In Romantic Rhine – Part 1, we looked at some castles on the Rhine. In this post, we follow up with further scenes from this magnificent stretch of the river, starting from Rüdesheim, and finishing at Koblenz. Just to put some context on this journey, we left Rüdesheim after breakfast, and arrived in Koblenz in time for lunch.
Leaving Rüdesheim. This whole area is the source of some of the renowned Rhine Riesling. Many vineyards are seen on the slopes near the river.
We were informed that this hotel (above) is quite famous. It has been used by German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to host international dignitaries.
Speaking of information, our Tour Director, Akos, remained on deck for this journey, providing us with the names of all the castles and forts. He also had gems of information about the towns and statistics about the river and its trade. All without a single note!
No bridges cross the Rhine on this stretch. In the photo above is one of the car ferries used to cross the river – a mighty feat considering the current.
Above, more vineyards overlook ancient and modern in the village as well as trade on the river. In part 3, I will share some insights into traffic on the river.
I loved the autumn colour on this old tower (which was not listed as a fort or castle!)
The famous Lorelei (German: Loreley) rock soaring 120 metres above the river at its narrowest point announces its presence. Naturally, the appropriate music was broadcast over the ship’s PA system for us. You may wish to sing along as we pass by the water spirit’s statue. Click here for the Loreley Song, sung by Jasmin Hillgruber from Lübe
Not all the towns announce their names as Braubach does (see below). I have included the photo above and the one below for good reason. Above you see “560” on the bank, and below “580”. These represent the distance from the source of the Rhine back in Switzerland (and there are such signs every 10 kilometres). With the aid of the digital camera data, I can tell you that we covered that 20 kilometres to Braubach in exactly one hour. How much of that was our engines, and how much due to the current, I cannot determine, of course.
This was almost an all time record for us. Two hundred photos in the day!
As mentioned above, in Romantic Rhine – Part 3, (and final) I will share a little about the busy traffic on the river, and how it is managed.