Article and Photographs By Nancy Binder
T
he Rhine River is a major river in Europe flowing in a northerly direction from Switzerland through Germany and the Netherlands into the North Sea. It is about 760 miles in length and is the longest river in Germany. The river is divided into sections with the Middle Rhine being described as the Romantic Rhine. It is known for its castles, fortresses and vineyards. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are more than 40 Middle Ages castles sitting high on the rocks along this stretch of the river, and the slate hillsides are so picturesque with vineyards covering their steep banks. The Rhine Gorge runs from Rudesheim am Rhine to Koblenz. Near St. Goarshausen is the famous rock Lorelei. The Lorelei story first appeared as a ballet by Clemens Brentano in 1801 telling the tale of an enchantress associated with the rock. She betrayed her lover and is accused of bewitching men and causing their death. The bishop, instead of sentencing her to death, sends her off to a nunnery. Three Lorelei Rock knights taking her there allowed her to climb the rock for a last look at the Rhine. She climbs the rock, peers down into the river, thinks she sees her lover and falls to her death! The rock still retains the echo of her name, Lorelei. In 1824, Heinrich Heine took the story and changed it. Lorelei the enchantress sat upon the rock combing her long golden hair which caused shipmen to become distracted by her song and beauty and allowed their ships to crash into the rock. There were a lot of shipwrecks while navigating around Lorelei rock. The gorge here is narrow, rocky, and has lots of twisting. We were on a Viking River cruise when we visited this beautiful area at the end of October several years ago. The mornings started out cool and foggy, but with jackets it was comfortable sitting on the sun deck viewing the castles and vineyards on the very steep hillsides. The leaves were changing color, many yellows and a few reds on the trees. The grapes
16 | February 2021 | voicemagazineforwomen.com
Marksburg Castle
Half-timbered Houses had been harvested, but the leaves were still on the vines and shimmered golden. It is such a picturesque area. Watching the ship navigate through the Lorelei rock area was exciting. At several spots, there are remnants of toll buildings where nobility collected money from ships which helped to support their castles. Ehrenfels Castle near Rudesheim was built about 1212 by Archbishop of Mainz along with a customs post and the Mouse Tower built down by the river to control shipping. The castle was fought over during the Thirty Years continued on next page