Day four of the Rhine getaway was the most beautiful and probably the most physically demanding. This was the day when my past six years of faithful gym workouts and neighborhood walks paid off with huge dividends. We docked in Koblenz, Germany, in the early morning, and we departed by bus to the Marksburg Castle.
Marksburg is the best preserved castle in Germany and probably in all of Europe. It was never destroyed in battle, for the simple reason that was never attacked. Its commanding view of the Rhine, located high above a bend in the river, was certainly formidable to potential attackers. The bus ride took us higher and higher up the mountainside, but we knew we would have a substantial climb on foot after leaving the bus. The climb using gentle switchbacks was not as bad as I had expected. The most difficult climb was on the inside of the castle. After passing through an impressive portcullis, we encountered a winding passageway that was roughly hewn from the rock. It was jagged, uneven and fairly steep. While difficult for humans to climb, it was much easier than stairs for horses. It seems that the knights of old rode inside to the stables, and the horses could easily ascend the jagged rocks. Stairs would have been much more difficult for them.
Once inside, the castle appeared much like those we have seen in photos and books. We visited the kitchens, living quarters, great room, armory, music room, chapel, wine cellar, and other areas of delight to our modern eyes. On a warm June day, it was pleasant in the castle, but our guide repeatedly told us how cold and miserable it was to live in a castle for most of the year. With the invention of gun powder, castles were soon abandoned in favor of more urban palaces. We enjoyed our tour very much and left feeling edified by the many features that we had previously only read about.
When we returned to our ship in Braubach, Germany, we began the most scenic part of our voyage through the Middle Rhine. Throughout the afternoon, we sat in the bow of the ship and photographed one castle after another as they appeared on both sides of the river. It truly was more beauty and history that we could fully absorb, but we tried. At one point, three castles were in view at once. We passed the famous Loralei Rock, jutting out of the middle of the river. Many of the castles now lay in ruins, but many of them have been renovated and repurposed as hotels, restaurants, and private homes. They displayed several architectural styles, even multiple styles in the same castle. They took so many years to build that styles changed from start to finish.
Perhaps you remembered this fact from school, but even though I pride myself as a good student, this fact had escaped my memory. That is that the castles were military installations. They were built and owned by the local titled land owners to house their armies of knights who protected the lands and, to some lesser degree, the people. The fact that the castles were relatively close together along the Rhine showed the sizes of the land tracts owned by the various titled gentry. I wondered which of these castles protected the lands of my ancestors, who were most likely peasant farmers or merchants. It was incredible to me to pass through so much history in one short afternoon.
In addition to the many castles, we also passed through lovely villages. We regretted that our ship did not stop to allow us to explore more of the towns. When we did stop in the evening in the town of Rudesheim, Germany, we quickly learned that it was not a town where we would have chosen to stop, if the decision had been left to us. Fifteen river cruise boats were docked at Rudesheim. It was a crowed tourist trap. We had naively purchased an optional excursion that included dinner and a show. This was our only major disappointment with Viking. We fought our way down a narrow crowded street, the famous “Drosselgasse,” filled with shops offering overpriced Chinese reproductions of German handicrafts. There were a few more authentic shops, and we purchased several Christmas ornaments. How can one visit Germany and refrain from purchasing Christmas stuff, especially in this household? The disappointment came in our dinner. It was al fresco in what may have been a pleasant courtyard in cooler weather. The food was not quite as good as ordinary, and the entertainment was a three person band, playing a combination of American pop and German oompah band selections. We didn’t even stay for dessert. Our 170 Euros could have been much better spent elsewhere.
Perhaps this is a good spot to remark on how freely the wine and cocktails flow on a river cruise. The fact that we never had a drop contributed to the funds that paid for all of the generous imbibement of our fellow passengers. We never saw rowdy drunkenness akin to a frat party, so other than knowing that we were subsidizing the drinks, we weren’t bothered by the free flow of Rieslings.
All told, the fourth day of our adventure was wonderful. The beautiful parts far outweighed the disappointments. This was a day of magic and dreams fulfilled for me.
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