Castles of the Rhine Valley. Rhine Castles - Germany

And we go further ... We move along the left bank of the Rhine. The shores here are very steep, sometimes ribbed, with notches. Some slopes are covered with forest, in other areas there are only small thickets, and of course vineyards grow. What is famous for this valley.

But there is also the largest number of castles! Along the way, and it was somewhere 60 km from Koblenz, we could observe more than 20 castles. Nowhere in the world are castles so close to each other.
  And the first castle we can visit is Marxburg Castle.

It is located at a height of 120 meters. This is a 13th century castle. The tour of the castle was very informative, we went to another time ... to the past ... Such people heard subtleties, for example, I didn’t know that in those days people slept half-sitting .. and they only washed once a year ..

Further our journey will be on the ship. We swim downstream and enjoy the scenery .. Castle by castle ..

Each castle has its own history, for example, two castles: Katz (cat) and Mouse (Mouse), they stand against each other, and constantly compete with each other in strength and greatness ..
  Stories, legends ... constantly accompany our trip. One of these legends is the legend of Lorelei.

We swim past the rock of Lorelei and the music of Heinrich Heine sounds in this place. And the legend says that every evening a girl of unusual beauty appeared on this rock, she lured sailors with her singing, and when they heard her singing they forgot about everything and the ships wrecked. And once she saw her lover, with whom she was separated .. And he, too, falling under her spell dies, unable to bear it, she rushes off the cliff. Here is such a sad story.

And we finally end up in the famous city of Rüdesheim. This city today lives off tourism. The city owes its well-being to the Rhine and the blame. Narrow streets, music, fun, wine cellars .. all this attracts tourists. We visit one restaurant where we are kindly offered a sample of wines. Lubomyr, the owner of the restaurant, tells us about the grape harvest, the tastes of wine .. and most importantly, it was all in Russian!

It was great to hear all this, for example, I never knew what there is Ice wine for which grapes are harvested in November. After the test, it was possible to buy wine at a reasonable price, such wines certainly do not go to stores, are sold only in such wine cellars, restaurants, as they are produced in small quantities.

Farther we have lunch in the same restaurant, the waiters all speak Russian. We could try the famous German shank with sour cabbage.

And now we still have some time to walk along the streets. Look at the shops, for example, only here you can buy Christmas decorations all year round.

Unfortunately, we need to get home.
  That was such a wonderful tour, of course I briefly told everything, and the photos were taken mainly from the bus. But I hope I was able to convey the beauty of those places. If you have the opportunity to visit Germany, do not forget about Father Rhine and its beautiful castles!

The Rhine - its shimmering waters are nourished by flowering vineyards, and its shores belong to majestic castles. Join our trip to the Middle Ages of Germany, a trip along the legendary most romantic river in the world - the Rhine.

Originating in the melting glaciers of the Swiss Alps, the Rhine with a total length of about 800 miles flows through the very heart of Europe and flows into the sea. Its name comes from the Celtic word - "river", a very restrained definition of the beauty and strength of this powerful river. Many writers, including Goethe and Mark Twain, tried to convey the grandeur of the Rhine. In 1838, Victor Hugo wrote about the Rhine: "It combines everything: the tortuosity of the Seine, the historicity of the Tiber, the majesty of the Danube - covered in myths and legends, like the rivers of Asia." But unlike other rivers, the banks of the Rhine are strewn with castles. Such a number of historical monuments are not anywhere else in the world. Only on the 50-mile stretch between Mainz and Koblinz in Germany, almost 30 castles or watch towers seem to be here on every bend of the river. Traveling along the Rhine - you travel not only in the heart of Europe, but also in time. These stunning views have not changed much since the Middle Ages.

The story of the Rhine is inextricably linked with the berries that made him famous. Juicy grapes grew here, long before humanity knew the secret of winemaking. Even in the time of Christ, Rhine wine was highly valued in England and Scandinavia. Wine made these lands rich, or rather made rich the owners of customs castles and wineries. In an effort to maximize the benefits, local feudal lords levied dues from their peasants. People gave the lion's share of what they produced. Usually the quitrent was charged by wine, and the peasants had only to drink the wine divorced by them. The life of a medieval peasant proceeded in constant poverty alternating with bloody wars. People sought salvation in religion, or at the bottom of the cup. At that time, wine consumption per capita was about 4 liters per day. The popular drink was a universal payment tool at all customs posts. One barrel of wine equaled 16 pounds of garlic or grapes, or 6 baskets of fish. Such a profitable course, quite quickly turned winemaking into an actively developing industry. Kings also valued wine. The palace wine cellars were constantly crowded. But the frequent festive events that accompanied the Rhine court life did not allow the stocks to stagnate for a long time.

