by Pamela L. Barrus
The Euro
Happily, many of us are once
again making plans to travel to new and exciting countries this year. Since the disruption of foreign travel in the last several months, quite a profound change has affected 300 million people in 12 European countries.
The European Union has introduced a new currency, the "Euro," and abolished the use of francs, schillings, lire, punts, drachma, escudos, and guilders. In Germany and Spain, symbolic funeral processions and burials laid
to rest deutche marks and pesetas forever.
Actually, it's easy to calculate the exchange of the new Euro—it's worth slightly less than a U.S. dollar. For readers of Dream Sleeps, which uses the old national
currencies, the designations: Very Expensive, Expensive, Moderate and Inexpensive, found after the rates, has not changed. An expensive hotel remains expensive, while an inexpensive hotel remains inexpensive, according
to the book's guidelines. For a more precise rate, you may either contact the hotel on its website, call its reservation service, or use one of the handy on-line foreign currency calculators. Yahoo and AOL's calculators
still convert from the old currency to the Euro. The U.K., Sweden, and Denmark have retained their currencies. If you're traveling to England, Scotland, or Wales with Dream Sleeps
in your bag, the room rates listed in British pounds are still valid.
What's New in the Old World
Two of Europe's most exquisite castle hotels have pulled up the drawbridge to
guests. Leslie Castle in Scotland and Schloss Matzen
in Austria are now closed. The Baron and Baroness Leslie and Christopher Kump at Leslie Castle have done a splendid job, and I wish them the best of luck in their new endeavors.
Austria
Centuries ago
if you traveled through Burgenland, you were probably a Roman, Magyar, Turkish, French, German, or Russian soldier marching as part of an invasion force. You certainly didn't come here to enjoy quiet farmland,
tree-lined hills, vineyards, and orchards. This region has been fought over so brutally and for so long that after the Turkish invasion in 1529 settlers from Croatia were brought in because nobody was left.
Now, the
newest province of Austria—as determined from a 1921 plebiscite following World War I—Burgenland takes its name not from the dozens of castles that dot its hillsides (burg meaning "castle" in German) but from the former
Hungarian administrative districts that had the suffix "burg" in their names. Burgenland also has the fewest foreign visitors of any area in Austria—an ideal situation for hiking and bird watching in the national park
at Neusiedler See and for touring traditional villages such as Heiligenkreuz, with its thatched roofs and window boxes bursting with geraniums.
In the foothills of Austria's eastern Alps, just before the
landscape gently unfolds into the Hungarian plains, the noble castle of Bernstein has stood sentry since the ninth century. Assaulted, blown up, and even struck by lightning during its 1000-year life, Bernstein's
numerous owners—including Laszlo Almásy, better known as the person depicted in the title role of "The English Patient"—have maintained the castle's architectural integrity. A hotel since 1953, Burg Bernstein
offers guests a warm welcome and a fascinating glimpse into traditional Austrian life. Passed down through the Berger-Almasy family for generations, the castle is presented more as a large home than as an impersonal
hotel. The ten keyless baronial guestrooms bear names not numbers. Instead of televisions, mini-bars, and telephones, priceless antiques fill the rooms. During winter, ceramic Austrian stoves keep the air cozy and warm.
Bathrooms are modernized.
And what would a castle be without a resident ghost? One of Bernstein's former medieval lords returned home from war one day to find his young, beautiful wife in bed with a servant. In a
rage, he walled her up inside her bedroom to die. Her spirit is said to roam the castle on dark nights.
(Hotel Burg Bernstein, A-7434 Bernstein, Burgenland; Tel: 011-43-3354-63-82; Fax:
011-43-3354-65-20; Rates: doubles from € 180; Open all year; http://www.burgbernstein.at)
Italy
Fortunately, new castle and palace hotels throughout Europe are opening their doors
faster than ever. Ten years ago in Italy, for example, only a handful of these hotels existed, primarily in the Merano/Bolzano region. Now you can find these architectural treasures in Campania, Umbria, Tuscany, and
Puglia.
One of the more intriguing hotels is a fortified farmhouse between Bari and Brindisi. These types of structures are common in this area in Italy. A few have been converted into hotels; others are open for
exploration.
The Hotel Masseria San Domenico began life as a fifteenth-century watchtower, constructed to warn against attacks by Turkish pirates. At one time, the knights of Malta visited here. Over the centuries,
walls, moats, sentry posts, and farm buildings were added, and its importance as an agricultural center grew.
Surrounded by olive trees and orchards, the whitewashed buildings of the Masseria San Domenico remain
faithful to their defensive and agricultural origins, but modern creature comforts--including an enormous stone-bordered swimming pool--have been added.
(Hotel Masseria San Domenico, 72010
Salvalletri di Fasano (Brindisi); Tel: 011-39-80-482-27-90; Fax: 011-39-80-482-79-78; http://www.imasseria.com.)
Spain
One of the most unique and creative ideas I've ever heard of
among the castle hotels of Europe is traditional craft classes offered in several of the spectacular Spanish paradores. Medieval ambience, architectural preservation, and regional gastronomy have drawn visitors to these
government-run accommodations in the less visited areas of Spain since 1926, but this new learning experience of hands-on art classes is an exciting dimension to the castle experience.
Taught by renowned
artists in their field, these classes include stained glass window design at the Parador de Oropesa, wineskin-making at the Parador de Siguënza, bookbinding in the Parador de Avila
, and classic mosaic work at the Parador de Mérida. Engraving, wickerwork, and lace-making are taught respectively at the paradores in Salamanca, Trujillo, and Almagro.
Three-day, half-pension packages
are available, which also include six hours of instruction, materials, and a certificate of attendance. Of course, you can take home your masterpiece.
***
Three more historical buildings will
soon join the parador network. Already open is the Parador de Plasencia, a 15th-to-17th-century Gothic convent located in the ancient quarter of the town of the same name. 2003 marks the opening of the
Parador de Monforte de Lemosencompassing, part of an ancient castle in the northwest region of Galicia. And during restoration of the 17th-century Palacio Ducal de Lerma, which is being turned into another
stunning parador near the northern town of Burgos, workman have discovered the remains of a castle.
Portugal
I finally got the opportunity a few months ago to visit the Pousada de Alvito.
Located in the southern region of Portugal, one drives through kilometers of rather stark countryside punctuated by occasional cork and oak trees until the whitewashed town of Alvito. The area is famed for its wine, and
signs point the way to vineyards offering tastings.
The 14th-century castle of Alvito, found right in the middle of town, combines Mudejar and Gothic styles of architecture. Although there has been quite a bit of
reconstruction, one still feels its medieval origins. Rooms are generous with modern bathrooms. Those on the 2nd floor have arched Moorish windows that look out across the town.
Outside, a leafy garden, filled with
orange trees, Cyprus and palms, and a swimming pool offer a pleasant area in which to relax. One hopes the strutting peacocks remain non-agitated. A nice touch is a shady arcade covered with grape vines.
The
atmosphere at Alvito, the castle, town, and surrounding countryside, is very quiet, but that, in my opinion, is part of the charm. Even the hotel suggests: "We invite you to take a walk through Alvito and discover its
hidden treasures, but make it slowly!" This is a very typical and unspoiled region of Portugal, perfect for a side trip off the beaten path. (www.pousadas.pt)
