Bacharach is a walled medieval town on the Rhine in Germany. It is a stop on the KD Steamship line. The town has wonderful Fachwerk (Half Timbered) Houses, a wonderful wine industry and a castle where you can spend the night overlooking it.
We arrived in Bacharach around 3:00 PM and disembarked, packing all our stuff on our backs. Proceeding through and archway in the city wall we passed under the street and into a lovely medieval town with half-timbered houses and winestübe everywhere. Cobble-stoned street under our feet, we passed by the church and began ascending the stone steps.
About 200 steps up we passed the ruins of a chapel. Made of red sandstone and roofless, it stands above the town like a ghost. We were told or read at least three different stories about why the chapel was that way, one that it was unfinished, one that it was destroyed in a battle, and one perosn told us that the roof blew off the castle in a storm and destroyed the church below. Whatever the reason, Michael's Kapelle is very interesting and beautiful.
We climbed up to the hostel which is in an old castle, Burg Stahlek. After dumping our stuff, Katie and Sarah decided to remain behind at the hostel, where they enjoyed a fried fish dinner, while George, Mark and I headed into town for dinner, wine and exploration. The highlights of the evening were the apple strudel and sipping several different local Reislings at a local Weinstübe. Then we headed back up to our hostel.