Bernkastel on the Mosel
Bernkastel is well known for its outstanding wine growing area, "Doctor Weinberg".
According to reports, the wine here helped to cure the Elector in 1356. Indeed,
beginning in the Middle Ages, the wine business and river cruising along the
Mosel (meaning the taxes) helped produce the city's notable wealth. Witness
to this today is the city square with its half-timbered buildings, some reaching
a height of five stories, as well as the city hall (1608) and the Michael
fountain from the time of the renaissance (1606). Even older are the Michael's
Church from the 14th century, the buildings of the Cusanus wine chambers and
the so called "Spitzhäusschen" dated back to 1416, with its typical medieval
wine cellar, upper floors covered in oak beams and a big roof storage for
reserves. The structurally and architecturally harmonious market square has
preserved most of its medieval atmosphere and gives the visitor a glimpse
of the intellectual breeding ground of the 15th century, where groundbreaking
philosophical, theological and scientific works were produced. These were
essential for the transition from the Middle Age to Renaissance and modern
times.
On the other side of the Mosel and connected by a bridge, lies Kues, a wine
village, incorporated into Bernkastel 100 years ago. In the year 1401,
Nikolaus von Kues
(Nicolaus Cusanus) was born here. He was a church dignitary, universal scholar
and philosopher who rose to the position of Cardinal and whose theoretical
writings signalled the end of medieval thinking. His works range from mathematical
problems such as quadrature (squaring) of circles, to the universal concept
of a world religion in which every religion would unite around a common basis.
Very much worth a visit is the St. Niklaus hospital that Niklaus von Kues
donated and to which he left his important library. To date, this remains
unchanged. There, you find the most precious parts of the Cusanus library
with its unique hand written collection of scientific works of the 9th - 15th
Centuries and therefore one of the most valuable private libraries on earth.
A special beauty and formal structure is seen in the medieval cloister of
the monastery and the Gothic chapel where Cusanus is depicted as benefactor
on the middle piece of the wing altar. The birth house of Cusanus lies at
Kues, at the edge of the village heading towards Lieser. Here you will find
an informative exhibition of the life of this significant philosopher and
scientific theoretician. Here Cusanus finished his most important work "De
Docta Ignorania". Overall, Bernkastel is a culturally rewarding experience.
The area around Bernkastel was already populated in prehistoric time, as the
Celtic hilltop site "Ober dem Lieser Pfad" bears witness. Later, the Roman
Fort "Primcastellum" was located here, from which the name Bernkastel was
derived. The Landshut castle above Bernkastel, first officially documented
in the 7th century, was burned to the ground (without military influence)
and remains in ruin to this day. It is best reached via a footpath through
the vineyards, where you can gain an increasingly better view over Bernkastel-Kues
and the Mosel loop with every step.