Mention the Rhine River to most travellers and they will typically picture the upper middle Rhine in Germany with its vine-terraced hills, quaint country villages and magnificent castles perched high above the winding river’s rocky shores.
Fed by melting snowfields high in the Swiss Alps, the mighty Rhine River is one of the longest rivers in Europe, flowing more than 1,200 km from its origin in eastern Switzerland to the North Sea Coast in the Netherlands.
But it is in Germany that some of the main tributaries of the river meet — creating an important historic transportation highway — part of which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
Some claim the Rhine is the world’s most romantic river and if you travel by boat along the river, it is difficult to argue with the notion. A journey along the river is really a voyage back in time that takes the traveller on an exploration into Germany’s rich medieval past.
No visit to Germany would be complete without a journey along the magnificent Rhine — even if only for a single day.
On a recent visit, our short exploration of Rhineland consisted of a journey by ferry boat from Frankfurt to Rüdesheim, a village that sits at the entrance to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in the Rhine Gorge.
It was a touch chilly as we boarded the ferry bright and early on a Monday morning. From the top deck, we relaxed and watched the scenery as we cruised past the main industrial regions of Frankfurt and beyond.
One exciting feature of the early portion of the journey was the opportunity to pass through three locks before the ship reached the Rheingau, a famous wine-producing area of Germany.
Once in the Rheingau region, we began to see vineyards, castles and villages and it wasn’t hard to see why this region of Germany has been dubbed the “Romantic Rhine.”
The ferry offered a food and beverage service, so you could sit at tables on the top of the vessel enjoying a meal while this incredible scenery went by — definitely romantic for those who didn’t have their children onboard.
A commentary in three languages would occasionally be offered to identify a particular castle or other historical site and we came to understand that the castles were really just expensive toll booths used to extract money from those who wished to ship goods up the river.
From the commentary we learned that almost 80 per cent of the wine produced in this region is of the Riesling variety. Pinot noir is the second largest variety at just over 12 per cent.
The ferry stopped at many villages along the way to allow for passengers to get on and off. We chose to ride it to the very last stop — Rüdesheim am Rhein as it is officially known.
In centuries past, the town was an important stopping point along the Rhine.
The river was impassable in this region, so goods had to be offloaded and transported by land further up river before they could be reloaded on the ships.
This created employment opportunities and thus the village came to be.
Today Rüdesheim am Rhein is a popular tourist destination that draws visitors from around the world. After a brief exploration of the Old Town, we decided to take a cable car up the hills to see the Niederwalddenkmal monument, a large statue that was built to commemorate the foundation of the German empire. Near the statue is a landscape park with trails leading to viewpoints that overlook the Rhine Gorge.
We spent several hours exploring this beautiful area — walking along shady forest trails and craning for views of castles from lookouts. If you choose something called a ring ticket, you can walk in one direction and take a ski lift down to the town of Assmannshausen, which is located five km up river from Rüdesheim. A short ferry ride takes you back to Rüdesheim, where you can catch a train back to Frankfurt or stay the night in one of several hotels in the town.
While it is true that no visit to Germany would be complete without a journey along the Rhine, it is also true that a taste of Rhineland will leave you wanting more. With its vineyards and picturesque castles, this region has come to represent romance — and let’s face it — no one can have too much of that in their lives.
If you go:
• We flew Condor Air from Calgary to Frankfurt. Flight prices with Condor vary with the dates of travel and the class of service, but rates start at about $833 including taxes per person for an economy seat from Calgary to Frankfurt return.
• Ferry service between Frankfurt and Rüdesheim is offered on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday between May 9 and Oct. 22 with Primus-Linie. A five-hour ferry ride up the Rhine to Rüdesheim will cost €26.90 per adult and €13.45 per child. A combi-ticket that includes a return rail trip to Frankfurt will cost an additional €3.20 and can be purchased in advance at www.primus-linie.de/en/.
• From Rüdesheim, you can take a cablecar up the mountain to see the Niederwald Monument and explore the forest trails. A ski lift will take you back down the mountain to the village of Assmannshausen. A ferry takes you from there back to Rüdesheim for a train transfer back to Frankfurt. Tickets for the cable car/skilift/ferry ring trip cost €11 per adult or €5.50 per child. For more information, visit www.seilbahn-ruedesheim.de/englisch/specials_rundfahrt.html.
• For more information on visiting Germany, check out the official tourism website of the German National Tourism Board at www.cometogermany.com. Information specifically about Rüdesheim can be found at www.rudesheim.de.
The Condor Experience
On June 23, Condor Airlines began offering direct seasonal service twice weekly from Calgary to Frankfurt, Germany. The German airline, which is a subsidiary of Thomas Cook Airlines, has been in operation since 1955 and has 34 aircraft in its fleet servicing 77 destinations worldwide. In Canada, Condor offers direct air service from Frankfurt to Calgary, Vancouver, Halifax, and Whitehorse through mid-October.
We were very impressed with the quality of service on our recent Condor flights. Condor offers three levels of service on long-haul flights — economy, premium economy and comfort class and pricing for the premium economy and comfort class can be substantially lower than comparable business or first class service on other airlines. For reservations or information, visit www.condor.com or call 1-866-960-7915.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. If you have a travel story you would like to share or know someone with an interesting travel story who we might interview, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.