“Rhine” = Celtic origin and roughly means “to flow” and is one of the largest rivers in Europe. The short section we cruised (Rüdesheim to St. Goar) is a portion of the “Middle Rhine” full of old towns and hillside castles and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Looking back at Rüdesheim from the top deck of the boat. Niederwalddenkmal memorial is on hill above town “to commemorate the foundation of the German Empire after the end of Franco-Prussian War” (Wikipedia). Not sure what that is all about but it’s really big, old (1870’s), and NIEDERWALDDENKMAL is a cool word and would be handy for Scrabble… This was the starting point for our “Rhein in Flammen” (Rhine in Flames) cruise and fireworks tour.

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The “Mouse Tower” – a small tower on an island near the town of Bingen am Rhein (across the river from Rudesheim). Romans first built a structure here. It was rebuilt many times including in 968 when Hatto II, the Archbishop of Mainz rebuilt it as a platform for crossbowmen demanding tribute from passing boats or shooting the crew. His despicable ways grew into a folk story where he tells his famine stricken peasants to wait in a barn where he will bring them grain. Instead he burned the barn down, commenting as they cried out they were squealing like rats. Going back to his castle he finds it full of mice. Retreating to his island tower to escape them he finds it too is full of mice who eat him alive… A poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called “The Children’s Hour” is describing his children but alludes to the tale.
They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

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The setting sun peeking out from the clouds highlighting areas of the hillsides.

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This area is called “the Rhine Gorge”. Not a gorge in the Grand Canyon style of vertical cliff walls but a beautiful evening cruising down (up) river of history. Again, couldn’t help thinking Hobbits would be proud these vine manicured hillsides (but they would not have approved of the town name of Assmannhauser Hollenberg).

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Here’s a view (from wiki I think) of ‘the gorge’ at the narrowest/deepest point where the Rhine turns around “The Loreley”

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Don’t know these folks but like the photo… The top deck was a little chilly and breezy so most stayed inside below but we bundled up and enjoyed the views. Very relaxing. Because we went in mid-September, there were few crowds and few kids, just us middle-age tourists…

Top Deck. The crew relaxing.

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Dinner on-board. Interesting that the beer bottle and the beer glass ALWAYS matched when we were served anywhere in Europe. Even bottled water came accompanied with a glass by the same manufacturer. Nice touch. We were told it is a requirement by the beverage manufacturers.

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Same castle as previous photo, zoomed in, and underexposed to silhouette.

Katz Castle (Cat Castle) and Maus Castle (Mouse Castle) were both visible from our boat as we watched the fire works. Photo below is Katz, photos further down silhouetted with fireworks are of Maus. They were built around the same time in 1360’s and had different names but because they were on adjacent hilltops and seemed to be spying on one another. Most castles on the Rhine were originally built to control traffic and collect tolls.

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We arrived here at St. Goar (west bank) and St. Goarshausen (east bank) at dusk and waited as the 60 some boats jockeyed around one another drifting together and then apart attempting to hold a steady position in the strong flow of the river. Photo below is of St. Goarshausen. The town was packed with people waiting for the fireworks to start.

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View from our boat toward St. Goar and Burg Rheinfels (burg=castle). Rheinfels (built in 1245 with many expansions in following years) is the largest castle on the Rhine today and was once as much as five times larger. Much of it has been dismantled, the stone carried off for other uses after the french blew it up in …