The More than Middling Middle Rhine

Loreley

This was our second trip down this stretch of river and this time we were prepared for what we were going to see. In short there are an oodle of castles along this part of the river simply because it was a great place for trade and thus a great place to conquer. Of course our day was nippy, so the crew came around with hot chocolate that could be fortified with a liqueur from the region. It would have been rude to turn down their offer, so I didn’t…twice.

Map of the Middle Rhine

The beauty and historic value of this part of the Rhine has been recognized by UNESCO, making it a tourist attraction in addition to one of the most navigable rivers that links northern Europe with the Mediterranean. In their analysis of the area for UNESCO recognition they stated that, ‘The 65km-stretch (40 miles) of the Middle Rhine Valley, with its castles, historic towns and vineyards, graphically illustrates the long history of human involvement with a dramatic and varied natural landscape. It is intimately associated with history and legend and for centuries has exercised a powerful influence on writers, artists and composers.’

Top L to R: Ehrenfels Castle, Rheinstein Castle, Sooneck Castle
Bottom L to R: Unknown, Stahleck Castle, Schonburg Castle

The Middle Rhine Valley sits in Rhenish Slate Mountains the between Bingen Gate, and Oberwesel. This transport artery brought prosperity to the area allowing establishment of 60 small towns, with their extensively terraced vineyards up the steep sides of the mountains. The ruins of 40 hill top castles that once defended its trade still look down on the countryside. These fortresses, built over the course of 1,000 years were abandoned sometime before the 17^th century, were restored, to some extent, in the 19^th century simply because they caught the imagination of the Romantic Movement in the 18^th century. With the change in geology, this wide river narrows at the Loreley, with the river no more than 130m (427 feet) wide but plunging to 20m (66 feet) in the deepest section. It widens out, again at the Lahnstein Gate into the Neuwied Valley.

Top L to R: Pfalz Castle, Katz Castle, Sterrenberg & Liebenstein Castles
Bottom L to R: Maus Castle,  Marksburg Castle, Stolzenfels Castle

There is more information about this lovely stretch of river at Along the Rhine, an earlier posting on the Near-Normal Traveler blog site. Many of these castles have been restored. Some are now hotels, one is a hostel, several are open to tourists, one is actually a toll booth, and one is a school. There are a few for which I couldn’t find names; I’d love to have those names if anyone can find them.

Ehrenbreitstein Castle

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