A bedtime story about a dragon, a princess and a textile mill artisan……

Deep in the Rheinland we were taken by our Vietnamese hosts, (yes you read that correctly) to a picturesque traditional German village named Monschau, some 1,5 hours drive from Koln.

Once a vibrant textile mill town, it was impacted hard by the industrial revolution some 150 years ago.

With the castle sitting high above the narrow village streets, you could imagine the dragon swooping down, breathing fire on the villagers, whilst protecting its princess high in the castle keep. Only for a young handsome artisan to fall in love, climb the castle walls, slay the beast in an almighty battle and win the heart of his love……then live happily ever after, as man and dragon.

It’s definitely a breathtaking little village, easy to walk around in an afternoon, with stunning views from every corner and a shallow river running through its heart, wishing we could stay here for one night.