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Published: April 20th 2019
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The Rhine River
Viewed from the site of the Niederwalddenkmal (monument commemorating German unification in 1871) Today we had booked an excursion to visit one of the most scenic and romantic stretches of the famous Rhine River. The tour combined a bus ride from Frankfurt to Wiesbaden, then continued through several small villages along the east bank of the river until we reached the small villages of Rüdesheim and Assmanshausen, where we boarded a ship for a very pleasant cruise. Many vineyards and castles dot the landscape along this stretch of the Rhine. These fortified castles provided great strategic value back in medieval times, so most of them occupy the high ground on both sides of the river.
The mighty Rhine (spelled "Rhein" in German) is the second-longest river in Central and Western Europe. From its sources in Switzerland, the river flows 760 miles in a mostly northerly direction through Germany and The Netherlands to reach the North Sea. In addition to sightseeing traffic, the river remains a major waterway for barges transporting all sorts of cargo in both directions.
0ur first stop of the day was at the Niederwalddenkmal, a 125-ft-high monument located at the top of a hill near the town of Rüdesheim. The monument overlooks the valley of the Rhine, and was
built in the 1870/80s to commemorate the founding of the German Empire in 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War. After a brief photo stop, most of the tour group descended from the monument via chairlift, but we opted for a more sedentary trip by bus to reach the group's lunch venue in Assmanshausen, the Restaurant Anker. The interior decor of this restaurant is over-the-top
kitsch, but not without a certain degree of charm, and the tour groupie food we were served was at least passable.
Shortly after lunch we boarded a boat for our short cruise on the Rhine River, heading north from Assmanshausen to the town of St. Goarshausen on the east bank. The weather could not have been more magnificent, with bright sunshine, blue skies and a cool breeze on the deck of the ship. Several of the many castles we passed are documented in today's photo gallery, as well as the vineyards that cling to the sloping hills of this valley. One of the highlights along this stretch of the river is the Lorelei Rock, where legend has it that a maiden who, sitting on the cliff above the Rhine and combing her golden hair, unwittingly distracted
shipmen with her beauty and song, causing them to crash on the rocks.
Soon after disembarking from the ship at St. Goarshausen, our bus returned us to the same restaurant in Assmanshausen where had eaten lunch for a brief wine tasting, in which Dee partook (but I opted out). Our last stop of the day was in Rüdesheim, where those of the group who wished to buy souvenirs had numerous tourist traps from which to choose. We were back in Frankfurt by 7:00 PM, grabbed some pizza at the local pizzeria close to the hotel, and then returned to our room to begin packing for our transfer to Heidelberg in the morning.
Dee's Comments: Another nice breakfast at the hotel, then a good taxi ride to reach the tour office, where we met three great ladies from Ghana who were part of our group...shared lots of laughs and conversation with them throughout the day. The day tour and boat ride were enjoyable, with lots of castles and beautiful views of the countryside. Had another one of our weird taxi experiences upon our return to the tour office, when the first driver in the taxi rank gruffly told us
no dice, as it was not a long enough ride to make it worth his while! Finally found a driver who was willing to do so, and soon we were back at the hotel, some pizza (again), and then lights out. Tomorrow we're off to Heidelberg!
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Jeni
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How do you get to the castle?
The castles in the hillside are amazing, but I couldn’t see the road to get there. ? beautiful day for a cruise.