This first guest story is brought to you by one of my good friends Matthew. He lived in Germany for many years because both of his parents were officers in the Army. Matt is a born historian and now teaches Latin and Medieval History at a High School.
Although tourism and sightseeing increase every year, fewer people find the opportunity to actually live in a location of considerable exoticness. Tucked away in the southern part of Germany in Rhineland-Pfalz resides a small Germany village by the name of Haschbach. With typical European red clay tile roofs and cinder block houses dotting the valley, the quaint village is a picture of a small German town. Castles and other historic sights are a short driving distance in every direction. Some locations sport ruins and artifacts from as far back as the Roman Empire, a Roman road is less than two kilometers from Haschbach itself (yes, the road leads to Rome).
Living in a military family, we rented a house on a dead-end street of this village. I fondly remember playing hide-and-seek with our German neighbors, sledding every winter in the pastures, and smelling the freshly baked bread and cheesecakes brought for sale in a truck from the local bakery. Curiously, the street’s name, Auf der Höll (on top of hell), had a sort of history in itself. Apparently, some years prior the mayor’s wife was mortally struck by lightning on the hill where the street now resides. I suppose the name was meant to illumine the street’s history.
However, by far, the most spectacular and exotic attraction about the village was the castle and chapel on top of a hill, called Mt. Remigiusberg, next to the village. The first uses of the hill for a type of fortification were by robber barons who built it illegally to plunder the land and its inhabitants until monks bought the castle for an exorbitant amount of money. Originally built between the 800-900s, nothing remains of the original structure. Eventually a noble family inherited the land, and a grandfather by the name of Heinrich built a new castle on the ruins of the old to protect his granddaughter from two power-hungry relatives. As good Catholics, a chapel was also built beside the castle, named Michael chapel after the Archangel. The castle was named Michelsburg and has lasted through French and German occupations both before and after the disastrous Thirty Years’ War. Remains of both structures still gleam on the mountain top reflecting nearly one thousand years of history. Although the castle itself no longer has its tower and roof, the chapel remains in use today for special occasions. And yes, the castle is an increasing tourist spot. But nothing beats the chance to actually live with the castle and chapel outside one’s bedroom window.
For more information on this town check this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y_RfikHuiMydBsDZ_RVwMY01Xsl6aEIcfhxcl08f2Pw/edit?usp=sharing
Matthew
Remigiusberg mit Michelsburg 
Small World, Big Stories 