Trips

Thurs., 7/10/14 – The Gorges, Lorelei, Boppard and Winningen
       This morning our journey through the most scenic section of the Rhine (called Castles on the Rhine) began at 8 AM.  It was still cloudy and foggy but the weather improved enough to see the castles and views.  We stood on the upper deck until we got near Boppard, our next stop.
       Map (from the Internet) of the many castles found on the stretch of the Rhine from Rudesheim to Koblenz, a distance of from 528 to 590 km from the Rhine Falls. We were able to see many of these as well as sights in between.

We began at Rudesheim with fog, mist, and high water	Vineyard on the hillside - the sign says Rudesheim - Rottland
Crazy house	The Rhine gets much narrower as the hills rise near the water.  The river is about ¼ the width that it was yesterday.  Eons ago the river cut the channel through the rock.  There are many small villages along the water complete with medieval walls, towers, and gates.         Most of the castles were built in the 11th to 13th centuries and were lost to the “robber barrens” in the late medieval times.  The original owners spent so much of their wealth wining and dining their friends or trying to purchase the most expensive or exotic items from the new trade merchants that they could not afford to live in the castles any more.  By 1689 the French army had destroyed nearly all of the German castles and then some were rebuilt in the 1800’s.  Some are now schools, museums, youth hostels, or hotels, but many are still in ruins.
Ehrenfels Castle	Ehrenfels Castle
Rheinstein Castle	Rheinstein Castle
Reichenstein Castle	Village along the river
Sooneck Castle	Sooneck Castle
Furstenberg Castle	Castle on a hill
Stahleck Castle	Stahleck Castle
Gutenfels Castle	Gutenfels Castle
Pfalzgrafenstein Toll Station was built in 1327 and used as a toll station until 1866. It was part of Pfalzgrafenstein Fortress which controlled river traffic. After its service as a toll station, it became a beacon, and then was retired. Today it has been restored and houses a history museum.
Pfalzgrafenstein Toll Station and Gutenfels Castle	Pfalzgrafenstein Toll Station
Schonburg Castle	Schonburg Castle
The stretch of the river around km 554 once contained treacherous currents and rapids. This is the area to which the legend of the Lorelei refers.  There was once a beautiful maiden who sat on a cliff 440 feet above the river.  She was so beautiful she lured many a sailor onto the rocks destroying their ship and drowning the men.  In the 1700’s there were several attempts to calm these rapids by exploding the riverbed, etc. and finally the section became easier to navigate through the narrow swirling water.  However, the Lorelei lives on.  The blond beauty came onto our ship taunting our captain, distracting him by kissing his window, and trying to force in the door to his wheelhouse.  This time the Lorelei was our tour guide, Steven, dressed in a blue plastic “dress," a blonde wig, and boobs to make Dolly Parton cry!  It was really hysterical!
Loreley - only a big hill of rock	Lorelei and Gale
Sheep on the hillside	Another village
Katz Castle	Katz Castle
Rheinfels Fortress	We sailed by a special boat for bed-ridden patients to take a river cruise.  The ship is staffed by volunteers and the invalids get a unique experience.  The ship has a huge sunflower logo.
Maus Castle	Maus Castle
Tavern and Church	Just after the Maus Castle was a town with a unique church.  The entrance to the good sized church is through an adjoining bar.  The priest is also the bar tender!
The Hostile Castles Castle Liebenstein (R) and Castle Sterrenberg
Castle Sterrenberg	Castle Liebenstein
Marksburg Castle	Marksburg Castle
Neat church	Stolzenfels Palace

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