This imposing cliff is Lorelei Rock.  This outcropping is a famous landmark on the Rhine River.  It overlooks the most narrow part of the river.  Apparently many ships have crashed here. 

That faint red slash in the background marks the presence of Burg Katz, a magnificent castle located half a mile further down the river.  Burg Katz and the Lorelei Rock are considered a pair.  Together, these two landmarks are the most photographed part of the Rhine River.

In the picture above, note the depth of the river compared to the land on top. In a manner similar to America's Grand Canyon, over the centuries the Rhine River has carved a huge valley out of the soft slate rock.  There are literally two worlds here - the Land Above and the Land Time Forgot down at the river level.

Lorelei Rock is the center of a long stretch of the Rhine known as the Rhine Gorge.  Lorelei Rock is said to be the home of the Lorelei Mermaids.  Legend says that if you listen carefully, you can hear an echo of their song.

So who are the Lorelei?  They are beautiful German mermaids who serve as the mythical counterpart to the stunning but deadly Sirens of Greek mythology mentioned in Homer's Odyssey.

According to German legend, it started with a woman who threw herself headlong into the river in despair over a faithless lover.  Upon her death she was transformed into a siren.  From that time on she could be heard singing on this rock high above the Rhine River.  Her hypnotic music lured sailors to their death.

In 1801, German author Clemens Brentano further popularized the legend with his sad story of a heartbroken enchantress.  In Brentano's poem, the beautiful Lore Lay, betrayed by her sweetheart, was accused of bewitching men and causing their death. She was found guilty.

Seeing the sadness in her eyes, the bishop took pity. Rather than sentence her to death, he consigned her to a nunnery.

On the way to the nunnery, Lore Lay was accompanied by three knights.  By chance, they passed what is now known as the Lorelei Rock.  Lore Lay asked permission to climb out to the edge and view the Rhine one last time.  She did so and then surprised the guards by throwing herself to her death.  The Norse Gods took note of her sorrow and transformed her into a Siren.  They made sure the rock retained a permanent echo of her name. 

Thanks in large part to an 1824 poem by the famed German author Heinrich Heine, the Lorelei myth was expanded.  In Heine's version, it was no longer just one woman, but rather an entire group of maidens who sit upon this rock.

As these stunning women sit upon the cliff overlooking the Rhine, they comb their long hair and sing their song.  As the sailors pass by, they hear the song of the Lorelei and look up.

At this point, the Lorelei unwittingly distract the shipmen below with their beauty and their song.  The sailors become hypnotized. They lose all track of their task, thus causing them to crash to their death upon the treacherous rocks below.

 

The Song of the Lorelei Heinrich Heine I know not, what does it mean That I am so sad. A legend of of bygone days That I cannot keep out of my mind. The air is cool and night is coming. The calm Rhine courses its way. The peak of the mountain dazzles With evening's final ray. The fairest of maidens is sitting Up there, a beautiful delight, Her golden jewels are shining, She's combing her golden hair. She holds a golden comb, Singing along as well An enthralling And spellbinding melody. In his little boat, the boatman Is seized by it with a savage woe, He does not look upon the rocky ledge But rather high up into the heavens. I think in the end the waves will devour The boatman and his boat And this by her song's sheer power Fair Loreley has done.

Burg Katz Castle and Lorelei Rock are a half mile apart.  These  two pictures show the castle and the Rock from different directions.

Burg Katz and Lorelei Rock are linked. As the most interesting point in the 60 mile long 'Rhine Gorge', this spot has become the symbol of most river cruises on the Rhine.  Burg Katz and Lorelei Rock are easily the most photographed segment of the entire river.

This picture is a perfect illustration of the Two Worlds of The Rhine Gorge.  The Rhine has carved a canyon of sorts.  Up above is an entirely different world.  It is the modern world complete with cities and farms and highways and traffic.  Down below is the Land that Time Forgot.  The entire stretch of the Rhine Gorge is not only lined with castles above, but down at the river level our ship will pass one quaint "Old German" town after another. 

There is only one way to truly appreciate the spectacle of these Medieval towns and the castles looming above, but I am not going to tell you what it is.

Figure it out.  

The Lost World of the Rhine Gorge

The Rhine Gorge is part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.  This halfway point on our journey is considered one of the most famous locations in all of Germany.

Between Rüdesheim, Koblenz and Bonn, the Rhine cuts deeply through slate mountains to create a gigantic canyon-like gorge.

The Rhine Gorge is 60 miles long.  It is lined with a seemingly endless string of castles, palaces and vineyards stationed high on the hills above.  The Rhine runs through the area like a sunken ditch with 650 foot hills rising on either side.

This is also wine country.  Many of the steep slopes are terraced with vineyards.  For example, as the Rhine passes the picturesque towns of Bingen and Rüdesheim, one can see the vineyards lined with rows of grapes that will create the famous Rhine wines.

As the Rhine meanders through hillside castles and steep fields of wine, it creates a magical mixture of beauty and legend.