In addition to excellent wine, the Rhine is famous for its heroes. In a place called "Dragon Rock", the legendary Prince Siegfried struck a fire-breathing monster with a magic sword. Dragon's blood made the prince invulnerable. The legend of the prince and the loyal Brünnhilde formed the basis of Wagner's famous opera The Ring of the Nibelungs. And still red wine from the lower Rhine is called "Dragon's Blood."

This region of the Rhine also got its name from a legend whose hero was a woman. Here the picturesque Rhine becomes winding, the measured current gives way to seething currents, and the banks become rocky. On these rocks, according to legend, a woman of unearthly beauty appeared every evening. Her name was Lorelei. The sailors of the passing ships, hearing her sweet singing, froze tightly, and when they came to their senses, it was already too late. The ship crashed on coastal cliffs. And what about the beautiful Lorelei? To the cries of drowning sailors, she continued her singing until morning replaced night.

Slightly downstream you can see examples of medieval rivalry. The castles that stand on almost every bend of the river symbolize the right of their owner to the adjacent land. These two castles symbolize the delicate balance of forces that once controlled this region. Turnberg Castle, on the east bank of the Rhine, was built by the Archbishop of Trier in 1356. In order not to concede anything to the neighbor, the rich von Katzelbogen family built their castle on the opposite hill. This rich family belonged to more than 138 villages. They called their new castle Berg Katzelburgen or as Katz called Kat Cat Castle. Accordingly, the first Thurnberg castle was nicknamed Berg Mouse "Mouse Castle". So the endless struggle between merchants and the Catholic Church was expressed in the eternal rivalry of cat and mouse. The free time from rivalry with each other and from the pressure of her subjects to know Reina spent in entertainment. Berg Mouse's favorite pastime was hunting with falcons and eagles. This bloody sport comes from the East. Crusaders and traveling merchants, like the Katzelbogen, brought falcons and falconers to Europe and the British Isles. Gradually, this entertainment became popular among the nobility. They mainly hunted pigeons or other small birds. Eagles soared majestically over the expanses of the Rhine Valley, before diving on their prey, or returning to the glove to the owner.

Opposite the mouse and cat castles, not far from the village of Sankt Goar are the remains of the once powerful and majestic Reinfels Castle. Reinfels was also built by the Katzelbogen using it as their residence. But during the French invasion of the 18th century, the peasants poured out the malice that had accumulated over many centuries and burned it.

Today, tourists from all over the world visit the Rhine. Many castles are converted into hotels where visitors can return to the era of knights, villains and legends. But the best views are from the river. Ships sail along the same route as centuries ago. Only the panorama has changed, but when the river reveals its treasures one after another, it seems that the measured course of the Rhine turns history back.

The name of the excursion to the Rhine Valley in travel agency advertisements is found in two versions - “Castles of the Romantic Rhine” or “Romantic Castles of the Rhine”. I don’t know what is the meaning of the permutation of words, but it doesn’t matter. It is important that one of the most emotional and impressing days of my life was devoted to acquaintance with that part of the Rhine Valley (about 67 km long), which in 2002 was fully included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The case is quite rare. I had to make sure that the decisions of this organization were fair.

So, the morning departure from - a mark of 744 kilometers from the source of the Rhine. Along the way, these marks are very common, so you can accurately record the length of the path if you wish.

The Rhine for the Germans is not just one of the rivers, just like the Volga for the Russians or the Ganges for the Indians. He is the only one who has the article der, that is, masculine, and his symbolic images are the wise old man or the mighty hero. Since the XVIII century, the landscapes of the Rhine Valley, with its castles and fortresses, have been attractive to tourists from all over Europe. A trip along the Rhine was just as necessary for educated travelers of the 18th and 19th centuries as a voyage to the Gulf of Naples. Printed primarily in the UK, engravings with illustrations of castles and fortresses in the Rhine Valley attest to the popularity of these places and their culture. The idea of \u200b\u200bGermany was created abroad largely due to the romantic landscapes of the Rhine Valley.

Since it is difficult for me to perceive the surrounding reality from the window of transport, the beginning of the bus route was poorly remembered. Only two remarkable objects were clearly preserved in memory.

