12:07 — we catch the RE train to coburg, a trip that takes 1h 15min but also takes you back over 100 years to the the turn of the 20th century (the point in time where the 19th century is calling it a day and the 20th is eager to get going): though having its share of modern buildings (most visibly, the headquarters of the HUK coburg insurance company when you leave the station towards the city) it has lots and lots of 1900s (or thereabouts) villas and buildings.

we have a light snack at the stadtcafe coburg — an interesting mixture of art déco and modern architecture — and then meander through the old inner city part towards the market square (short stop at the bookshop riemann — where i cannot resist the rather thick but also rather interesting die grenze durch deutschland: eine chronik von 1945 bis 1990 by roman grafe, a chronicle of the inner german border, the iron curtain, focusing on the area around probstzella).

after taking a look at the statue of albert of saxe-coburg, prince consort of queen victoria (very decent statue, his alleged innovation not on display) we then make our way past the rathaus to schloss ehrenburg and on into the hofgarten: a really nice park with lots of deciduous trees and green spaces — we love it!

from the hofgarten we climb up the stairs to the veste coburg. most of the castle (supposedly one of the largest still remaining castles in germany) is currently under renovation, but still it’s an impressive sight and site and the views across franconia are spectacular.

finally, we make our way back through the hofgarten to the market square and have a late tea/coffee at café feyler — lovely place; again, decorated in the style of the early 20th century.

we take the 18:35 RE train back to erlangen, back to the present.

dinner tonight is, fittingly, in the goldene harfe, an old frankonian pub.

all in all an interesting day