04-02-2023 Castles of the Middle Rhine from Viking Gersemi

 Deb and I barely had time to get back on the ship after visiting the Marksburg Castle before the announcement came that we should all find a good place to be where we could see on both sides of the river. We were about to begin what was advertised as the highlight of our Rhine River Cruise, the great German castles on the cliffs above the river.

Here I am talking to Rosemarie about how surprised we were to be seeing the castles so quickly

Somehow, neither of us realized that this part of the trip was something that only lasted a very few hours.  I thought the castles would be scattered along the banks of the river throughout the cruise.  Something else I should have researched a bit more carefully before we traveled.  

Deb and I joined Rosemarie in the forward portion of the ship adjacent to the Aquavit Terrace.  Located at the bow of the ship, the  Aquavit Terrace is a casual outdoor space where breakfast and lunch were served in addition to the downstairs restaurant.  The only downside of this lovely open terrace is that the wind was blowing and the rain was coming in fits and spurts.

On the right side of the photo next to Deb, there was a nice big pile of cozy wraps for those that wanted to sit outside on the terrace, and we each took one for possibly going outside in the windy chilly weather.

The rain was coming down in earnest as we traveled so initially we watched from inside the ship with a hot cup of tea and our blankets.

Nancy the Cruise Director made announcements along the way as to our destination, and we were each given a list of the castles we might see as we sailed up the river.

Deb spent much of the 3-hour trip through Rhine Gorge on the top deck, where the inclement weather wasn’t conducive to the deck chairs being open.  Cruisers who wanted a chair had to set them up themselves, and most people just stood or walked around the deck.

With the steep stairs that are the only access from the Lounge deck to the upper deck, I only climbed to the top a couple of times before escaping the rain and wind.  Rosemarie and I watched the castles along the riverbank from the warm and comfy chairs in the lounge.

The one thing that was most bothersome to me was the strong reflections of the interior lights of the ship on the glass.  I wished so much that the captain would have those lights turned down for the portion of the trip that was the most scenic.  

Instead, many of my photos from the inside of the boat have these bright yellow lines running through them and no amount of fancy editing could fix the photos completely.

It was fun seeing the small communities along the banks of the river.  A train moved adjacent to our ship at a much faster rate than we were traveling.

The three of us had a bit of difficulty attempting to understand the two-page map that we were given to help with identifying the castles as we passed each one.  The problem with this plan is that the river had only a few mile markers and we weren’t exactly sure where we were at any given time.  Also, the photos of the castles were from only one direction, and like any other landscape or building, the directional view makes a huge difference in how it looks.

With rain continuing for most of the afternoon, I was happy for a nice big window to sit by as I snuggled into my cozy blanket and tried to figure out where we were on the map. There were announcements on the PA system, but by the time we figured out where to look, we still weren’t quite sure what we were looking at.  I think this may have been a completely different experience if it hadn’t been pouring rain and we could have been comfortable sitting on the top deck with the ability to hear Nancy talking about the castles as we passed them.

Stolzenfels Castle

The beautiful castle that Deborah saw in the early morning light was Stolzenfels Castle at km 585.  A 19th-century Prussian king rebuilt this charming 13th-century castle, which features works of the Rhine Romantic period. Stolzenfels Castle has many works of art and beautiful gardens.  After renovations were completed in 2011, it is now possible to visit the castle for guided tours only.

Marksburg Castle, which we visited this morning was at km 580.  Keep in mind that we are traveling up the Rhine from the sea to Switzerland, and the kilometer markers will be going down as we travel up the river.

Sterrenberg Castle (on the left) shares a defensive wall with Liebenstein Castle (on the right) and is still known as one of the two “Hostile Brothers”, a relic from a 16th-century story of their rivalry. Sterrenberg is mentioned as an imperial castle first in 1034  In 1190, it is listed in the book of Werner on Bolanden as a fief.  The noble family of Bolanden stayed as lords of Sterrenberg Castle until the second half of the 13th century.  Today Sterrenberg Castle is owned by “Burgen, Schlosser, Altertumer Thineland-Palatinate” and is open to the public.  As one of the oldest castles on the Rhine, with a visitor center and a restaurant, it is a popular castle to visit.

A few more miles of cruising in the rain led us to another group of closely spaced castles on the high cliffs above the gorge.

Maus Castle at km 558

Dubbed “Mouse Castle” by the counts of the larger Katz Castle nearby, this restored complex has splendid architectural features and abundant medieval charm.  The castle became known as Burg Maus due to the cat-and-mouse rialry between the Catholic Church and the powerful counts of Katzenelnbogen who owned nearby Katz Castle.  In the early 1800’s it fell into disrepair and was used as a quarry.  Today it has been restored but is privately owned and not open to the public.

Rheinfels Castle at km 556

Rheinfels sits high on a cliff above the Rhine, perched on the ruins of a mighty 13th-century fortress.  The castle has not been renovated and still is in ruins, but can be visited.  There is a small museum and a hotel on the property.

From all sides, Rheinfels Castle was impressive and beautiful.