Firstly, the picturesque area of \u200b\u200bSemigorye (Siebengebirge), where on the top of one of the mountains is the residence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The manner of modern officials to imitate the rulers of the old eras is manifested in the fact that they adopted the ritual of raising / lowering the flag during the presence / absence of the head of state.

Secondly, the ruins of the Remagen bridge, which played a key role in breaking the American army across the Rhine in March 1945 (due to the failure of the German sappers to blow up a strategic target in time). At this stage of the trip, the Rhine was still poorly visible. But, starting from the town of Linz (627 km from the source), we rode along its channel and saw both banks perfectly. The sight is certainly magnificent. As it was throughout the day.

City of Koblenz

“Fortification near the confluence of rivers”

The main attractions are located in the federal state - Rhineland-Palatinate. Here the trip was interrupted by stops in several interesting places. The first of them is the city of Koblenz, located at the confluence of the Moselle River (593 km to its source) (you need to pronounce its name in a feminine gender). This is where the UNESCO World Heritage List begins.

The favorable geographical position of this place was appreciated by the Romans, who built a fortress at the mouth of the Moselle, more precisely, a chain of fortifications on the hills, which covered the army camp in a tight ring. Over time, its Latin name Castellum apud Confluentes ("Fortification near the confluence of rivers") was transformed into German Koblenz.

German corner

Combining in a powerful stream, two great rivers form a sharp, peninsular corner of the land, has long been called German and has recently been clad in granite. About a century ago, on its summit, the equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm I of Hohenzollern appeared on the summit of the authorities of the Second Reich.

A giant statue stands on an even gigantic pedestal:

Although he enjoyed popular love, an attempt by the authorities to impose the nickname "William the Great" into national use failed. During the Second World War, the sculpture was destroyed by a U.S. artillery shell: the statue fell upside down, sagged for a while and then mysteriously disappeared, and the pedestal remained empty until in 1993 a sculptor was found who managed to restore a lost 32-meter-high piece of chauvinistic art. At the foot of the monster (unloved by the Germans due to outright pomposity and tastelessness) - a series of columns with images of coats of arms of modern lands of Germany.

And nearby is a piece of the Berlin Wall, dotted with bullets from the border guards of the GDR. A truly tragic story ...

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress

At the beginning of the XIX century, the inclusion of the Rhine province in Prussia was marked by an increase in the status of Koblenz to the capital of the region, as well as the construction of a new fortress Ehrenbreitstein (Ehrenbreitstein).

The city fathers decided to place it on the high bank of the Rhine, opposite the famous Deutsches Eck, that is, where such a structure existed from Roman times. The old stronghold honestly served its term: having the fame of impregnable, she lost the enemy only once, and then after a seven-month siege. Built in the classical style, the new fortress did not fulfill its purpose, becoming useless with the advent of long-range guns.

Basilica of St. Castor

An extremely interesting historical building is the Basilica of St. Castor:

It began in 836 with construction outside the city limits. At the service in honor of her consecration, King Louis the Pious was present. It was in it that preliminary negotiations were held, which led to the conclusion of the famous treaty in Verdun in 843, according to which the Empire of the Franks broke up and turned, in the future, into France, Germany and Italy. The church acquired a modern look in the XII century.

An interesting monument of the Napoleonic era stands opposite the entrance to the basilica:

A massive stone fountain was erected by French soldiers as a symbol of future victory over Russia. Having freed Koblenz, the Russian commander ordered to knock out another under the existing inscription, also in French: “Considered, approved” [and so on] (Vu et approuvé).

Marxburg Castle

Marxburg Characteristic

The next stop is Marksburg Castle, located near the town of Braubach. The photo, of course, is not mine, since it was taken from an angle inaccessible to me:

Of a couple of dozen Rhine castles, Marxburg is one of the few where tourist excursions are held (it is state-owned). In official documents, the fortifications on the 150-meter mountain were mentioned from 1231. The castle core, as well as the external outlines of the fortress, was formed during the first owner. Familiar to the Romanesque era, the wall had a strict triangular shape, mostly repeating the terrain.

In knightly times, Marxburg greeted guests with a powerful grille above the gate. The manager asked the strangers, standing at the window of the gate tower and, depending on the result of the conversation, invited him in or sent away, for clarity, pointing to the shooters placed in combat readiness. If visitors, despite threats, remained in place, tar poured on them from a special device. The welcome guests calmly drove through the gate and, if necessary, lingering in the forge, climbed up the so-called horse ladder. Arranged specifically for riders, it consists of wide steps carved into the rock.

