Bad Konigshofen to Coburg 9-2-11

Old style wooden siding shingles in village at the east German border

Festung Heldburg, fortified castle

Fountain at Ummerstadt zentrum

fachwerk at Ummerstadt zentrum

more fachwerk in Ummerstadt

Rathaus in Ummerstadt

fachwerk everywhere in Ummerstadt

Casimirianum coburg.  First school of higher education in Coburg, renaissance style

St Moriz Lutheran church in Coburg.  Luther preached there in 1530

Adam and Eve at St Moriz portal

St Moriz altar. 

Baptismal font at St Moriz

  The former chancery called Stadthaus in late German Renaissance style with richly ornamented gables and 2 oriels called "Coburger erker" 

Rathaus in renaissance style with prominent oriel, mansard roof, on the top of the gable the statue of St. Mauritius the patron saint of the Town

Berrenthurm Hotel.  Our room for the night. 

We left Bad Koingshofen with the intent of going Bad Rodach.  Somewhere near the old DDR area we lost the trail and ended more or less following the old fence for a few miles until we got back into Franken from Thueringen.  We then were forced to ride on roads and head straight for Coburg more or less.  By following the roads we went thru villiages  we would have never seen.  Ummerstadt, little fachwerk treasure, was one of them.  We found a gasthaus for some much needed beer.  We passed the festung of Heldburg but didn't get to go up and look at it.  We found a trail to Coburg again in Weltramsdorf and started following it.  We ended up on a dirt single track climbing to the heavens.  We crested a ridge and were in the town of Weidach where we took a wrong turn and reached Coburg after going on busy roads thru a couple small towns on the outskirts of Coburg.  We had a hard time finding the info office in the Centrum but got there just before closing and they booked a room for us at Berrenthurm Hotel.  The Hotel tower was once part of the city wall.  From 1822 to 1833 there really lived 2 bears in the tower, the present from the prince Ferdinand von Coburg-Cohary.  Later it was the home of the educator of the princes Ernst and Albert.  Albert became the husband of Queen Victoria of England who also his cousin.  It was the most expensive place we stayed so far(120e).  Breakfast was included in the price as always.  At Breakfast the very formal hostess found fault in Mac's use of cups and cutlery.  He used a tea cup for his coffee and the wrong spoon to eat the softboiled egg.  He also put the coffee urn on the table instead of back on the dish. 
In the end she was very nice as she let us stash our bags while we went sightseeing for the day.