When I visited a friend who lived in a village near Mainz, Germany in September 2001, she recommended that we take a riverboat cruise on the Rhine River from Mainz, an industrial city of about 185,000 in the Rhineland-Palatinate to Bacharach, a tiny village of 2,400 people that has some of the best preserved medieval architecture in Germany.
Evelyn and I tried to take the cruise on Monday, September 10, but by the time we got to the docks, the boats had left for the day, and due to Evelyn needing to be home by 3 to meet her children coming home from school, we had to postpone the trip until the next day.
So, Evelyn and I spent most of the morning and early afternoon touring Mainz and the Dom, the medieval church that dominates Mainz's skyline and Domplatz.
The next morning, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Evelyn and I made sure we got up early and made our way back to Mainz after her four kids were off to school. Mainz's Rhine River docks are located near some ancient Roman gates that are worth a short look before getting on your boat to tour the Rhine.
It will cost one about $15 USD to cruise the Rhine River one-way. In 2001, it cost us about $10 USD. After a short wait, we were allowed to board our boat, and Evelyn and I took window seats inside the cabin.
When I went to the Rhine River Valley from The Netherlands after visiting my friend Monique there, I came by train and got to see the Rhine River via Koln (Cologne). From the train, I was lucky to see the famous Lorelei, the 450 foot high stone that was home to sirens who lured many soldiers and their ships to doom on the rocks and treacherous waves. Lorelei was made famous by Heinrich Heine's Song of Lorelei. Heine's story is about a count who sends soldiers to capture the siren who was responsible for his son's death when he tried to seduce her. When the soldiers cornered Lorelei in a cave, she yelled for her father who helped Lorelei escape the soldiers by sending waves to cast her away. After she was swept away by the waves, Lorelei was never seen again, and a legend was born.
Our Rhine River Cruise led us from Mainz along some of the most beautiful scenery along the Rhine River and one can see grapevines and wineries galore along the way.