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Cruising down the Rhine

Photos: By Author

Enchanting A world filled with castles and homes built on riverbanks

The train meandered through charming medieval towns, verdant vineyards and dense woodlands, lulling us into deep sleep. Keeping us company was the winding river, weaving tales of history.

There was a romantic allure about it, a quaintness that intoxicates the senses. We woke up to find ourselves in the land of barons, knights and counts. Germany greeted us with a stories of concentration camps and the World War . However, we got a taste of the Middle Ages as we cruised down the Rhine. This is the heart of castle country, where the wine god Bacchus ruled.

The train brought us to a quaint, old station, and they announced Rudesheim. The automatic door slid past and we took in a moment to breathe. The doors had opened into the banks of the Rhine. Rudesheim is a fairytale town. Live music from rustic wine taverns greeted us as we took in the sight of half-timbered buildings on cobbled pathways.

A loud horn pierced through the air announcing the cruise. A panoramic view of green slopes dotted with flying cable cars greeted the eye. We were sailing down the Upper Middle Rhine valley, where the river carves its way through the slate mountains between Rudesheim and Koblenz. A UNESCO world heritage site, this is the perfect setting for stories of human passion and suffering.

At every turn of the river, we relived a bit of history. Tales of yore of rogue barons, wicked bishops and countless counts echoed from the ruins of castles and fortresses standing atop lush green vineyards.

Every picturesque hamlet was like a picture postcard, replete with its church, clock tower, castle and cottages. Even the names had a romantic allure — Bingen, Lorch, Bacharach…

The weather was perfect for wine tasting and we were already swaying from the endless parade of pageantry. If the medieval revelry and chivalry doesn’t bewitch you, the wine will surely give a high.

Rudesheim gave way to Bingen, where the Romans were the earliest settlers. We crossed the Mouse Tower, a toll gate, when we heard this story. Long, long ago, the miserly Bishop Hatto XI was controlling the toll gate. He withheld grain from peasants, tricked them into a barn and set it on fire. Millions of mice emerged from the burning structure, chasing the bishop to the Mouse Tower, nibbled at the massive doors and devoured him.

The sun had almost set as we sailed towards Assmannshausen. We stopped by at every hamlet and explored the town at our own pace. Each village had a charming railway station tucked away and we could see trains running along the banks of the river. Medieval Bacharach boasts of one of the most magnificent castles, Stahleck — now a youth hostel. The ship halted on the green banks. Schönburg (meaning a beautiful castle) gazed lovingly from atop a hill and we impulsively got off the cruise at Oberwesel. A bridge appeared from nowhere, taking us to the town. We looked down and saw a riot of colours.

Brick red churches, a pink castle with brown walls, green vineyards, a railway station with orange buildings, bright purple and blue flowers, houses painted pink and cream, a misty river encircled by green hills and an empty grey road… The houses gave way to sloping vineyards and the river flowed below, enveloped by mist. Our feet grew tired. A small wooden bench beckoned. Surrounding us were mouth-watering grapes hanging from the vines. The castle towered atop the hill. All of a sudden, the road broke into bright fields of yellow and orange flowers. We could not see the castle anymore... did we miss a road? The road curved down and ended in a stud farm; endless meadows and a few grazing horses.

And, then we saw it. Across the meadows, beyond a wired fence, against the backdrop of the mountain and the river and with a ladder sliding down its walls was the Schönburg Castle, looking like Rapunzel might climb out any moment from the pink window.

The silence was mesmerising. A steep descent took us down a wooden bridge that led to the curved arches of the castle. From the 12th Century, the Dukes of Schönburg ruled the town of Oberwesel and levied customs on the Rhine river. Burned down by the French in the 17th Century, the restored castle is now a hotel.

GETTING THERE

The Rhine is the longest river in Germany, and there are several cruises across the year. Be it in Frankfurt, Mainz, Cologne or Dusseldorf, the cruises can range from a few hours to several days. We chose the Romantic Middle Rhine cruise, which sails between Rudesheim and Koblenz as we were interested in seeing a bit of the medieval route and taste a bit of wine as well. The best season to visit is from April to October.

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