This work, US Soldiers observe German partner unit’s signal exercise, by William King, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Get Pollstar News and more delivered right to your inbox with Pollstar Daily Pulse By signing up, you agree to Pollstar’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Three years ago, German DJ superstar Paul van Dyk suffered a severe accident at A State Of Trance Festival in Utrecht where an arbitration court has sided with him and set damages at $12,588,643 According to theblast.com the sum included $2 million for future medical expenses $1.2 million for lost profits in 2016/2017 and $2.47 million for losses in the next 10 years Van Dyk said during a keynote interview at Amsterdam Dance Event 2018 that his ability to perform had been permanently impaired by the accident During his 2016 set at A State Of Trance Festival which hadn’t been properly secured or marked He fell several meters and suffered severe spine and brain injuries Reports at the time stated that van Dyk had been lucky under the circumstances since the Utrecht Medical Center are renowned for its expertise in neuroscience.  that he had to shorten his sets post-accident He also said that no one from Alda Events had ever reached out to him to apologize or explain Update: Alda Events provided the following statement to Pollstar:  “The accident of Paul van Dyk was very unfortunate We are not entering into a public discussion regarding the background or consequences.” This work, New commander takes charge of the 102nd Strategic Signal Battalion, by William King, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright If you drive through the more rural parts of Rhineland‑Palatinate in the winter as the days get shorter and darkness begins to fall you will spot the festive illuminations of countless villages little towns and historic landmarks along the way The lights in many of the little towns are reflected in the gently flowing waters of our river valleys the castles are visible havens of light twinkling on the hills and slopes for travellers and sparkling villages in the deep forests are an invitation to come in and explore The Christmas markets in these places have a friendly feel to them people know one another and all visitors are given a warm welcome but they do really celebrate the Advent season in style We would like to introduce you to some of these little gems pretty Christmas markets away from the big cities that can make your December really special spreading through the winding streets of this medieval village in the Palatinate half-timbered houses and traditional wooden stalls in the shadows of the castle walls the market on the first two weekends of Advent is transformed into a genuine winter wonderland Sales stalls in the castle courtyard at the Neuleiniger Christmas Market Festive tour of the Lucia Queen of Lights at the Lucia Market in Rech With a fire crackling on the market square of the old town and surrounded by half-timbered buildings timber-panelled shops and traditional delicacies from the region You can even take a Christmas guided tour and discover some of the secret corners of this pretty little town on the Rhine Festively decorated medieval alleys and stalls for the Linz Christmas Magic Nostalgischer Weihnachtsmarkt auf dem Alten Markt von Hachenburg Weihnachtlich beleuchteter Marktplatz und Pfarrkirche zum Deidesheimer Advent Our Christmas events include Christmas markets The lady of the castle stands on the battlements of her fortress and surveys the sweeping lands at her feet her loyal servants at her side with swords and shields in their hands to keep their mistress safe Enemies could be lurking in the thick forests or they could attack by boat along the river if only … but before you can finish your thoughts bringing you back down to earth with a bump Your children have charged on ahead in their knights’ costumes and your wife has also managed to tear herself away from the fascinating view – it is so easy to get swept away by the fascination of times gone by in the castles palaces and fortresses of Rhineland‑Palatinate Our six castle adventures in Rhineland‑Palatinate are all places you can take your whole family on a voyage of discovery into the past Reichsburg Castle in Cochem on the Moselle Dine as in the Middle Ages at the Knight's Gasterey for the whole family at Reichsburg Cochem The wonderful views you could hardly bear to drag yourself away from come from your visit to the fairy-tale Reichsburg Castle in Cochem the castle stands on a rocky outcrop high above the Moselle surrounded by the steep slopes of the river valley while the dense tree-covered hills of the Eifel and the Hunsrück creep towards it from the right and the left You are currently enjoying the special guided tour following in the footsteps of Ravené to mark what would have been the 200th birthday of the architect overseeing the reconstruction of the Reichsburg You have also signed up for the ghost tour later which will allow the little ones to explore all those hidden corners of the castle said to be haunted by ghosts You have also heard good things about the Rittergasterey an evening event in the castle vaults including a rustic meal just like the knights of old would have enjoyed with music and games to transport you back to the Middle Ages!  View of the old walls of Kastellaun Castle Hiking to the fairytale castle of Eltz near Wierschem After your adventures in the wooded hills of the Hunsrück, the next step is the pretty Eltz Castle deep in the forests below the Maifeld picture-perfect sweeping valley of the Elzbach This castle was once occupied by multiple branches of a noble family at the same time and as every family wanted to build their own tower the result was the fairy-tale castle we see today sitting on a clifftop high above the stream below who offer you and your loved ones not only traditional tours through the faithfully restored castle but also special guided tours for children guaranteeing an authentic castle experience with a real medieval feel Berwartstein Castle boasts a similarly remote and idyllic setting sitting in a winding side valley surrounded by the countless hills and serried ranks of trees in the Palatinate Forest Set just a few kilometres from the French border it is one of the only castle complexes in the Palatinate that is still lived in today You can even feel like a real nobleman of old and stay the