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June 28, 2005
Cruising the Rhine
A visit to the Rhine area cannot possibly be complete without a boat trip on this famous and historic waterway. It has seen invaders, wars, trade, raiders, and migrations. It has provided a highway from the very heart of Germany and the former territories of the "Holy Roman Empire" to the sea for centuries. It is a little over 1600 kilometres from Lake Constance, "die Bodenzee", to the sea exit at Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
A little downstream from the "Mäuseturm, stands this magnificent castle, restored in the 19th Century and now a private residence. Like all Rhine Castles it dominates the river and the surrounding landscape.
Each prominence above the river is crowned by a castle or guard tower fortress, a reminder that this is a territory which has had to be defended ever since the Roman Legions first forced a crossing and set up "Colonia" East of the Rhine. Along the stretch from Rüdesheim to St Goar, the river runs swiftly between gravel banks and steep hillsides - most decorated with vineyards - and is bustling with the traffic of commerce.
A "down bound" barge laden with containers passes the cruise ship, while another barge deep loaded with coal passes upstream.
In some areas the current is swift enough to make it necessary for some motor barges to have the assistance of a tug to enable them to keep steerage way and avoid being thrust ashore in the eddies. The negotiation of some of the bends in the river is an interesting evolution for some craft, particularly those that are deeply laden. An amusing aspect is the number that carry a family saloon car, motor bike, or some other vehicle under a derrick where, in a seagoing vessel, there would be a lifeboat or rafts. Testimony to the need to be able to get ashore and have "wheels"?
The scenery is spectacular, the weight of history immense, but not overwhelming - definitely a great deal more to be explored here!
Posted by The Gray Monk at June 28, 2005 10:45 AM
Comments
The scenery is amazingly breathtaking. We went from Ruedesheim to St. Goarshausen by boat.
The towns through the Rheingau are very picturesque as well. We loved it. It had to have been one of the highlights of our two and a half year sojourn in Germany...
Posted by: James at June 29, 2005 09:43 PM