Buildings and courtyards of Marxburg

A little later than the year of foundation, a new building appeared - Gothic in shape, with Romanesque walls up to 4.5 m thick.

Elegant main tower:

A couple of views of the courtyard:

Marxburg Premises: Meeting Room, Chambers, Kitchen, Forge, Knight's Hall

On the top floor are:

On the ground floor there is a kitchen-dining room. The kind of kitchen utensils somehow does not cause gastronomic enthusiasm:

The soldiers of the garrison came here to rest, eat and bask. They sat on benches built into the window openings, and after a good treat lay dozens of people lying around, including soldiers and servants from the retinue of guests.

In Marxburg you can see the perfectly preserved knight's hall, where armor and a collection of medieval weapons with models of soldiers of different eras (Gauls, ancient Germans, Romans, Franks, etc.) are exhibited.

In women's chambers there are chests with clothes and chastity belts. By the way, in the Middle Ages, most adult ladies had only 2 dresses - one was worn, the other was washed or dried. To the mad waste of the XVIII century was still far away.

On the terrace there is a flower bed with plants for preparing all kinds of witchcraft potions (supposedly this is the favorite entertainment of women of those times). You can also see the reconstructed bedrooms, a needy and other household premises. By the way, there is no bath room in Marxburg. Washing for noblemen and even Monarchs was a rare luxury (Louis XIV was washed for 77 years of life ... 45 times) because it was very difficult to deliver water to the castles on the tops, and it was mainly spent on drinking and caring for horses, which then was more important than human hygiene. In addition, during the war, water was required in order to pour boiling water on the enemies. There is an opinion that up to the XVIII century in Europe there was an opinion that water should be avoided as much as possible, because it is a source of infectious diseases.

Artillery Bastion

At the end of the 15th century, Marxburg became practically uninhabited, although it remained a strategically important fortress. In general, he did not meet the requirements of the new era, because the Renaissance reigned in Europe, and in the Rhine mountains they still lived according to the laws of the Middle Ages.

In 1643, the old walls were supplemented by external fortifications and bastions adapted to repel artillery strikes. Large and small batteries were built above the forge and the horse stairs on wooden platforms, which allowed the Rhine to be taken under reliable customs control.

For, contrary to the modern romantic perception of ancient Rhine castles, until the 19th century they had a purely pragmatic function, namely, they served as part of a system for collecting duties from merchants sailing along the river. And sometimes for outright robbery.

By the way, I note in passing that the first steamboat on the Rhine appeared in 1814 and had an engine power of 14 hp; the next year it increased to 52. Before, the path, for example, from Rotterdam to (that is, against the tide) through the traction of 32 horses (the barges were never used here) took 4 days.

In the years 1689–1692, after the war for the Palatinate inheritance in Europe, the French army destroyed all castles on both banks of the Rhine, however, they failed to take Marxburg. Thus, Marxburg is the only one of the Rhine high-rise castles that have remained impregnable.

Rhine Valley

At the end of the tour, you could admire the scenery of the Rhine Valley:

The cities of St. Goarhausen and St. Goar. Castles Sterrenberg and Liebenstein

After exploring Marxburg, our group drove to the picturesque town of Sankt Goarshausen. A typical example of its architecture (a mermaid whose bas-relief is presented on the wall is Lorelei, which I will discuss below):

St. Goarshausen and its "brother" St. Goar, located on the opposite bank, form a harmonious couple - a typical cultural and natural landscape in the valley of the great German river. Near the St. Goar, you can see the silhouettes of the Sterrenberg and Liebenstein castles:

Castles Sterrenberg and Liebenstein stand next to the crest of the ridge along the Rhine. The conflict over the right to own Sterrenberg led to the construction of a counter-castle, which was typical of the Middle Ages. Siege fortresses were built quickly, sometimes on a small elevation, and always at a boom flight distance. As the main material, as a rule, wood and earth were used, but stone prevailed here.

In St. Goarshausen, our group boarded a pleasure boat; I settled on the open deck.

Katz Castle

A few minutes after sailing from St. Goarshausen, Katz Castle - Cat's — appeared. Its name comes from the complex surname of the castle that owned the castle - Katzenelnbogen. The ruins closest to it were once also a castle, which the locals in contrast called Maus - Myshin. The joking nickname stuck and, moreover, the owners liked it so much that the real name of Mouse - Turnburg - was forgotten and began to appear only in official documents.

