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a youth hostel. Two of the town's original 16 towers are visible from here (up to five if you
look really hard). The huge roadside keg declares that this town was built on the wine trade.
Reefs farther upstream forced boats to unload upriver and reload here. Consequently, in
the Middle Ages, Bacharach became the biggest wine-trading town on the Rhine. A river-
frontcranehoistedhugekegsofprestigious“Bacharach” wine(which,inpractice, wasfrom
anywhere in the region). The tour buses next to the dock and the flags of the biggest spend-
ers along the highway remind you that today's economy is basically founded on tourism.
• Before entering the town, walk upstream through the...
RiversidePark: Thisparkwaslaidoutin1910intheEnglishstyle:Noticehowthetrees
wereplantedtoframefinetownviews,highlightingthemostpicturesquebitsofarchitecture.
The dark, sad-looking monument—its “eternal” flame long snuffed out—is a war memori-
al. The German psyche is permanently scarred by war memories. Today, many Germans
would rather avoid monuments like this, which revisit the dark periods before Germany be-
came a nation of pacifists. Take a close look at the monument. Each panel honors sons of
Bacharach who died for the Kaiser: in 1864 against Denmark, in 1866 against Austria, in
1870 against France, in 1914 during World War I. The military Maltese cross—flanked by
classic German helmets—has a W at its center, for Kaiser Wilhelm.
• Look (but don't go) upstream from here to see the...
Trailer Park and Campground: In Germany, trailer vacationers and campers are two
distinct subcultures. Folks who travel in trailers, like many retirees in the US, are a nomad-
ic bunch, cruising around the countryside in their motorhomes and paying a few euros a
night to park. Campers, on the other hand, tend to set up camp in one place—complete with
comfortable lounge chairs and TVs—and stay put forweeks, even months. They often come
back to the same spot year after year, treating it like their own private estate. These camping
devotees have made a science out of relaxing.
• Continue to where the park meets the playground, and then cross the highway to the forti-
fied riverside wall of the Catholic church, decorated with...
High-WaterMarks: Theserecall variousfloods.Twentyyardstotheleftisametal ring
on the medieval slate wall. Before the 1910 reclamation project, the river extended out to
here, and boats would use the ring to tie up.
•From the church, gounder the 1858train tracks andhook right past the yellow floodwater
yardstick and up the stairs onto the town wall. Atop the wall, turn left and walk under the
long arcade. After 30 meters, on your left, notice a...
Well: Rebuiltasitappearedinthe17thcentury,thisisoneof40suchwellsthatprovided
water to the townsfolk until 1900. Walk 50 yards past the well along the wall to an alcove
in the medieval tower with a view of the war memorial in the park. You're under the crane
tower (Kranenturm) . After barrels of wine were moved overland from Bingen past danger-
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