The Rhine River from Cologne
to Passau
Our cruise took us up the Rhine River
and its towns, castles, churches and vineyards. At Koblenz where the Moselle River empties into it, stands Koblenz and
the restored Marksburg Castle. Presented first are the photos taken on the Rhine and then in a separate section our
visit to Marksburg Castle. Every turn in the river presented a new town, castle or vineyard. Needless to say,
a lot of photos were taken. In some cases you will see a photo taken at a wide angle and then subsequent photos
taken with a higher zoom. This provides a sense of the overall scene as well s details of the subject. I hope you
enjoy the presentation. Where possible I have identified the castle or town. If I have miss-identified a town or castle,
please let me know.
I believe this is Bremm. Home of Europe's
steepest vineyards.
Sooneck castle
This fortress was used to give early warning of
an enemy approaching on the river. Note the steep vineyards in the slopes below. Tending the vines and picking the grapes
was no easy chore.
Catholic and protestant churches share the same valley.
Stahleck Castle. Many of the castle along the
Rhine are occupied. Note the brightly colored patio umbrellas. Can you buy one? Of course. How Much? If you have to ask, you probably cannot afford it. A web search runs in the 10-20 million dollar range.
Pfalz Castle at Kaub This castle is unusual as it is at river level rather
than on a hill overlooking the river
A castle? probably not but still a beautiful home
overlooking the Rhine.
Shönburg castle - Oberwesel
A couple of the many watch towers along the river.
Views of the vineyards along the Rhine
More steep vineyards. Note that most rows
of vines are oriented vertical but some horizontal. Possibly for different sun exposure?
Even the railroad tunnel entrances are castle
façade motif. The watch tower was most likely used during the war to prevent sabotage of the tunnel.
RV'ing and camping are extremely popular in Europe; however you do not
see the giant motorhomes we have in the US. Fuel is way too expensive.
The Lorelei cliff. Here the river narrows to
350 feet. Not a lot when you are trying to pilot a longboat around it. To make matters worse it has treacherous currents and
underground rocks. The Lorelei is a beautiful maiden who allegedly sat on the rocks, combing her long hair and singing.;
luring unsuspecting sailors onto the rocks. The bronze was installed in 1983. Note the difference in the German spelling.
For a short video of the Rhine at Lorelei Cliff click here. The boat is moving very slowly through this torturous section.
The well known Katz (Cat) Castle.
St Goarshausen - On the
river below the Cat astle
Some examples of Bavarian exposed beam homes.
Stolenfels Castle at Koblenz
Rheinfels Castle at St. Goar
If you have a Katz (Cat) Castle, obviously
you have to have a Maus (Mouse) Castle. This is it! The Maus Castle. Hay, I didn't name them!
I was unable to find the name of this castle.
It may be different views of the Maus Castle. Help anyone?
More churches along the way.
We saw many swans along the river.
Kaiser Wilhelm I statue at the juncture
of the Moselle and the Rhine.
This gondola cable car provided transportation across
the Rhine in Koblenz. It appeared to be used for regular transportation rather than a tourist attraction. Look
at the right side of the photo and you can see an old road going up the side of the hill. The architecture seems to
date back to Roman times.
Former prussian gouvernment building of the Rhine Province in Koblenz. Prussia has a special meaning
for the Skunk as his Grandmother and Grandfather immigrated (legally)in the 1800's to the US
from here
Okay, revolving restaurant? Space Needle? No, this
is what TV transmission towers look like in Europe.
So what are these giant smoke stacks doing sitting
on top of this hill with nothing around them?
They are vents for the industrial
complex located to the right of this photo. If the pollutants were vented into the valley, it would choke every living
thing there so they are piped up to the top of the hill and out vented there. Europe is pretty tough on environmental
pollutants so I doubt if the outflow is very toxic, but if it were vented into the valley it would stay there. This
way it can disperse over a large area, hopefully without causing any harm.
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