The following day, Saturday, saw us up and out early to visit a nearby castle just outside Niederheimbach - the Burg Sooneck. I'll just share some images that I thought were noteworthy. This is not a travelogue and there are so many more photographs I cherish but will spare you from. Just the basics, Ma'm, just the basics!
Once again, the morning began with mist and cloud.
As is the case with most castles, it was high above the river - with a cliff on one side and a valley off behind it which had little exposure from walking terraces or windows.
It was replete with doors! This one was outside........
This is the entrance - the 'Burgtor'. (I love Mim's energy as she leans forward with anticipation) ........
........and these were in a little courtyard! There were more doors, but I know one can only take in so many at a time, so I'll spare you!
It had lovely gardens and walkways on the steep side.
I was imagining ladies parading around these walkways in their fabulous gowns, but we learned that that the early owners had not been elegant and refined, but had been ruffians - basically robbers who forced tithes from travelers along the river. It had been originally built in the 11th century, fell to ruin in the late 1500's and was destroyed by the French in the late 1600's!
Happily for us, it was rescued by the Crown Prince of Prussia, Frederick William IV in the mid 1800's. He restored the compact ruins to provide a hunting retreat for the men of the family. Any ladies wandering around had possibly been 'local entertainment' according to our guide, as the wives probably stayed at home - too basic for them! It was just a weekender. It is now property of the state and managed for tourists. I put this photo in just in case you think I'm being too serious here with all these facts!
We were able to go inside the 'keep', but to protect the floors, we had to wear huge felt slippers over our shoes! Almost channels Rumpestiltskin in my mind! (This is Mim again, by the way.)
There were several levels. I love the spiral staircase! We had to take our slippers off for these.
Looking down, they almost look like a nautilus.
There were beautiful views of the river through the windows.......
....splendid fireplaces (note the grime from the smoke on the lintel.) ........
........beautiful furnishings and large paintings depicting battles and family heroes. This candlestick channeled 'Beauty and the Beast' for me.
Our next castle experience provided a stark contrast - it was Burg Rheinfels near St. Goar, about 20 km north of where we were staying. Part of it is still alive and well today, serving as a hotel and restaurant, but the greater amount of space is a ruin now. It dates from 1245, it is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine and was the most important fortress on the river. If I told you it was built to collects tolls from travelers along the river, I suspect you would not be surprised by now! It is not far from The Lorelei and it seems that St. Goar was established to provide assistance for ships to get over the reefs nearby. I knew it was not that girl with the golden hair causing all the trouble!
As was the case with Burg Sooneck, the location was all about deterring attack - as a result - stunning views.
Looking out at the houses that surrounded the ramparts, I hoped that the people in them had looked up at the fortress as a protective element in their space - not as a looming harbinger of doom and uncertainty from tyrannical overlords.
Wikipedia says that the numbers accommodated within its walls could be as high as 4,500 during sieges, which suggests it did offer refuge. There were a number of sieges and one in 1692 (against the French) is commemorated by a plaque.
Now, being high-minded travelers always looking for new perspectives on living, we were given an 'insider's tip' by our local expert Alison Kunz, that we MUST check out the guillotine urinal in the men's bathroom! The guys didn't let on about whether the blade's proximity to their vitals affected anything for them - but we women were all very amused and had to take a look at this marvel. Could it be a decor statement for our bathrooms at home - a constant reminder for the dwellers within to maintain a grateful attitude about all things intact?
One of the first things one passes as entering the structure is the large cellar which was arched over in the late 1500s and is the largest self-supporting vaulted cellar in Europe. Instead of appreciating its history, our task was to take advantage of its acoustics to sing a bit. We had prepared a couple of slower moving songs, to allow the echoes to reverberate back to us, which was really fun - just for us, not a performance. I understand that it is used sometimes for concerts, which probably sound great if the music is not too fast.
Then it was time to wander. I was intrigued by the stories revealed by the different styles of building materials - this patch was particularly active, suggesting doorways having been covered, different time-frames of construction , sources of materials, arguments with the wife and who knows what else.
As castles go, it was worth wandering around. It contained stables, brewery, apothecary, bakery, a water well and had space for livestock.
Just in case anyone got out of hand, there were the castle stocks .... and of course that guillotine!
It was not alone in its former splendor - one could see a number of other castles from here both upstream and downstream. Internet research says the owners of this one were particularly astute politically and married well to accumulate their power. An early siege that had lasted more than 18 months led people to view the castle as impenetrable and the fact that they also 'owned' the strategic spot on the river where navigational assistance was needed didn't hurt either - it was a way to 'win friends and influence people'! Ah, the machinations of castle life!
Our journey here in the Rhine Valley was nearly over. Our concert was to be held the following evening in a small church in Oberheimbach. But before we left the area, Ali had arranged one marvelous musical indulgence. The surprise was a visit to hear a huuuge organ, in an equally huge Catholic church in Oberwesel - the Liebfraeunkirche. (The photo of it above represents my lack of skill in photographing huge buildings from close up.)
As our Music Director Richard is also an organist, Ali had surprised him with the opportunity to play this instrument and for us all to meet the church organist, Lukas Stollhof in this magnificent space. It is a a baroque organ built by Eberhardt in 1745 according to Wikipedia, but renovated since. The most recent work in the 1970s and '80s restored it to its original condition and electronic updates in 2001 brought it into the modern world.
The church's existence was first recorded in 1213 and the present building was built in the early 1300s. The High Altar is made of gold. Apparently many of the figurines were stolen in 1975, but amazingly have all been re-located.
Where is one to look amidst all this camera-candy!
Bur wait - we're here to listen to music. The church organist was very passionate about teaching us more than we ever knew was possible about how an organ works. Then Richard's moment came. In spite of him not having his 'organ playing' shoes or music, he gave a fine performance, including Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - yes the famous one that pulls out all the stops! It was very grand sitting up in the organ loft so close to those mighty pipes! Good vibrations for sure.
But the fun for this photographer was not over yet. Downstairs there was another composition playing out - the fabulous light effects created as the rays of the setting sun streamed through the stained glass windows into the pews.........
....and the mighty columns of the church.
My final gift to you from this church is a picture of a slate slab that had been carved in 1492. As Rosemary's husband, Graham pointed out to me - it was the same year that Columbus sailed the ocean blue!
Now, just in case you think this trip to the Rhine Valley was nothing but fun and games, we did have to eat dinner. Rosemary, Graham and I posed for our last photo together.
Ali had arranged for us to eat at a famous traditional restaurant in Oberwesel - the Historische Weinwirstschaft, where I had the potato dumplings stuffed with liver sausage. They were definitely a 'stick to your ribs' choice. I couldn't even finish the two of them and there had been no ice-cream in my afternoon!
Our group even had a musician serenading us with traditional German songs. Not a bad way to go, eh?
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