Thursday, our fearless leader, Ali, arranged for us to take a route combining bus, ferries (to cross the Rhine), chair lift, a walk in the woods and cable car to visit a famous and historic statue called Niederwalddenkmal, which was erected in 1871, by Kaiser Wilhelm I. It symbolizes German unity at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. This trip is called The Ring, because it is really like a big circle - but has nothing to do with Wagner for you music aficionados.
It is such an imposing statue - this is the view from the river! It's significance to the Germans could be likened to the Britannia Statue for the Brits, or perhaps the Washington Monument for the Americans. It was a symbol for a new, emerging statehood.
The war was an important event in European history. It involved the French Emperor Napoleon III (did you even know there were three Napoleans!) who led France to to secure it's northern boundaries. The Prussian led military of Germany was superior in both numbers and organization and the French were defeated (and from what I can understand lost Alsace and Lorraine, too). This set seeds for distrust and resentment between France and Germany which impacted further historical events in Europe.
It is such an imposing statue - this is the view from the river! It's significance to the Germans could be likened to the Britannia Statue for the Brits, or perhaps the Washington Monument for the Americans. It was a symbol for a new, emerging statehood.
The war was an important event in European history. It involved the French Emperor Napoleon III (did you even know there were three Napoleans!) who led France to to secure it's northern boundaries. The Prussian led military of Germany was superior in both numbers and organization and the French were defeated (and from what I can understand lost Alsace and Lorraine, too). This set seeds for distrust and resentment between France and Germany which impacted further historical events in Europe.
We set off from Bingen and the view, as we moved downstream, was serene! The combination of the old castle Ruine Ehrenfels (a ruin that was re-built in 1212!), the neatly cultivated vines and the modern cruise boat passing make a delightful combination.While I'm not so keen on the river boats, it does make a pretty picture. I might also add that there was another castle on the opposite bank - Burg Rheinstein - which we visit later in the week - and a tower (the Mause Turm) in the river nearby, which was part of the toll collection. Basically more castles than you can point a stick at here!
Our first stop was Assmannshausen, which was a delight to the eyeballs.
It contained neat collections of my favorites - doors, windows and cute curved slate roofs.
Our Music Director, Richard and his mother, Kate walk by a fabulous door!
The locals, however, were determined to keep an eye on any mischief we might be up to!
The land at the top of the chair lift had been set aside by Count Karl Maximiliam von Osteen in the late 1700's. Niederwald actually means coppice in German, and it was true to its name. It was delightful to walk the 3 km through it to the statue. It was lush, green and well paved. No great vistas here, but it provided a delightful setting for a stroll.
One we arrived at the destination - the Niederwalddenkmal statue itself was revealed to be as ginormous as it had looked from the river. See how dwarfed the people at the base are.
It was so huge, I couldn't figure out how to photograph it. Here's a close up of part of it......
We spent a great deal of time speculating whether the wedding had occurred in this beautiful setting, or if it was just a photo shoot. But there were a great number of people who might have been wedding guests around. I speculated that these women might have been the bridesmaids.
This was the view from outside the bathroom which I thought was pretty sweet! It shows the village of Bingen on the other side of the river.
The next task was heading down to Ruedesheim in the cable car. What a charming town it was.
We had been advised that we must experience the infamous Ruedesheim Kaffe, a brandied coffee which is served in special cups. How fortunate that we found a restaurant serving it as soon as we got off the cable car. The Asbach Uralt brandy (distilled from grapes grown right around Ruedesheim) is poured in first and then set to flame. After that the coffee is poured over it and is then topped with a huge wallop of whipped cream and shaved chocolate! What a great way to get in the mood for a bit of sightseeing.
Rosemary and I were delighted to also find a gluten free dessert which was brimming with a rich pudding made from berries. Very delicious.
Ruedesheim was one of those little towns that oozed with the statement 'I've been around a looooong time!' Wikipedia confirms this, indicating that it was first settled by the Celts. Its first historic documentation was in 1074, when it was noted for wine-growing and shipping. Many of the buildings date from the 15th Century or later. I loved the signage.....
This is he famous Drosselgasse (alleyway) which is one of the most visited tourist sights in Germany. It dates from the 15th Century and was built for the boat owners to move goods from the river to the homes in the town. Although it is only 144 meters long, it is packed with character. Our plans for exploring every nook and cranny were foiled by a very intense thunderstorm, which found us sheltering in a store. Wasn't it odd that it turned out to be a jewelry store?....... and yes, both Rosemary and I did end up buying a necklace and earrings!
The rain really came down! While it remained picturesque, I hate to mention that there arose a mild odor that was a bit like sewage! I'm glad it was not so persistent and strong to be repulsive, but it was there and I decided not to speculate where it might have arisen from!
Finally the rain eased and we gathered at the waterfront to catch the ferry back to Bingen...........
........but yet again, the locals were still watching!
The following day - Saturday saw us visiting a nearby castle, but I'll tell you more about that later. Instead we'll move to Saturday night, which saw us enjoying an 'al fresco' dinner in Bacharach, about 5 km from where we were staying. It was a summer foodie celebration the 'Bacharach Kulinarische Sommermact am Rhein', culminating in fireworks after dark. There was also music and dancing but I heard no peep about Burt Bacharach! (He was born in the US - but you never know....)
Before settling into the food, wine and visiting with our group, Rosemary, Graham and I wandered the town. Perhaps I could save you some reading by just saying 'ditto' from all the other beautiful little towns around here and just show you a few pictures!
First Rosemary had to take care of a task involving the mailbox. The bright yellow made it easy to locate.
However, I preferred the look of this lovely weathered one we found later.
It was sort of a bigger, grander version of the other towns we'd visited before.
I continued to be surprised by the proximity of the vineyards and the steepness of the hills.
Bacharach is noteworthy for still having the 14th Century town fortifications intact.
One delight was this charming house who's owner had planted sunflowers in window frames!
I just love their abundance.
Many of the houses are marked with the date of construction. This one shows both 1392 up top and 1571 as a newer addition below. Neither of those are recent!
The Posthof is in the center of town and was formerly the seat of the Knights Templar. It dates from the 11th Century.
We joined our friends for an evening of enjoyment down on the bank of the river. No oompah band here - it was modern music. No beer, either - lots of wine sellers. A very nice evening out, but I was tired by the time we got back to our hotel and fighting a cold.
The word Niederwald in German means 'coppice', and the choice of location by the Kaiser built upon the efforts of an earlier royal - Count Karl Maximilian van Osteen who had set aside the parkland in which it is set during the previous century.
To visit the two villages of Assmannshausen and Ruedesheim, along with the statue is called the Ring Tour, as one is basically going in a circle and starts and ends at the same place. I was disappointed to learn that it has nothing to do with Wagner's Ring operas!
It was a most delightful afternoon - replete with t, two charming villages, stumbling upon a Muslim wedding photoshoot, the famous flaming Ruedseheimer Kaffee and weathering a very intense thunderstorm!
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