XLI.
Frankfort, Germany, 1848.
From Munich I proceeded to Ulm, the frontier town of Würtemberg, on the opposite bank of the Danube from Bavaria. The Gothic cathedral there is the most curious object for a stranger, and is now a Protestant church. The body of this church is the largest in Germany, and is a second St. Peter’s in size, being four hundred and sixteen feet long, one hundred and sixty-six feet wide, and one hundred and forty-four feet high, with five aisles; the terrace is unfinished, and is three hundred and thirty-seven feet high. There are some fine old stained glass windows, and some remarkable carved work in the building.
I had once tasted of snail soup in Naples, which, during the season of Lent, is considered a great delicacy, but I did not know, until I came to Ulm, that there was a snail market. They say they export millions of them yearly into Austria, and other parts of the country. They are produced in the vicinity, and put up in casks for exportation.
From Ulm I went to Stuttgart, by diligence. It is the royal residence of the king of Würtemberg, who is so celebrated for his love of horses. I saw him driving a fine pair, of the Hungarian Esterhazy breed, through the park, with apparent satisfaction. The manager of the stables of the Prince is an Englishman. The prince married a Russian princess, the daughter of the Emperor Nicholas, and had some Russian carriages and droskys with a Russian driver in costume—the first I had seen.
This Englishman accompanied me through the Crown Prince and King’s stables, and showed the horses belonging to government for the improvement of stock. I counted in all two hundred and ten belonging to the king and his son, and one hundred and eighty for the account of the crown. Arabian, Russian, Hungarian, English, and Persian horses are to be found here. The stables, the harness rooms, and carriage repositories were on a grand scale; but the sovereign people will say when the time comes, “The expenses are too great; we cannot submit any longer to these extravagances.”
Stuttgart is a well-built and interesting city, surrounded by hills covered with the grape, with fine palace-gardens and a park, traversed by carriage roads and promenades for some miles.
I went to Kannstadt, some four or five miles from the city, to the mineral springs, which are much frequented by the inhabitants. The railroad passes through the place, and there are agreeable walks to return, for pedestrians, along the valley of the river Neckar, and through the palace park to the city.
From Stuttgart I made my way by diligence to Carlsruhe, and here struck the railroad for Baden Baden. Carlsruhe has not much of interest for the traveller. It is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden, is dull, with sandy soil, but being a royal residence, has a very fine park. It is curiously built, and is described by a writer as being in the form of a fan, or rather a wheel—the main streets, like the spokes, all radiate from the Palace, which terminates the vista in every street, so that the citizens who wish to know which way the wind blows need only look to the palace weather-cock.
Everybody has heard of Baden Baden, so famous as a fashionable watering-place, and all who have visited it can speak of the beauty of its locality, surrounded by hills and mountains, and its narrow valley with its delightful shady walks; but this year they are quite deserted. The princes have enough to do to take care of their subjects; citizens remain at home to look after their interests; the blacklegs find their avocation almost gone. There is not one-third the usual number of arrivals, consequently the balls, concerts, and gaming tables are less frequented.