My parents wanted to do a bit of travelling and see some things in the local area and after a failed attempt at finding the Ruedesheim I remember from the German exchange 6 years ago we headed on over to Idar-Oberstein further into Rheinland-Pfalz. I'd been there with my exchange partner and it was so lovely to go back, the satnav took us exactly where I remembered being which helped when we were trying to find the sights!
The main attraction in the town is the Felsenkirche which is this beautiful 15th century church carved into the rock face of the cliff which surrounds the city. It takes an awful lot of leg work to make it up to the church - hundreds and hundreds of steps! - but once you've made it the view is spectacular and the fact that men 500 years ago managed to not only ascend to this height but carve backwards into a rock face and create a beautiful and stable church which still stands today is incredible!
The area is also known for its precious gems and the streets are lined with shops selling amethyst and all kinds of stones in both its natural and refined forms. I picked up some decorations for my room and my brother managed to find his birthstone which proved a challenging task!
The town lies along a main connecting road which links west Rheinland-Pfalz to the east of the Bundesland and despite the concrete today, the road stood there many years ago meaning that many of the pubs and restaurants in Idar-Oberstein are former travelling and coach inns where to this day you can sample the delights of the local delicacy and have a good hearty meal before continuing your journey. The one we found was at the base of the steps to the church (convenient) and had an open fire grill which was left open so we could see our food being cooked before our very eyes! It's the best schnitzel I've had in Germany so far, definitely recommended!
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