The Rhine

North of Stuttgart and east of Frankfurt are the Cities of the Rhine. The Rhine is a very long river and many cities line its banks, but this particular segment is very popular for German tourists. It's easy to see why. The Rhine is a slow river about 200 meters wide, gently winding through a narrow valley it has worn away from the surrounding hills. The hills that flank it are steep and high, striped everywhere with vineyards and dotted with a castle atop a high perch every few kilometers. With few exceptions, below each castle lies a sleepy town that wakes up for a scant few hours each day to welcome visitors, then returns to its quiet inert state.

The particular town I stayed in is Bacharach, named after Bacchus, and thus appropriately produces some good wine, but not much else. The sights are few, a temple ruin, a church; but the defining point of interest is its hostel. How cool is this hostel? Well, it's a frikkin' castle! Situated high above the town, the hostel requires a steep 15-minute climb to reach it, but its unique characteristics certainly make it worth the effort.

Bacharach is connected to other cities of the Rhine by a dock, from which ferries collect passengers a few times a day and carry them up or down the river. The absence of English on any information signs pushed me to just pick a city to visit by sight alone. The cruise downriver was relaxing, though, with interesting things pointed out by automated recordings.

I jumped off at St. Goar with its massive castle being a visible standout. Castle Rheinfels gives its visitors unprecedented freedom to explore all its nooks and crannies. Besides the outer walls and inner courtyards and towers, the pitch black interior corridors and mining tunnels were open. Spelunking through them with flashlight in hand is a spooky experience as the throughways are very cramped and the undressed stones sharp. Imagine climbing a tight spiral staircase with a claustrophobic four foot ceiling, forcing your to crouch, in total darkness and muffled silence, having no idea where it will lead, and not being able to see around the corner. I was glad I was carrying four lights on me.

Castle Katz was nearby and I tried to get to that, but to no avail; it was private property so I guess you can own one of these. Note to self: when I get rich, buy a German castle. The cruise back to Bacharach was immensely pleasant with the temperature just right and the low-lying sun putting the Rhine into a new light. Evening at the hostel was pleasant as well with a choir group practicing in the courtyard and everyone enjoying Bacharach wine.

Tomorrow I cruise south to Mainz for half a day, the last city I visit in Germany before leaving for southern France.