In the background Katz (it can be seen that a modern annexed building appeared):

Landscapes of the Rhine shores

It was beautiful weather. Neither rain nor too bright sun prevented a contemplative rest. On both banks of the Rhine there were dense forests, churches, rocks and gorges, villages and vineyards, castles and a railway, sometimes disappearing in tunnels, the entrances and exits of which are gracefully decorated in the form of fortified towers.

According to the guide, the Rhine is now quite clean, and fish populations have mostly recovered over the past couple of decades. It is hard to believe that about 20 years ago the river was a sewage system. So far, however, the Germans are not swimming in it.

The rock of Lorelei and the legend of the maiden Lorelei

Not far from the turn, where the Rhine is especially fast, and the narrow channel is replete with pitfalls, the Lorelei rock, or Lorelei, is known for its strange shape and a distinct, very long echo that really looks like a girl's voice. Thanks to this phenomenon, a legend about a river fairy appeared in local folklore, which was to become a symbol of the region and the central character of German romantic poetry.

The story of the Rhine sorceress remained a local legend until a note appeared in the 1818 Rhine Travel Guide: “In ancient times, at dusk, in the moonlight, a girl appeared on the Lorelei rock, who sang so seductively that captivated all who her listened. The sweet voice of the sorceress carried away many swimmers into oblivion. Fascinated, they forgot about boats and crashed against pitfalls, dying in the abyss of the river. ”Different versions of the legend spoke of revenge for faithful love, an agreement with the demon king Rhine, a stone heart, awakening from a witch's dream.

The name and literary life was given to the people’s image by the German romantic Clemens Brentano, in whose poetic ballad the Rhenish sorceress Lore Ley is represented not just as a mermaid, who indifferently destroys people, but as an unhappy woman, as, indeed, in most legends.

Meanwhile, translated from German, the word Lurlei means only a shale mountain. The Minnesingers transformed a simple name into a watchtower, and 19th-century romantic poets turned it into a rock of treachery, creating an ominous atmosphere around an already bad place. Another medieval legend reveals a centuries-old secret: in the cave of the cliff there is supposedly hidden gold of the Nibelungs, which no one took just because of the severity of the elf guards.

At the time when Heinrich Heine decided to transform the legend into a poem, strange sounds were heard in the district - apparently, an echo caused by the peculiar shape of the rock. It was possible to hear it only in the evenings, in calm weather, when the noise of the steamers did not drown out the mysterious whisper of nature. The poem Heine retained the dramatic seriousness of feelings, but the tragedy passed from the girl to those who had the misfortune to see and hear her. Lorelei herself became the personification of anxiety, sorrow, rock, inexorably leading to death.

I didn’t just give the legend so much space. She really deeply penetrated the hearts of the Germans. Before the start of the river cruise, the guide said that when we swim past the cliff, the Germans will sing a song to the words of Heine. This is an essential ritual. Since my mind is already heavily poisoned by modern cynicism, I was skeptical about this. Fortunately, he was mistaken; and realized that the poison of neglecting skepticism must be squeezed out of himself. When the rock appeared in mind, the German passengers sang together. I was moved.

City of Oberwesel. Schonburg Castle

The next attraction of the valley is the quiet town of Oberwesel, lying on the left bank of the Rhine:

The first documentary evidence of the city dates back to 1149. A nearby castle crowning a 130-meter mountain is Schönburg. Also one of the hotels.

City Kaub. Castles Palatinate and Gutenfels

An hour-long cruise on the Rhine ended at the pier of the town of Kaub. I immediately drew attention to the monument to the Prussian field marshal Blucher (one of the winners of Napoleon at Waterloo), the most famous native of Kaub:

Near the city there is a small island where the Pfalzgrafenstein castle stands, named after the unknown palatine graph (title of Imperial Count-Palatine):

The castle of Gutenfels dominates over Kaub, first mentioned in 1261:

It is interesting that in this area there was a significant transition across the Rhine by Russian and Prussian soldiers under the command of General York, and not in the summer, but in the fierce cold of New Year's Eve 1814. This transition led to the final military collapse of Napoleonic France.

The recently revived Gutenfels is now a hotel where tourists from all over the world come for a comfortable romance.

From Kaub’s marina, the group took a bus and set off on their journey.

Rudesheim am Rhein: Wine Tasting

In Kaub, we again took a bus and soon arrived at the end point of the Rhine route - Rüdesheim (more precisely, Rüdesheim am Rhein; Rüdesheim am Rhein), the center of Rhine winemaking. The town, in which about 10 thousand people constantly live, is visited annually by about 3 million tourists. It is 526 km from the source of the Rhine.

