Castles of the Rhine Valley

Travel Date:

Friday, 23rd May 2014

One of the items in my Europe travel list is to see those ancient castles. They said the best way to see the "Castles on the Rhine" is on a cruise. Indeed, it was breathtaking! We embarked on a scenic cruise from Boppard to St. Goar on a boat called "Loreley Elegance."

Along the river, we passed the known "Middle Rhine" or also called "Rhine Gorge." This stretch is starting from Bingen (Rhine-kilometer 529) to Koblenz (Rhine-kilometer 590). In 2002, it was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage. Why? You will see around 40 castles and fortresses along this valley. During the tour, it was mentioned that some of these castles were converted into hotels, museums, private homes and some were ruined but can still be seen.

Aside from these castles and fortresses, you will see also along the rocky valley scattered lush vineyards and timber-framed houses. These traditional houses are mostly observed in the historic German cities and towns.

They have told us about some folklores of a water spirit lady, an enchanted lady similar to mermaid called Lorelei. Her power was to serenade until they put them under her spell causing their boats to capsize.

It was an awesome view and we enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed our lunch on board. They said, if you're Germany, don't miss to taste their beers. Well, who will miss it? A cold beer while we're cruising.

For more information, here's the brochure and a map taken from Lorely Linie website (http://www.loreley-linie.de/rhinecruises.html).

Brochure: Loreley Linie River Cruise

Map: