Germany's Romantic Rhine

I set up base in a little B&B in Bacharach, which is a quaint little fairy tale village set on the river with a castle looming above. I rode a bicyle in rain and fog from there to Bingen and back. The fog created an eerie atmosphere as the castles slowly emerged from the mist. Exploring Rheinfels castle in St. Goar makes you feel like a little kid. There are several other castles to see and I had fun just walking around the towns. I also got to watch some young scamps playing in a soccer league. The play of the 8-9 year olds put our US kids of the same age to shame.

Quick Tips:

Use a railpass which can also be used on the KD boats which go up and down the river.

Try to be there for 'Fire on the Rhine' where they blast fireworks above the castles. The photos looked awesome! Let me know how it is.

Best Way To Get Around:

Trains, bicycles and your hoofs.

Being on a budget, I wanted the lowest priced room I could find and they came through in fine form. The room was samll, but clean and quiet. In addition to the bed, it included a sink, small table, and wardrobe. This suited me fine as I can deal with the toilet/shower down the hall... just like at home, eh. Breakfast was included and bike rentals are available for about $10/day, which I highly recommend taking advantage of. There is also a restaurant with a bar if you choose to stay in to eat. Staff was very friendly and helpful with questions. Since the town is very small, you are close to pubs, restaurants, and deli''s. One word of caution - the phone in the lobby is VERY expensive and is billed to your room. The only payphone (near train station) that I could find did not take phonecards. This was in 1998, so it may be different. If so, let me know. Danke und gut reise!

This was my first experience on the Rhine and it was awesome. It was raining and very foggy, but that just added to the adventure. Excerpts from my journal that I carried with me... "The fog provides a magnificantly eerie atmosphere....one of the most incredible journeys I've taken... Incredible!".

Looking back, I still feel the same enthusiasm that I had at the time. Seeing the castles for the first time as they loom in the distance is truly awesome. I took a tour of Burg Rheinstein, which is decorated as it might have been back in the day.

You can't lose making this little bike ride, especially if it's your first time in Europe.

With all apologies to Rick Steves for potential plagerism, here we go... This place is awesome! It is a massive ruin of what was once an even more massive structure. For a mere 5DM ($2.50) you are free to explore what is the largest ruin on the Rhine. The map is about .50DM and is helpful to give you a general idea of where you are but if you get lost it does no good (did I get lost?). Make sure to bring a small flashlight. Spend some time in the museum and learn the history of the castle and see the 3-D replica of what it looked like back in the day. Follow the map or Rick Steves self guided tour (in his Germany book) to help you find your way about the place. But make sure to take time to do some exploring on your own. I had a blast finding my way through the corridors, passages, and little tunnels (yes VERY little). Find the steep, dark corridor and use a candle to experience a surreal sense of history (wha?). If you see the stairs that caution you to not enter unless with a guide, enter at your own risk. You'll find yourself in a maze of small tunnels that are designed to disorient trespassers. Make sure you know your way back because your shouts for help will not be heard. Getting back to the 'tour'... the castle offers various towers, rooms, courtyards and corridors to make for a fun little afternoon of exploring that puts you in a youthful mind again. And make sure you know your way back, as I mentioned before, I couldn't make my way back while in a courtyard. D'oh! The 'tour' takes about an hour, but give yourself a couple of hours to allow for your own adventures.