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The Rhine River is one of the most important waterways in Germany and is linked by canals to other major rivers in Western Europe. Many German manufacturing and industrial cities are located along the Rhine, and the river is important for shipping and transportation.
The castles of the Rhine Valley. All Germany is rich in castles but the
romantic Rhine Valley - the heartland of the old Holy Roman Empire - has a
particularly high density of important important medieval military buildings.
Some are ruins, but many, like Marksburg Castle, have survived the ravages of
war, fire and neglect . Some are fascinating windows into the age of chivalry
and the development of this fascinating form of military construction.
The castles of the Rhine which are such a characteristic feature
of the river landscape, were created by the martial spirit of the Middle Ages as
purely defensive structures, devoid of all romantic notions, They were built by
powerful rulers over sacred and secular territories, on hilltops, and in the
lowlands as moated castles to protect their manorail estates and their
inhabitants. In most cases the work of breaking the stones and erecting the
massive walls and turrets as done by feudal serfs.
Goethe's journey down the Rhine in 1774 was the start of the Age
of romanticism. From the beginning of the 19th. century on wars, The Rhine
Valley became a centre of attractions for tourist from many European countries.
This area is also interesting and attractive for the visitors is not only the
large number of castles, but also charming, old world little towns surrounded by
fortified walls, towers and gates, churches and wine growing villages.
| Robert Churchward, 49, from Pacific North
West, wrote: |
| My wife and I travel down the Rhine and
saw all these castles. And it's was a great trip, and seeing these castle
only re-called our trip, Germany is keep clean all the time, and these
castles are a must. |
| Rebecca Hidalgo, 10, from Cancun, Mexico |
| When I was 6 years old I went to
Koln it is a very beautiful city and its very peaceful. One day I went in a boat in the Rhine river and I must say it was very
nice and there a lot of castles I saw like 10 or 15 castles, very nice
castles so I recommend you to go if you can, remember there are many
castles of all sizes, colors and stiles. |
| Gigi, from Florida, wrote: |
| I grew up in Germany. For our
graduation, my class and another graduation class went on a trip down the
river Rhine. It was beautiful of course, especially in the spring
time. We stayed overnight in many old castles along the river since
many castles have been converted to youth hostels. By the way
that is still nowadays a cheap way to see Europe, Germany especially.
Many youth hostells are also open for families with kids and for older
folks. |
| Fenir from Germany, age 18, wrote: |
| Review: There are a lot of beautiful castles along the
Rhine river. Most of them are rather small, and a lot of them are in
ruins, but there is a great variation of them. They are usually placed on
a hill or small mountain along the river because their owners usually
lived off the taxes they collected from merchants wanting to travel
through their area. Some of the castles have recently been restored and
are now accessible again. You can get a great view of them by taking
a train that travels along the side of the river, for example between Bonn
and Würzburg. |
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