A tasting of seven varieties of wine was included in the price of the tour, and our group was placed in a restaurant. The main waiter in Russian (with an accent that did not allow me to determine his nationality) began to talk about the characteristics of each wine, and the waitresses poured 10–20 milliliters of the described liquid into glasses. I remember something. For example, rose wine made from berries with a peel removed (it seemed to me the most delicious); wine made from pressed berries (the most expensive); “Ice” wine (made from berries harvested at a natural - which is very important - temperature –7 °). By the way, in Germany it is forbidden to add any additives to wine.

Cable car. Niederwald Monument. Ehrenfels Castle

Having finished drinking wine, tourists scattered for free time. I did not hesitate to go to the cable car. It has long been cherished the dream to ride on this type of transport, and in such a place, as they say, God himself commanded.

From a height it is convenient to view the views of Rudesheim:

as well as surrounding cities, the Rhine and vineyards:

I wanted to look at the monument Niederwalddenkmal, which is a female figure of a terribly triumphant appearance standing on top of a green hill:

Recognized as a symbol of Germany, it was erected in memory of the revived Empire, which in German tradition began to exist thanks to Otto the Great in the middle of the X century. A pompous monument was erected in 1883 and symbolizes the victory of Prussia over France in the war of 1870-1871 and the formation of the German Empire of the Hohenzollerns - the so-called Kaiserreich (Second Reich). The height of the monument is 38 meters, the statues of Germany are 12.5 meters. Germany holds the Imperial crown in a proudly raised right hand, in the left - the so-called Imperial sword, one of the state regalia. The monument rises above the Rhine Valley at an altitude of 225 meters.

The landscape in front of my eyes is, of course, fantastically amazing. But I was especially interested in the Ehrenfels castle:

Here is his story. Ehrenfels (under a different name) was built in the XII century as a customs fortress. In wartime, the treasures of the Mainz Cathedral were brought here, fortunately, the Templar detachment located here provided protection. When the reprisal against the local Templars began (XIV century), Archbishop Peter Ehshpaltsky demanded to free the castle without touching the treasures stored in it, both church and order. Knights, aware of the fate of the brothers, realized the meaninglessness of resistance. Many left immediately, some waited for the arrival of the episcopal troops and still left their comrades. A handful of daredevils remained behind the walls, presumably 12 knights who refused to serve under the Royal Banner. “Everyone should have their own honor,  - the messenger heard, - she is always with us, and we expect mercy only from God. “Royal mercy is familiar to us from the fate of the brothers, who were tricked into France!”. Apparently, it was this phrase that served as the basis for the late (current) name of the castle - Ehrenfels, which in an approximate translation from German means “rock of honor”. Unfortunately, no source tells how the siege ended. It is known that Peter Ehshpaltsky eventually took possession of the castle and made it his residence. In the XIX century, picturesque ruins were the property of one of the Prussian princes, and today the towers ready to collapse on the side of the mountain are perhaps the most mysterious architectural monument on the Middle Rhine.

Along the Streets of Rüdesheim

Having returned to Rüdesheim, for some time I walked with pleasure along its serene streets (there were few tourists in this period of the year). Hier ist die Welt noch in Ordnung - “Here the world is still in order” : one of the restaurants in Rüdesheim greets visitors with such an inscription in German, and I would not hesitate to call it the motto of the city and the entire region of the Rhine Valley.

The city itself is one small square with a church and several narrow streets. Most of the houses (and on Drosselgasse 144 meters long are all houses) are occupied by several dozens of restaurants and wine cellars.

The most significant sights are historical buildings such as the Eagle Tower (a tall round building of white color), the thousand-year-old Bremerzerburg castle with the Wine Museum, the first German museum of mechanical musical instruments, the Museum of medieval torture, various half-timbered buildings with magnificent bay windows.

As always, I have to admit that the time limit made it impossible to get acquainted with the sights of the city from the inside. It was only possible to carve out a couple of minutes in order to observe in one shop the process of manual manufacture of toys.

Old postcards with views of the Rhine Valley

It’s time to leave. A little more we drove south and briefly ended up in the land of Hesse, in direct line of sight from. The relief of the shale mountains gave way to a undulating plain covered with vineyards and cornfields. The last thing that remains in memory before leaving on a boring autobahn is a crane on the Rhine. This inconspicuous wooden tower with a conical roof is a historical monument of UNESCO. She is "just something" 503 years old ...

I also want to:

Sitting in such a delightful place

In the company of such merry gentlemen and beautiful ladies

And drink such a wonderful wine!

