Spent another hour and a half using the free WiFi service at the campsite and then on towards the Czech Republic. We originally intended to stop at Ulm but decided that we could get much further, so stopped at Eichstatt at a site from the Camperstop Europe 2007 book. This book lists many free or very cheap motorhome stops over much of Europe. This was the first site that we had tried and we were very impressed. The site was very close to the centre of the town, very quiet and there were at least 8 other motorhomes were parked there, with space for many more. Toilets, showers and water were provided with electricity optional and there was somewhere to dump the chemical toilet and grey waste water. A one night stay cost €7 – a real bargain.
Eichstatt was a Baroque town with fascinating architecture, especially the churches. It is a Catholic University town and it was clear that the church had a very strong influence. In the Tourist Information office we started finding out about the Roman influence in the area. This was the frontier area of the Roman Empire, where they had a very difficult time with the Germanic tribes. Their stay was relatively short but their influence was great – many roads, villas and forts to protect the unstable boarder. They built a huge wall ('The Limes') running over 500 km from Rheinbrohl in the North to Regensburg in the South. The Limes has been put on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list and a huge amount of work has been done to protect, excavate, preserve and show the sites. Very impressive reconstructions of forts and villas have been made. We resisted the temptation to spend the next month investigating the Limes but wanted to see at least some of the sites.
Eichstatt was a Baroque town with fascinating architecture, especially the churches. It is a Catholic University town and it was clear that the church had a very strong influence. In the Tourist Information office we started finding out about the Roman influence in the area. This was the frontier area of the Roman Empire, where they had a very difficult time with the Germanic tribes. Their stay was relatively short but their influence was great – many roads, villas and forts to protect the unstable boarder. They built a huge wall ('The Limes') running over 500 km from Rheinbrohl in the North to Regensburg in the South. The Limes has been put on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list and a huge amount of work has been done to protect, excavate, preserve and show the sites. Very impressive reconstructions of forts and villas have been made. We resisted the temptation to spend the next month investigating the Limes but wanted to see at least some of the sites.
Photograph - Hell as depicted by a stained glass window in a Eichstatt church.
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