The weather was on our side today, so we left home and took a quite stroll along the Main River. Across the river from us is Schloss (Castle) Philippsruhe and Schlosspark. This place was laid out in 1701 by Count Philip Reinhard directly on the riverbank of the Main, it was designed to look like a French chateau, but wasn’t completed till after Philip’s death by his brother who managed to complete the castle and its surrounding French gardens. This place was annexed by many, including Napoleon and the Prussians, it underwent changes to its classic style and architecture, and in 1984 sadly caught fire, but has since been exquisitely renovated. It houses an assortment of diverse collections, but is particularly famous for its faience collection, earthenware decorated with an opaque metallic glaze that was made in a local Hanau factory. It also serves as the Hanau historical museum, with an exhibition spanning the 700 years of town history. Paintings, metalwork, and a toy theatre museum round out the collection, and of course a section of the museum is dedicated to the famous Brothers Grimm. Particularly striking are the castle gardens, with an open-air sculpture garden that lay directly on the bank of the Main. In the summer it’s nice to sit outside in the outdoor café and enjoy the view of the castle and gardens.