Towards the end of August...

...my sister and I went for a long walk on a sunny Sunday. Actually, we walked for enough hours for it to be safely called a hike. It is that time of the year when you really should take full advantage of each sunny day before it gets too cold and nasty out there, and so we put sandwiches and bottles of water in our bags, did not forget to add something rain-proof to our outfits, and set off.

I did not bring my camera, so all the pictures in this post are courtesy my sister; she has taken them with her mobile (which has a much better camera than my mobile). 

The place we went to has featured on my blog before; I posted pictures of it here, for instance. We did not walk directly there, but took a sort of "scenic route" round the small palace by the lake and across the fields. So, instead of the 4,5 km a direct path would have covered, we more or less doubled that - one way.

Vines and roses, and that incredibly blue sky!

Greeting the visitors above the gate is this smiling (?) lion.

View from the top of the hill towards our hometown of Ludwigsburg.

The hill (Asperg) was a settlemend already in the Bronze Age (or even earlier) and has been used as a fortification for various purposes throughout history, from defense post to prison. Today, it is a prison-hospital, but about half of the area on top is open to the public, with a museum, a restaurant and some beautiful spots to enjoy the view from. We sat on a bench there, enjoying just such a view, to have our sarnies, and then took coffee from the restaurant which has recently started to operate a kiosk for those who just want to grab a quick bite or a drink and sit outside instead of visiting the restaurant proper.

Where we have just been, seen from the top of the smaller hill.

The same view, zoomed in.

After that well-deserved break, we went to a smaller hill from where these panoramic pictures were taken. This smaller hill is the tomb of two VIPs from the Celtic tribe that used to rule the area for centuries (until the Romans came), but of course nothing of the tomb itself remains; it was opened and its contents taken to a museum already back in 1879. Some of the pieces found came from places as far away as Greece and Italy, which goes to show how well connected our world already was when the rich people who were  buried there died, in the 5th century before our time. A picture of the smaller hill can be seen on the town's official website; just click here if you are interested.

We walked straight back from there, having probably covered a distance of at least 15 km, if not more. For me, this is the best way to spend a sunny Sunday, and I hope to get in a few more walks before it gets too cold.