Katz Castle at km 555

Katz Castle has been a presence on the Rhine since the 14th century.  Katz Castle was heavily damaged by Napoleon’s forces in 1806 and rebuilt in the Victorian era. 

I have included the internet photo from below, with the proper attributes because it shows the magnificent views of the Rhine Gorge that weren’t visible to us as we cruised at river level. The photo from above Katz Castle views the steep walls of the Rhine Gorge as it approaches the LoraLei Rocks at the narrowest point of the gorge.

By Alexander Hoernigk – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47815373

After passing Katz Castle we approached the most narrow portion of the Rhine Gorge and the LoreLei Rocks. There is a legend along the Rhine that Lorelei was a German maiden who threw herself in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to their destruction.  It is the most dangerous section of the Rhine, with steep cliffs, rockfalls, and a current made more swift by the narrow walls.

The Maiden Lorelei statue at the Lorelei Rocks on the Rhine

Schonburg Castle at km 549

Schonburg Castle was built sometime between 911 and 1166, and from the 12th century was ruled by the Lords of Schonburg.  As with many of the castles along the Rhine, they had the right to levy customs on the river.  The Schonburg line died out with the last heir, the son of Friedrich of Schonburg, and the castle was burned down in 1689 by French soldiers during the War of the Grand Alliance.

The castle remained in ruins for 200 years until it was acquired by the German-American Rhinelander family who bought the castle from the town of Oberwesel and restored it.  The town bought the castle back from the family in 1950, and since 1957 the Huti family has lived at the castle on a long-term lease.  They operate a successful  4-star hotel and restaurant there.

Gutenfels Castle at km 546

Built in 1220, and used with the nearby toll castle, Pfalzgrafenstein Castle, in the middle of the Rhine provided an impenetrable toll zone for the Holy Roman Emperor until Prussia purchased the area in 1866 and ended the toll.

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle at km 545 below Gutenfels Castle on the hill above the river

Tolls were no longer collected after 1866 and in 1946 the tiny island was put under state control.  The state converted the castle into a museum and today a short ferry ride from Oberwesel to the island and the castle.

The most famous grape grown on these slopes is Reisling

We live in wine country in the west, but I have never seen slopes this steep with vineyards clinging to the sides.  I wish I would have had a chance to visit the winemakers and grape growers in this part of Germany to learn about their viticulture methods, and how they irrigate these vineyards and keep them from sliding into the river.

Stahleck Castle Youth Hostel at km 543

This 12th-century castle repeatedly attacked during the 17th-century wars, lay in ruins for 237 years.  Rebuilt in 1909, it now houses a youth hostel.

This view of Stahleck Castle above the town of Bacharach was one of my favorites.  It captured the romance of the riverside villages, the old churches, the gorgeous, incredibly steep slopes of the vineyards, and the stormy skies that accompanied our trip through the Rhine Gorge.

Reichenstein Castle km 534

Reichenstein Castle is a stunning example of neo-Gothic reconstruction.  Its collection of porcelain, furniture, and weapons spans more than five centuries.  It now contains a restaurant, museum, and hotel, and is privately owned.

Rheinsein Castle km 533

This romantic, 14th-century castle features a drawbridge, ivy-covered battlements, and spectacular views of the Rhine.  It is especially interesting to note the way that the castle was built on the nearly vertical slabs of slate that form the walls of the Rhine Gorge.

Ehrenfels Castle km 530

The last of the castles that we viewed within the UNESCO Heritage Site was Ehrenfels.  This castle was built in the 13th century and keeps watch as boaters enter the narrow Rhine Valley.  Ehrenfels is a castle ruin that stands near the town of Rudesheim where our tour of the castles would end.

Nearing our stop in Rudesheim, Germany

On the way to Rudesheim, the bar staff did a demonstration for making Rudesheim Coffee, a delicious concoction of coffee, brandy, sugar, whipped cream, and dark chocolate. 

By the time we reached Rudesheim, I was rather exhausted,  The exploration of the great Rhine River Gorge and the many castles that we saw was amazing, but so much information.  All I wanted to do was rest.

Once again, though, Deborah was charmed by the half-timbered German architecture, and with a stop that allowed her enough time to get off the boat she decided to go for an evening walk before dinner.

I stayed on the ship for a time but then decided to at least get off for a little bit and walk through the lovely park while I waited for Deb to return.  She had some photos to share and we laughed about how hard it is to see as much as we would like with such a short stop in the town.

Again I don’t remember a bit about dinner, because, by dinner time, I was worn out, and crashed in our stateroom.  I was glad that the rain seemed to have dissipated at least, and hoped for a better weather day for our next day visiting Speyer, Germany.

Deb wasn’t ready for sleep, and instead spent some time on the top deck, watching the lights and listening to the river current before coming down to bed late that evening.

It had been a very long day, and such a day it was. It was the first of the two most important days that Deb anticipated for this vacation.  The next thing she wanted to see most was the Black Forest, but we had a few more river cities to explore before that day would arrive.

Gersemi docked next to a lovely park for a short evening in Rudesheim, Germany