Saturday, January 13, 2007
Rhine River Cruise
After our tour through Burg Eltz with Mike, Elaine, Steven and Elizabeth, we all trekked to St. Goar for an afternoon cruise of the Rhine River.
The romantic Rhine River originates in Switzerland and winds its way through France, Germany and Holland before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Along its banks are mighty fortresses, romantic palaces and ancient homes. The river nurtures the grapes of countless vineyards and small farms. It is the lifeblood of the region and meandering through its waters offers a trip back through history surrounded by a castle-dotted landscape.
This section of the Rhine is purported to have the most concentration of castles visible from the river, and our view from the cruise did not disappoint.
Even the train tunnels through the hills and mountains alongside the river matched that theme and were magnificent to see.
We traveled past the Loreley, famous for its strong echo that was once thought to be ghostly voices. If you look closely, you can see the flag waving from the top of the cliff. Many legends are woven around the rock on a bend in the Rhine River Valley, with the most famous being that of the siren who lures sailors to the rocks. Countless boats have crashed on the rocks after straying from the narrow channel. Fortunately, we had a good ride. The Loreley statue rises 450 feet over the narrowest and deepest point of the Rhine. It was a holy site in pre-Roman days, and it was believed that the fine echoes heard here fertilized the legendary soil. Because of the reefs two kilometers upstream, many ships never made it to St. Goar. Sailors, after spending many days on the river, would blame their misfortune on a wunderbares Fräulein whose long blonde hair almost covered her body. As we passed the rock, Heinrich Heine’s “Song of Loreley” played over the loudspeaker. The song tells the story of a count who sent his men to kill or capture this siren after she distracted his horny son, causing him to drown. When the soldiers cornered the nymph in her cave, she called her father, Father Rhine, for help. Huge waves rose from the river and carried Loreley to safety, and she has never been seen since.
We got off the boat in Bacharach for a little free time in the village, where, after a short walk, we discovered the Wernerkapelle, which was in use between 1289 and 1430, overlooking the city and the river. It was already in ruin by the 15th century, so truly is an old ruin. You can see it in the photo below, toward the left of the two steeples. The vineyards overlooking this village were beautiful as well.
We even walked past quaint-looking half-timbered houses with beautiful gardens on our way to the Wernerkapelle.
The Wernerkapelle looked as if it was still used for outdoor services, although its main section was locked and not accessible. The site also provided a beautiful view of the Rhine River from its perch.
After heading back down the hill, we continued our tradition of sampling the local ice cream, which the kids always enjoy.
We all enjoyed the relaxing cruise, watching the scenery as we floated by and feeling the breeze from the top deck. It was a perfect day for a cruise: the sun was shining, there was a good breeze blowing, and the river offered many beautiful sites. Best of all, we didn’t have any other cares.
Zachary disappeared for a few minutes during the cruise, and I found him below deck watching the pistons that helped the paddleboat move along the river. MacKenzie enjoyed watching the roaring water through the window on the other side of the aisle where she could see the paddle moving.
It was great seeing Mike, Elaine, Steven and Elizabeth again and discovering part of the German countryside with them. Again, this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to make a trek this way...we’ll gladly meet up with you and help you explore! Just let me know when and where, and we’ll be there!
The romantic Rhine River originates in Switzerland and winds its way through France, Germany and Holland before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Along its banks are mighty fortresses, romantic palaces and ancient homes. The river nurtures the grapes of countless vineyards and small farms. It is the lifeblood of the region and meandering through its waters offers a trip back through history surrounded by a castle-dotted landscape.This section of the Rhine is purported to have the most concentration of castles visible from the river, and our view from the cruise did not disappoint.
Even the train tunnels through the hills and mountains alongside the river matched that theme and were magnificent to see.
We traveled past the Loreley, famous for its strong echo that was once thought to be ghostly voices. If you look closely, you can see the flag waving from the top of the cliff. Many legends are woven around the rock on a bend in the Rhine River Valley, with the most famous being that of the siren who lures sailors to the rocks. Countless boats have crashed on the rocks after straying from the narrow channel. Fortunately, we had a good ride. The Loreley statue rises 450 feet over the narrowest and deepest point of the Rhine. It was a holy site in pre-Roman days, and it was believed that the fine echoes heard here fertilized the legendary soil. Because of the reefs two kilometers upstream, many ships never made it to St. Goar. Sailors, after spending many days on the river, would blame their misfortune on a wunderbares Fräulein whose long blonde hair almost covered her body. As we passed the rock, Heinrich Heine’s “Song of Loreley” played over the loudspeaker. The song tells the story of a count who sent his men to kill or capture this siren after she distracted his horny son, causing him to drown. When the soldiers cornered the nymph in her cave, she called her father, Father Rhine, for help. Huge waves rose from the river and carried Loreley to safety, and she has never been seen since.
We got off the boat in Bacharach for a little free time in the village, where, after a short walk, we discovered the Wernerkapelle, which was in use between 1289 and 1430, overlooking the city and the river. It was already in ruin by the 15th century, so truly is an old ruin. You can see it in the photo below, toward the left of the two steeples. The vineyards overlooking this village were beautiful as well.
We even walked past quaint-looking half-timbered houses with beautiful gardens on our way to the Wernerkapelle.
The Wernerkapelle looked as if it was still used for outdoor services, although its main section was locked and not accessible. The site also provided a beautiful view of the Rhine River from its perch.
After heading back down the hill, we continued our tradition of sampling the local ice cream, which the kids always enjoy.
We all enjoyed the relaxing cruise, watching the scenery as we floated by and feeling the breeze from the top deck. It was a perfect day for a cruise: the sun was shining, there was a good breeze blowing, and the river offered many beautiful sites. Best of all, we didn’t have any other cares.
Zachary disappeared for a few minutes during the cruise, and I found him below deck watching the pistons that helped the paddleboat move along the river. MacKenzie enjoyed watching the roaring water through the window on the other side of the aisle where she could see the paddle moving.
It was great seeing Mike, Elaine, Steven and Elizabeth again and discovering part of the German countryside with them. Again, this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to make a trek this way...we’ll gladly meet up with you and help you explore! Just let me know when and where, and we’ll be there!Labels: Benjamin, Germany, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary
