Falkenlust

In the 18th century Clemens August,  Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, built a palace [Augustusburg] and a hunting lodge [Falkenlust]  near Brühl, in Germany. Both are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.  We were passing nearby and decided to visit.

The are not easy to find. We didn't see a single sign pointing to either place. Eventually, with the aid of GPS, we found Falkenlust.

I don't object to hunting that kills off dangerous or destructive species.  I do object to hunting birds or animals just for the sake of killing. If somebody wants to hunt for 'sport' they should do it in a way that gives the hunted an equal chance. Lion hunting with a spear would be about right.

At Falkenlust they hunted with falcons. Hardly a high risk sport.  I got the impression that the Archbishop-Elector and his chums were a bunch of effete parasites.

This is the outside of the hunting lodge.

Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the building but the general ambiance was of a nouveau riche knocking shop. Expensive but tasteless. 

Incidentally, they insist that visitors take off their shoes and go around in very slippy slippers. Combine the slippers with the polished stone floors and stairs and you have an excellent chance of leaving Falkenlust in an ambulance.

All the birds and the falconry tackle were kept in some out buildings.

I bet people fought to get this job.

Some of the falconry paraphanalia.

Some places are worth seeing and worth going a long way to see. Others are worth seeing but not worth going to see. I thought Falkenlust was not worth seeing.