Erlebnisnacht!

Today is one of those days when this town puts on its prettiest face and makes a huge effort to be a cultural mecca. They put on a fine show tonight, and call it "Erlebnisnacht" - Night of Experiences. There is so much going on that it pays to make a strategic plan beforehand. Ours involved a city maps with icons representing the specific events, and a rating system which included "mandatory fun" and "ancillary fun," to be experienced if the schedule between the "mandatory fun" events allowed. (I have been called a nerd for this. I think it's efficiency. You decide.)

First we went to the city church for their tour of the south tour - only available once a year, and immensely popular. "Circa 40" people were allowed in for the 7:00 tour, and at least twice that many were waiting in line. Having arrived 40 minutes early, we were numbers 38 and 39 and were allowed in and up. The guide showed us the old, old bells (the oldest was made in 1422)...


...and the skyscraping apartment where the Ottos, the famous Wittenberg bell-ringing family, lived and watched for fires and rang the tower bells every 15 minutes round the clock for 5 decades. Because of the somewhat precarious staircase, the kids did not venture downstairs into town until they were 5 or 6 YEARS old, and the goat probably never did. The first thing the kids said when they reached solid ground? "Wow, the horses and carriages are so BIG down here!"

The view from the top is grand.