The River Rhine forms by melting snowcaps high up in the Swiss Alps, meanders over 700 miles through the heart of Europe and empties its contents into the North Sea. A voyage through it is a journey into Germany's rich medieval past and a brief introduction to Romanticisim of the late 18th and early 19th century. The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65 km section of the River Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage in 2002. Majestic castles, lush vineyards, medieval churches and historic towns on both banks of the river make River Rhine one of the most romantic rivers in the world.
My tour covered the stretch of River Rhine from Assmannshausen to St. Goarshausen which was roughly about half of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The 1.5-hour ferry ride exposed me to a world and time which I thought only exist in fairy tales. More information of River Rhine at
Loreley-Info
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| Ferry departing Assmannshausen |
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| Leaving Assmannshausen and its vineyard behind |
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| Castle Rheinstein, on the opposite bank of Assmannshausen |
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| If the castle is real, then fairy tales must be true too |
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| Castle Rheichenstein |
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| Passing by the town of Trechtingshausen |
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| Castle Sooneck coming up at the next bend |
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| Castle Sooneck |
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| ICE3 high speed train speeding through the town of Niederheimbach |
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| Hill after hill of vineyards on both banks of the river |
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| The parish church of St Martin, Lorch |
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| The Gothic parish church in the town of Lorch, one of the most beautiful churches in the Rhine Valley |
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| Castle Stahleck, above the town of Bacharach, now a youth hostel |
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| The city of Bacharach, one of the famous wine cities along River Rhine since Middle Ages |
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| Built in 1327, the ship-like fortress Pfalzgrafenstein at Kaub served as a toll station until 1866 |
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| Castle Gutenfels above the town of Kaub, now a hotel |
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| The town of Kaub |
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| Castle Schönburg - "the most beautiful refuge of the Rhine romanticism", now a hotel |
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| Remains of medieval town fortification can be seen in the city of Oberwesel below Castle Schönburg |
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| Campingplatz Loreleyblick - camping ground on the bank opposite of Loreley |
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| Loreley - the narrowest and deepest section of the Middle Rhine |
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| Statue of Loreley - washing her hairs by the river and bewitching passing boatmen |
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| Summer is not about heat, it's about holiday by the water |
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| Castle (Cat) Katz above the town St. Goarshausen |
Your beautiful pics remind me of the wonderful memories i had at River Rhine almost 10 years ago ... hopping off and onto the cruise, staying at quaint little german houses and the simple but best bread i have ever eaten.
ReplyDeleteSpicebear
Hi Spicebear, glad to hear from you again. I was wondering where you've been.
ReplyDeleteIf I have the time, I would like to go town-hopping along River Rhine like you. Besides staying in quaint half timbered houses, I would also want to stay inside the medieval castles. For now, I can only dream. Everyday in Germany, I would get to smell the fragrance of freshly-baked bread. There were so many types to choose from that I was spoilt for choice.