in about 1198, he left vienna and spent many years travelling around, visiting courts in europe, entertaining dukes and princes, and singing his songs. he always wrote the words himself, he never used other poets’ words. that would have made him a simple “spielmann”, but walther was of noble birth (he had the title “herr”). he often spent several weeks or months in a castle where he entertained people, and where he probably also fell in love with one of the ladies. he wrote about these love-affairs in his poetry.