Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rhine) for help. Huge waves, the likes of which you'll never see today, rose from the river
and carried Loreley to safety. And she has never been seen since.
But alas, when the moon shines brightly and the tour buses are parked, a soft, playful
Rhine whine can still be heard from the Loreley. As you pass, listen carefully (“Sail-
ors...sailors...over my bounding mane”).
Km 552—The Seven Maidens: Killer reefs, marked by red-and-green buoys, are called
the “Seven Maidens.” Okay, one more goofy legend: The prince of Schönburg Castle ( über
Oberwesel—described next) had seven spoiled daughters who always dumped men because
of their shortcomings. Fed up, he invited seven of his knights to the castle and demanded
that his daughters each choose one to marry. But they complained that each man had too big
anose,wastoofat,toostupid,andsoon.Therudeandteasinggirlsescapedintoariverboat.
Just downstream, God turned them into the seven rocks that form this reef. While this story
probably isn't entirely true, there was a lesson in it for medieval children: Don't be hard-
hearted.
Km 550—Oberwesel: Cross to the other side of the train. Oberwesel was a Celtic town
in 400 B.C. , then a Roman military station. It now boasts some of the best Roman-wall and
medieval-tower remains on the Rhine, and the commanding Schönburg Castle (now a posh
hotel). Notice how many of the train tunnels have entrances designed like medieval tur-
rets—they were actually built in the Romantic 19th century. OK, back to the riverside.
Km546—GutenfelsCastleandPfalzCastle,theClassicRhineView: BurgGutenfels
(nowa privately owned hotel) and the shipshape Pfalz Castle (built in the river in the 1300s)
worked very effectively to tax medieval river traffic. The town of Kaub grew rich as Pfalz
raiseditschainswhenboatscame,andloweredthemonlywhenthemerchantshadpaidtheir
duty. Those who didn't pay spent time touring its prison, on a raft at the bottom of its well.
In 1504, a pope called for the destruction of Pfalz, but the locals withstood a six-week siege,
and the castle still stands. Notice the overhanging outhouse (tiny white room between two
wooden ones). Pfalz (also known as Pfalzgrafenstein) is tourable but bare and dull (€3 ferry
from Kaub, €3 entry, March-Oct Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon; Nov and Jan-Feb Sat-
Sun10:00-17:00,closedMon-Fri;completelyclosedDec,lastentryonehourbeforeclosing,
mobile 0172-262-2800, www.burg-pfalzgrafenstein.de ) .
In Kaub, on the riverfront directly below the castles, a green statue (near the waving
flags) honors the German general Gebhard von Blücher. He was Napoleon's nemesis. In
1813, as Napoleon fought his way back to Paris after his disastrous Russian campaign, he
stopped at Mainz—hoping to fend off the Germans and Russians pursuing him by con-
trolling that strategic bridge. Blücher tricked Napoleon. By building the first major pontoon
bridge of its kind here at the Pfalz Castle, he crossed the Rhine and outflanked the French.
Two years later, Blücher and Wellington teamed up to defeat Napoleon once and for all at
Waterloo.
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