Elena Nikolaevna Gritsak

Cologne and the castles of the Rhine

Introduction

It is no coincidence that the authors of the ancient guidebooks call the Rhine the blessed part of Europe. In fact, this pleasantly sounding word is used to denote not only the coast of the famous river. The Rhine, with its division into Upper, Middle and Lower, is usually referred to as the entire area adjacent to the coast, endowed with wonderful valleys, rocky hills, picturesque ruins and cozy, unbelievably beautiful cities. For a long time invaders rushed here, who sometimes managed to force out the original Germanic tribes from a paradise place.

Without going into historical upheavals, the Rhine land carefully preserves the traces of all the ancient inhabitants. There are so many traditions connected with this land that the saying that is here seems not so conditional: "Dozens of centuries peep out from under every uncouth Rhine stone." Popular statements can be understood in different ways, and the ruins of castles really “peep out”, and from almost every mountain.

The calm waters of the Rhine are perfect for multi-day cruises, which some travelers perceive as a kind of stiff and boring vacation, while others consider riding the bliss. Perhaps the latter are right, because even an inveterate cynic will not get bored surrounded by the fabulous German nature. Crossing the Shale Mountains, having many tributaries, the famous river flows in a valley between steep, fairly high hills. Over its entire length there are bridges: ancient stone and modern - light, like miraculous buildings made of ropes and steel plates.

Rhine near the Shale Mountains

Traveling through the calm waters of the Rhine is pleasant and informative. Immersion in history begins already with landing, because passenger liners bear the sonorous names of crowned persons, composers, writers, as well as famous places and architectural monuments. The latter also include castles, which Germany is richer in than any other European country. Rising on tops of mountains or hiding in greenery on gentle slopes, medieval fortresses in no way contradict urban views. More often dilapidated, sometimes quite attractive, and sometimes shining with fresh paint, they are framed by fields, vineyards, well-groomed forests, where you can now roam without fear of robbers.

Mainz Start of travel

Despite the proximity to the Arctic zone, the Rhine never freezes, which makes it a transport route, important both for Germany and for Europe. The wide and deep riverbed encloses complex sections with shallows and underwater cliffs. Over time, well-studied, it no longer interferes with shipping, especially busy in the middle reaches, on the section from Mainz to Cologne, which is often called the Romantic Rhine. When traveling through medieval castles, you should not refuse to visit the nearest cities, because each of them is directly connected with noble estates, and some are of independent cultural value, since they are monuments of the ancient era. Looking at Mainz from a bird's eye view, it is hard to believe that this typically European settlement was founded by the Romans. The former episcopal city, once owned by the Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, has recently been recognized as the capital of the young land of Rhineland-Palatinate. He was never smashed by enemy troops, and in the absence of other major upheavals, the traces of the founders remained here: the remains of the walls of an ancient fortress and a water supply system, which once stood on 500 pillars, of which only 60 survived. An early Christian basilica with two choirs also belongs to the Roman heritage.

Lake Constance - the place where the Rhine begins

Mainz itself is located in a hilly area, opposite the mouth of the river flowing into the Rhine, which gave the city a Germanic name. The fortress that once surrounded it, appearing in guides as the Citadel, was erected on Roman foundation during the Thirty Years War. Initially, its core was a square fort, later reinforced by 13 bastions. A later building of the same character - a red-stone palace - used to be the residence of the master of the Teutonic Order. Now the parliament is sitting in it, sharing a small space of the building with the museum of local lore. Today's Mainz is famous for its traditional carnival, the skill of jewelers, as well as the surrounding area, where there is the largest vineyard in the country. The historic city center is made up of quarters around the cathedral. In Catholicism, the main city temple is usually called the Latin word "Dom". The holy fathers of Germany understood this concept literally, arranging in the house of God their own. Archbishops lived in Mainz Cathedral for more than 600 years, each of whom, in addition to the high church title, had a secular like him, being elector, that is, one of the princes who had the right to choose the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Dedicated to St. Martin, the cathedral was founded in the X century, was built about three centuries and on the day of consecration almost died in the fire. After the fire, it more than once collapsed and rebuilt, but appeared completely curtained before the townspeople only in 1793. Long construction could not but affect the appearance of this strange structure. The presence of different styles in it is noticeable from afar, which does not upset the parishioners, and even pleases the specialists, because the temple building is a visual material on the history of architecture. A similar meaning is given to a nearby church, small but richly and peculiarly decorated. Its Gothic facade contrasts sharply with the Baroque interior, and that, in turn, is contrasted with modern decor, in which the main role is assigned to the stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall. Despite the difficulties, Dom retained almost all of its values. Many chapels and naves are illuminated by the radiance of golden decoration, the sacristy amazes with its splendor, old columns are still strong. Passing the bronze doors, visitors see a font of the XIV century made of the same material or, having closed their eyes, enjoy the sounds of one of several cathedral organs. No less interesting are the monuments: the tomb of the third wife of Charlemagne, Fastrada, the statues of archbishops and electors of Mainz. Among the graves in the courtyard, the grave of Heinrich Frauenlob, the legendary minstrel who glorified female virtue, looks especially attractive. Local ladies adored him alive and never forgot the dead: not a single cathedral tombstone was as concerned as where the "dear Henry" rested. Moreover, in 1842, the troubles of female society created the second statue of the singer, solemnly hoisted at the entrance to the city library.