night before you start exploring You can follow in the footsteps of the former castle owner and infamous robber baron Hans Trapp and find out about his misdeeds during the exciting and informative tours through the torture and weapons chambers into the underground vaults it is said that they only reveal their secrets by candlelight The wonderful viewpoints affording vistas as far as Alsace in France and the leisurely child-friendly tour of Berwartstein Castle make your excursion to this robber baron castle a lovely bucolic experience Knighthood at Berwartstein Castle on a family adventure in Rhineland-Palatinate Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in the Romantic Rhine region With the family on a voyage of discovery at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz After the tranquil scenery of the Palatinate Forest, our next step takes us to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress one of the cultural centres of the city of Koblenz This imposing and surprisingly modern-looking complex stands guard over the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle It has its roots in an 11th-century castle but was converted into one of the largest fortresses in Europe under Prussian rule in the 19th century You take the cable car from the Deutsches Eck up over the Rhine to the citadel and as both attractions are certified under the ‘Reisen für Alle’ accessibility scheme Once you get to the striking castle at the top the first thing on the agenda is a voyage of discovery not to mention the impressive giant cannon the ‘Time Express’ takes you on a trip through the past with interactive timelines where the children can have fun finding about the nearly 5,000 years of Ehrenbreitstein as a settlement After the defensive complex in Koblenz, it is time to explore the more sophisticated side of noble life in nearby Bendorf-Sayn. The magnificent Sayn Palace complex slumbers romantically in the shadows of the castle ruins of the same name with the façade of the neo-Gothic residence captivating onlookers even from afar with thousands of wings flapping in a magnificent array of colours It brings out the wide-eyed child in everyone all the exhibits of celebrities and the nobility at the New Museum Schloss Sayn could make you feel as if you have stepped into the living room of the rich and famous who can enjoy dressing up in wonderful costumes at the fairy-tale workshop the grown-ups can take a leisurely stroll through the romantic palace gardens Visit to the butterfly garden at Sayn Castle with the whole family A unique landscape of castles can be found along the Romantic Rhine Spend a night like the lord or lady of the castle there are lots of little family-run businesses focusing on traditional crafts We are putting the spotlight on producers on the Moselle and the Nahe In the mid-19th century, there was a distillery virtually everywhere you looked in the Westerwald, mainly operated as sidelines by farmers. This was how it all began for the Birkenhof Brennerei in Nistertal Birkenhof has been producing not only grain spirit but also fruit and vegetable schnapps made from apples and pears the Klöckners came up with the idea of trying a whisky Fading Hill Whiskey from the Westerwald is now just as well established as a traditional regional product alongside the legendary Westerwald Kümmel and Basaltfeuer A gin aged in wooden barrels is combined with distilled botanicals to produce an unmistakable Westerwald gin Stefanie and Peter Klöckner with the Birkenhof Brennerei team the distillery visitor centre is one of the most popular destinations in Rhineland‑Palatinate guided tours and even the option of making your own gin The slate soils of Rhineland‑Palatinate not only produce excellent wines they are also perfect for growing rapeseed and provide really special nutrients for the plants And you can taste that in the oil made from the rapeseed This is why Burkhard Kemp and Alexander Seeger named the product of their oil mill in Gödenroth near Kastellaun in the Hunsrück ‘Hochland Schieferrapsöl’ They make the rapeseed oil at their mill using traditional cold-pressing methods The rapeseed is gently processed in an extruder press to retain as many vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids as possible The oils are refined with natural flavourings including garlic The oil mill forms part of the SooNahe regional brand an association of producers in the Hunsrück and Nahe regions offering excellent-quality regional foods Guided tours of the mill are available by prior appointment Premium slate rapeseed oil from the Kastellaun oil mill Gourmet mustard from the traditional mustard mill in Cochem vegetables and herbs from local producers and their own fields to make vinegar The spicy vinegar is matured in barrels once used to mature white wine red wine or dessert wine until it has achieved the requisite balance of fruitiness and acidity For those with a sweet tooth, there is the Marmeladen- und Genussmanufaktur making jam and other sweet treats in Ellenz-Poltersdorf The red vineyard peach is a particular favourite of Marietta and Günter Probst They use it to make a jam based on a traditional recipe and also liqueurs and even a mustard that is an interesting combination of spiciness with the sweetness of the fruit for which the holiday region of the Moselle is so famous Jeannette Marquis of ‘Marquis – Feines zum Leben’ Jeannette Marquis has made a name for herself for her jam creations based on the famous Nahe Riesling. Her little ‘Marquis – Feines zum Leben’ factory in Bad Kreuznach on the Nahe produces 37 delicious varieties of jam Clever fruit spreads such as ‘apricot, lemon and myrtle’ or ‘purple-leaf plum and amaretto jam’ are the trademark of the Feinkost-Manufaktur Vinella in Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg on the Nahe Claudia Rapp and her team use local produce combined with exotic fruits The chutneys combine carrots with oranges or beetroot with pineapple Regardless of whether you prefer to relax in luxurious starred hotels or on a homely vineyard your wine tour will surely be unforgettable Taste a large variety of wines at the stylish wine bars in our wine regions There are numerous gourmet restaurants in Romantic Germany offering varied culinary pleasures of a very high standard The wine festivals in Romantic Germany are a pure pleasure as diverse as the grapes that are grown and pressed here