One of the things I like to do when exploring, is finding unique things to do outside of the usual things. So for a day trip, I decided to head to a Dorf (or ‘town’, in English) called Idar-Oberstein. Here we went gemstone mining. Prior to doing some research, I had no idea Germany had so many precious gemstone mines, however this one, Edelsteinminen Steinkaulenberg, is the only one open to touring. Booking a reservation is easy online and I highly recommend doing so, as it sells out relatively quickly and if you buy at the mine there is no guarantee of the time you will get.

Anways once we arrived, it is a bit of a hike to get to the mine itself, however the hike itself has some interesting history. One of my favorite things about Germany is that on almost every hike there is a chance to come accross ruins of some kind. In this instance there are medieval ruins throughout the short hike. One such ruin is, The Mittelalterliche Gerichts-und Richterstatte Des Idarbanne, which roughly translates to the Medieval Court of Idar. It is where So-called ‘Trials by Ordeal’ were held. These were very common in the Middle Ages and basically people believed that if the person’s guilt could not be proven, then the truth would eventually prevail. However, this was done by having the accused carry hot pieces of iron with their bare hands or they were thrown into a body of water while bound. If they survived, they were innocent, if the died they were guilty. This is where the term “I’d put my hand in the fire for that” originated.

Once you finish the hike, then the real fun begins. The tour is about an hour long and it goes through the mines where you learn about the history of gemstone mining, types of gemstones, and how they are mined. It is fascinating and feels almost like a fairy tale. I felt like one of the seven dwarfs going off to work. It was cool.

Also, under the mine, is a gorgeous underground lake that is just breathtaking to walk over. The mine tour itself is definitely worth it. They also have a mining yard you can purchase tickets to. In there you can mine for gemstones and crystals. It is perfect for children and adults alike. Since I was 8 months pregnant at the time, I opted not to get down and dig in the dirt, but to each their own! You do you, Boos.

They also have a gift shop where they sell some of the mined gemstones at actually very fair prices. I got myself a necklace with my son’s birthstone, Moonstone… I just had to hope he wanted until June to come, which he did!

After the gemstone tour, we decided to explore around the town. The tour itself is rather small, as it was a US military base up until 2008. Fun fact, Bruce Willis was born here on this base. His father was a US military soldier and his mother a German citizen. He lived here until he was about 2 years old before returning to the United States. **The More You Know** Anyways, the downtown area is cute, but tiny. We walked around a little and browsed the shops. There are many gemstone boutiques, both fancy and homemade. There were also many restaurants and coffee shops all adorable in their small European town way. My husband is an ice cream (‘Eis’, in German) fanatic so naturally we stopped to get some. A popular ice cream dish here is spaghetti ice cream (or ‘Spaghettieis’), which is an Italo-German take on ice cream that resembles spaghetti. Basically, it is vanilla ice cream that is pushed through a ricer and then set on top of whipped cream. Strawberry sauce is added over top to look like marinara and then white chocolate is shaved to mimic parmesan cheese. Yep, its weird and also delicious. I will say, Germans do ice cream way better than the US. I also love that most coffee shops (Cafes) serve beverages and desserts in the mornings and then ice cream in the afternoons/evenings. So clever. Take note Americans and start opening coffee shops like that.

After exploring the town, we stopped by the gemstone museum and then wanted to tour the Felsenkirche (‘Crag Church’), obviously. This church is the most recognized landmark of Idar-Oberstein as it is literally built into a mountain. It boasts a gorgeous interior with a natural spring inside, a crucifix of naturally grown agate, and an organ still functioning from the 1700s. Legend has it that this church was built by a Prince in order to atone for murdering his brother. The story goes that they both fell in love with the same woman and out of jealousy, the prince threw his brother from a castle window. As penance, he built this church where his brother’s body landed, within the mountain. Now, there is zero historical evidence this is true, but quite the story and I choose to believe it.

Unfortunately for us and many others, the only way to access this church is to take 230 steps up the mountain. Again, being 8 months pregnant and still reliving the trauma of Heidelberg, I opted to forego the journey. However, it is something I definitely want to go back to and explore.

Finally, our last stop was Oberstein Castle, which is also referred to as the ‘New Castle’. Funny since it was actually built in 1320. It stands on top of a mountain and has gorgeous views overlooking the town. The castle itself is open for touring and has a restaurant for anyone interested. I definitely recommend stopping to take a look.

Overall, this is a cool day trip to take if you are looking for something outside of the box and outdoorsy without being too intense. I am definitely going to make the trip back when my son is a little older so he can dig around for gemstones in the mining field.

My goal with this blog was to post once a week, however life happens. Between being a mom and traveling it gets hard. Please bear with me as I find some type of rhythm.

Little hint for the next post…This city has a famous Kirche and Festival that happens to also be the name of my son.