train tracks near schneidhain in the braubach valley.
sounding and looking familiar? well, maybe you remember this post of mine from quite a while ago, i visited this region like a month prior to when i took these! back then, in april, nature only had begun to sprout green shoots shyly everywhere, but this time it was in full blown spring splendor! i actually took my parents on a little hike this time, exploring some more of the woods and area. and it was quite a contrast to that gloomy rainy day back in april, too! the sun was shining bright and gayly and the temperatures were warm enough to go without cozy jackets. may, as you know, isn't called the month of delight without reason. blue skies and fresh greens everywhere combined with finally some warmthness and lots of sunshine, make it one of the most beautiful months of the year!
old gnarly orchard trees are my favourite trees.
all the green meadows were such a delight to behold, compared to the brown fields of early april!
remember the little hooting train i mentioned and showed in the other post? of course it's always present all year round and we met it again several times during our hike.
we had a little break under the magnolia tree, which wasn't blooming anymore but had freshly peaked leaves now!
in the woods we came upon a little fishing pond, its waters all boggy green. something that might be a good little retreat for a bog witch maybe? it's maintained by the fishing club kelkheim.
it's quite an idyllic spot actually.
the little braubach stream was embedded in much more greenness than last time!
choo-choo train arriving! or passing by actually :D it was on its way to frankfurt main station!
the last time i made this walk i wasn't lucky to witness the train go by on this crossing, but this time we were right on time!
wandering through lush green sunlit woods is just simply the best! the eyes can't get enough of the satiation.
😍
königstein castle in much greener surroundings as well!
back in april these fields looked like this.
the best shade of green is freshly hatched green 💚
conifer alley taking us closer towards the 'rettershof' - a former monastery.
i took photos of this last time, too, being much less green than on this picture.
reaching the premises of the monastery, and of course you'll find figurines of mother mary. this little place of worship was embedded into some rock altar, and somebody built a nice wee garden area around it!
blessing y'all with the power of baby jesus or something... or maybe the power of mary even, as she was the offical patron of the monastery.
the 'rettershof' had formerly been a monastery of the premonstratensians and its oldest parts date back to 1146 when gerhard of nüring endowed a deed of donation to them. in the year 1559 the monastery was dissolutioned in the course of the lutheran reformation. after that it had been turned into a domain property until most of the buildings got destroyed in the 30 years war ( 1618 - 1648 ). the buildings you can see today were mostly erected during the 18th and 19th centuries, when the domain was bought by several new owners. the last renovations took place during the 1920ies and 1930ies, most of the decorations you see now being created during that time. today, it is used by the city of kelkheim as a stud farm.
not sure who this saint is, though i believe it to be st. augustine, as he was important to the premonstratenstian order. these little altars felt distinctly 1930ies to me, the wrought iron decor was probably created by one w. stein from nearby eppstein.
it is quite a beautiful farmstead to be honest, decorated with all kinds of historicizing elements, wall murals, several coat of arms and statues.
loved the painted sun dial a lot! the slogans written on the wall translate into: do it like the sundial, only count the happy hours! and: humans will experience, no matter who they are, a last joy and a last day.
on the roof little iron figurines were riding the ridge.
a whimsical little detail from a time a long ago, telling of high society's day trips to this destination.
the main living quarters were inside this part of the farmstead.
random perfect roses 🌹
the gate house is actually quite a jewel, bedazzled with gothic-looking ornaments and a mural that depicts the former monastery in a display as it was seen in 1592. the dictum though is not, it says: beautiful women, good horses, are expensive. if you want to choose between both, take horses, they are more loyal.
i'd say: boo at old time misogyny 👎
warning thieves to stay away: who is walking through this farmstead and is turning their hands to steal, you better stay outside, our cat can pilfer on her own!
a closer look at the gate house also reveals religious sceneries, stations of the cross.
and a gorgeous iron gate, made by the same creator from eppstein i mentioned before. the coat of arms belong to all the various owners in the over 800 year old history of the monastery/farmstead.
even closer glances at the stations of the cross stonework.
definitely quite a little nugget hidden in the high taunus woods!
this sweet entrance led up to another historic building, castle rettershof. it was built in 1884/1885 by one frederik rodewald. i haven't shot photos of this building at all, maybe i thought it was a home and didn't want to violate privacy, though i kinda doubt that... whatever the reason may be, i won't leave you hanging, here's a link to this place, as it is now actually a hotel.
obviously part of the castle garden - stone sculptures of various gods and goddesses.
a little further away from the castle, you could find yourself near agricultural landscapes, with a view onto the little village of ruppertshain, which is also part of the kelkheim municipality. the tower on the ridge of the mountain is a telecommunication tower. ruppertshain has been known for the sanatarium for consumptives, an institution that operated from 1895 to 1982. it would be a place worth checking out for another time maybe, even though it now houses appartments, ateliers & a restaurant and is nothing like a sanatorium anymore. i find places like this sort of eerie, though, considering that oftentimes people didn't heal from their ailments, making such a place a place of death & grief also.
on our stroll back to the car, we passed by sweet meadows, with crickets chirping extensively, telling of the upcoming warm days of summer! and another day in the taunus mountains was coming to a tranquil end.
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