Half-timbered houses in the historic quarter of Mainz

St. Martin's Cathedral in Mainz

Such a useful phenomenon as typography and not at all useful ideas of the counter-reformation, which, fortunately, did not go too far, spread from Mainz to German lands. Details of the first can be found in the museum, which is located in the former palace of the Duke, where the most famous citizen of Mainz, the great enlightener Johannes Gutenberg, founded the printing house in the 1450s. The museum has displayed printed books that he created, including the famous Bible - one of the few church books named after the creator, in this case not God, but man, that is, Gutenberg himself. In terms of size and overall impression, the main city church of Mainz can be compared with the famous Cologne Cathedral: it is also visible from afar and equally richly decorated. Both of these buildings dominate the visible space, suppressing all other buildings with their impressive appearance. The steps of the stairs located behind the cathedral lead to the Rhine, along which boats and barges sailed in the old days, and today cruise ships go, since the navigable part of the river begins near Mainz. Not far from the city lies an unusually beautiful Eifel mountain range with healing springs. From here, the real German forests go into the vast distance: the mysterious Westerwald and the largest in Germany green massif Palatinatewald, rich in remnants of early medieval fortresses.

Legends and medieval castles of the Rhine: tour in Russian.

“Germany is the Rhine,” said the Great Goethe. It remains for us to make a trip along the Middle Rhine, and make sure that it is right.

Perhaps, on a map of all of Europe we will not find a place that could compete with the Rhine Valley in the number of attractions. Here the magnificent landscape, great legends, Roman and Germanic history organically merged against the backdrop of fabulous half-timbered towns and formidable knight's castles. Here, from ancient times, the most famous wines of Germany have been produced.

Not more than an hour's journey from Düsseldorf, opposite Bonn, is the city of Königswinter, from where we will begin our journey along the Rhine. This area is called the "Semigorye", on one of the mountains is the Dragon Rock, where the main events of the "Nibelung Saga" took place. This story will accompany us all day. Let us briefly stop in the town of Linz, which is called "motley" for the variety of half-timbered architecture. In it we will visit the exhibition selling unique glass products.

Well, then along the route, just have time to turn your head. History follows history, it is simply unrealistic to describe this route in detail, so I will list only the main attractions that we will see.

These are at least 30 medieval castles, including the famous Marxburg, where we will definitely look, the ancient Koblenz, which arose in the place where the Moselle River flows into the Rhine, the famous "German corner". Singed in verse, Lorelei’s rock, Kaub, where German Marshal Blucher excelled. Niederwald is the most grandiose monument in Germany. And finally, Rüdesheim am Rhein is the capital of Rhine tourism. The city of winemakers is the best wine in Germany, including the famous "ice wine" Icewine.

Buying Rhine wine in the cellars of the city is almost the responsibility of every traveler who has been here. There will be no problems with souvenirs, Rudesheim is simply “packed” with souvenir shops and shops. It has already been noted more than once that anyone who has ever visited the Rhine will definitely come back to once again plunge into this amazing, romantic and fairytale atmosphere.

By the way, trips along the Rhine were mandatory for the intellectual elite of Europe in the 18th, 19th centuries.

Rhine excursions:

Cost of a trip from Dusseldorf

You can find more information about the sights of the city on our website www. alpenglueck.de in the “Route Description” section.

Cost of travel from Cologne

• 380 EUR for a group of 1-3 people
• 430 EUR for a group of 4-7 people

What is included

• services of a Russian-speaking guide,
• transport service according to the program,
• parking in the cities.

What is not included

• entry tickets,
• transfers from cities other than Düsseldorf and Cologne.