buildings and sometimes private homes seem to have the freedom to create something extraordinary, while the rest of the world often settles for the nondescript option, because they restrict themselves ( it doesn't fit in the existing environment etc. ).
to find a church building that seems this progressive in a village that sits more in the provincial parts of the taunus mountains, that in itself is always super remarkable to me. i feel like the people who live here, basically have proven that they are open for new and exciting things, to jump over their shadows and embrace something as a modern church into their midst.
the catholic parochial center st. michael was built in 1966 by walter nicol and its fair-faced conrete structure is quite a looker, from afar and up close. it is said that the tower represents the formerly split germany, which was all present in the minds of the people back then. unfortunately there is not much else to be found on walter nicol, except that he helped design a church in frankfurt-bockenheim ( st. pius ) and a former community center in fechenheim.
there's also not a lot of info on this church, no explanations to what the intentions of certain details were. so this basically leaves us at the viewpoint of just letting this building make an impression on you without preconceived notions.
what stuck out to me the most was the window facades! the glass windows were made up like a mosaic, building abstract images, enwinding the building all around. it probably is a lot more enjoyable when you get to see it from the inside, when the light flows into the church room.
i found a spot to have a peek inside and was even more smitten with the windows! i'm sure there is some kind of symbolism hidden in the image, but it is not apparent at all! some see a horse head, and some see a snake, but frankly, i only see a few eyes in an otherwise chaotic picture. like god is watching manmade chaos from everywhere.
stepping a bit back from the peek point reveiled one of the aforementioned eyes. doesn't it feel like it looks at you, all-knowing and kind of ruthless? i absolutely adore this perspective.
and a little bit closer again. the illumination inside the otherwise dark church must be phenomenal.
peaks & points.
i have to say, finding this unconventional gem in the middle of basically nowhere, was my favourite part of the whole walk ❤
next up: an epic trip up north to hamburg!
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