The Jesuit Castle and Forest Children's Garden Discovery

Hello, friends! Another weekend, another day filled with adventure. With songs, dances, joy and good spirits, we ventured outside. The weather has cooled down a bit lately. But we didn't lose hope; we believed we would have a beautiful day ahead. We set out for The Jesuit Castle. Jesuitenschloss Merzhausen is a magnificent residence located near Freiburg.

At the beginning of our journey, interesting signs welcomed us here. It said "Diamond Buddhism." We continued our journey. There's a castle close to our city, right next to Freiburg. We could see it from afar, from a bird's-eye view.

A path lined with apple trees greeted us. The apple trees are blossoming now, the beginning of spring is very beautiful with bright greens. The path ahead was filled with lush and sprawling trees.

After a short walk, we arrived at the castle. We were greeted from the outside by a green-windowed arch. As with every tourist spot in Germany, there were information boards. We learned about the history of this castle. This castle, used by the Jesuits since 1620, was received as a gift from the Schnewlin-Bernlapp von Bollschweil family. It has changed owners many times and undergone various structural changes. Since 1985, there has been a winery here owned by Heiliggeistspitalstiftung. In addition to that, there is a tasting room and a large hall. Also, there is a restaurant on the castle grounds overlooking Freiburg.

They have done a really successful job. This castle has been rebuilt several times and changed hands. Currently, there is a winery in the castle courtyard where you can taste wine. Everything was closed today because it's the weekend, but we could wander around the courtyard comfortably and see everything. There are so many flowers, such beautiful tulips. There is a fountain in the inner courtyard. An old bell for ringing the door caught our attention. I don't know what's inside; maybe there's a laboratory. We notice a part of an old press, there's a channel for the wine to flow. Grapes are crushed here and grape juice used to flow from this stone. There is currently no water in the fountain, it says there's water not fit for drinking here.

We saw the tasting room where you can taste wine in the inner courtyard. There are tables and chairs inside. I believe wine tastings are held here. There was an announcement saying you could sign up for a tasting by calling from your phone. The courtyard of this castle has very old doors, still bearing the traces of those times. Here, we saw old tools used for winemaking. There are four presses. They are engraved with old wooden letters. It felt like touching history, it was a wonderful feeling. There are traces here showing how these presses were assembled in the past. These presses seem to be made of cast iron. It's a really interesting place. In our mountains, near our city, we thought we should follow such activities and definitely participate in wine tasting. And you can buy wine here; this little shop is open on some days of the week. If you're interested, you can take a break and buy something. The cheapest wines start from 6 euros. This place is truly wonderful, peaceful and serene.

There used to be a medical plant school here. This place used to be a sanatorium and after World War II, it hosted refugees and the wounded. In this magnificent and beautiful building, outdoors, students were studying medicinal plants. We saw a dove figure symbolizing world peace here and there are also wonderful cats. Maybe they're having a barbecue here during school breaks. We saw ancient trees and beautiful scratching posts. The bell above the doors is made of wrought iron. This might be a place where people lived, perhaps for castle guards or wine sellers. There are information boards all over the castle walls, telling the castle's history. This bell probably still works like it used to; when someone comes, they ring the bell and open the doors. There is a wonderful view overlooking the mountains. There was a beautiful magnolia flower, but it seems to have started wilting now.

The weather has been around 19-20 degrees Celsius in recent days. But today it cooled down. There are so many beautiful flowers. They're magnificent; even their scents are wonderful. The trees and fences are beautifully decorated. I think it's a bit chilly in the mountains.

No one can surpass or enter these fences. There's a bird feeding place, with a bird feeder and a birdhouse. And there's a wonderful terrarium made of tree trunks. It's very beautiful and creative. Here's a hotel for insects. Everything looks beautiful. We approached the back side, where there was a section we guessed was for children. Yes, we saw the sign: "Forest Children's Garden." It's very nice; children come here to breathe fresh air. Everything is done very thoughtfully. Children can stay here for a while in such a place. We continued our walk; we saw farmlands along the way, farmers preparing for planting. There was a tent here. It says, "Building a fire and camping is allowed."

Structures made from gathered branches can be interesting for children. Seats made from tree branches could be an interesting slide. But right now, it's so dirty that it's definitely not recommended for a child to enter there. But nevertheless, children and even adults can have fun here. There was a swing rope, but everything was in mud.

The wind was incredibly strong. We passed through swamps. Nothing could stop us; we were ready to walk, explore and see new things in all kinds of weather conditions. We headed towards the forest. We found another Forest Children's Garden. Children are brought here early in the morning and are usually picked up around noon. They spend time in this little wagon, trying to plant flowers, doing something. They keep their tools here. They might also be painting; there was a painting area. Children spend a few hours here; they don't stay here for lunch. But there are tables and chairs; maybe they snack on something. Parents might bring them something. They only stay for a few hours, they are brought here at 8 in the morning and picked up at 12.

There was another gathering place here, a small garden area made of branches. There are birdhouses and further on, barracks are being built. This forest children's garden is truly a wonderful place. We went further. Because it had been raining for a few days, the roads were a bit messed up and we had to face some obstacles in the forest. Our path goes through the mud, but we want to reach the top. We climbed a bit higher and it seems like there are handicrafts made by children in the mountains. They drew something and made small houses out of stones. There's even a door, an entrance door. What do you think children do in the forest children's garden? We are happy to see this, seeing these handicrafts is interesting. We climbed a little higher; the sun was shining through the trees, the sky was blue. On the other hand, the wind was getting stronger, the tops of the trees were swaying from side to side. We could see a small town below, but we continued our journey; the weather was cool, our hands were freezing. There was also a bench up there, a nice place to sit and spend time.

There are such interesting plants. It could be really exciting to recognize each one. However, some of them could be poisonous, so it's important to be careful. It was a pleasant and exciting walk! Flowers, mushrooms, fruits - we discovered many interesting things. And of course, it's important to remember to be respectful to nature to preserve its beauty and richness.