This is Germany’s landscape at its most dramatic – densely forested hillsides alternating with craggy cliffs and nearly-vertical vineyards that are perfectly terraced.

Idyllic villages appear around each bend, their neat half-timbered houses and Gothic church steeples seemingly plucked from the realm of fairy tales to create a Lost World.

Meanwhile, half a mile above the river, there exists a modern world complete with highways, automobiles, rail lines, and farmers who toil in some of the richest soil Germany has to offer.

At the crest of the hills on either side run a series of ominous medieval castles. Today these castles loom over the river in ghostlike silence. Some are ruined, some are restored, all are mysterious.  They serve as a poignant reminder of Germany's long legacy of battle. These castles are the remaining vestiges of a vicious era that was anything but tranquil.

With increasing wealth, many of these castles appeared when the valley became a core region of the Holy Roman Empire.  Most castles were built by a mafia of local robber barons – knights, princes and even bishops.  These were men who extorted tolls from merchant ships by blocking their passage with iron chains stretched across the waters of the Rhine.

French troops under Louis XIV laid waste to many of the castles during the Thirty Years War.  Time and erosion did the rest.  Several castles were restored in the 19th century.  This was a time when Prussian kings, German poets and British painters rediscovered the timeless beauty of the Rhine Gorge.

There are many highlights along the way.  The famous Lorelei Rock can be seen two-thirds of the to Koblenz.  One mile past Lorelei Rock comes the incredible Katz Castle.  12 miles further is the town of Braubach featuring the impressive Marksburg Castle built so high it seems to touch the clouds above.  (Note: our ship will stop at Marksburg Castle and visit it).

If you would like a recommendation, consider watching an excellent 6-minute Youtube video on the Rhine Gorge.  The accompanying Celtic music is exhilarating and the pictures reveal the canyon-like phenomenon of this area quite well.

The Rhine Gorge is a strange place indeed. It is two worlds in one.  Up top are modern towns, wineries and farms that seem to have no relationship with the Land that Time Forgot down below. 

Down below at river level are small towns that Time Forgot.  The Rhine has acted as an important trade route through central Europe since prehistoric times.  Over time, a string of small settlements has grown up along the banks.  Constrained in size, many of these old towns such as Rüdesheim deliberately retain their original historic feel today.

Indeed, these little hamlets are living replicas of perfectly preserved "Old Germany" architecture from medieval times.  Here in this time capsule the German cuckoo clock and chalet-style buildings reign supreme once more.

Perched at the divide between the two worlds is the endless string of castles that date back 700-800 years ago.  There is said to be at least one castle on every mile of the Rhine Gorge.  Built on cliffs and bluffs overlooking the river, they seemingly guard the strange world below from the modern world above.

If it were not for the occasional barge traffic on the river, one might completely forget this is the 21st Century.  This Land that Time Forgot is a very weird, highly intriguing Lost World indeed.

Some say this area is Romantic.  Indeed, some unknown tourist agent has attempted to label this area "The Romantic Rhine". 

Personally, I think not.  Too much blood has fallen.

The Rhine has long been an object of frontier trouble.  Back in the days of the Roman Empire, the legions learned the hard way that crossing the Rhine was dangerous. In 9 AD, the Germanic tribes fought the Battle of Teutoburg Forest against the Romans.  This was one of the worst defeats the Romans ever suffered.  

The Rhine Gorge was a major battleground of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). This was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history.  The prolonged struggle against the French left many of the area's castles completely in ruins.

Napoleon tried very hard to extend France's borders beyond the Rhine, but was repelled several times by the Prussians.

No one will ever forget the brave men on both sides who died fighting along the Rhine during World War II.

Considering all the bloodshed and all the battles fought along the Rhine, this 'romantic' label simply does not feel appropriate.  

Like it or not, over the ages, the Germans have been regarded as warlike people.  Dating all the way back to Germania in the days of the Roman Empire, Germany has developed a reputation as an aggressive and powerful nation. 

This reputation started with the Huns, Goths, Visigoths, Teutons and Vandals, fierce barbarians who were a constant thorn in the side of the Romans.  Indeed, it was Alaric, King of the Visigoths, who ended the Roman Empire with his sack of Rome in 410 AD.

Next came the Teutonic Knights who became famous as the German Crusaders.  Then came the mighty Prussian warriors who created the most powerful empire in Europe back in the 18th century.  And of course we know all about the ruthless German soldiers of World War I and World War II.  Much has been forgiven, but those two wars will never be forgotten. 

Today Germany is a peaceful and prosperous land. However one suspects this country would quickly flex its muscles again if ever faced with a threat. Therefore it is no surprise that the eternal presence of these castles overlooking the Rhine has become a national symbol of Germany and a source of great national pride.

Romantic Rhine?  I think not.  A much better name for the Rhine Gorge would be the "Valley of the Castles".  

This picture of Lorelei Rock explains why this area is called the
"Rhine Gorge".  The Rhine itself carved out this enormous valley.

The Rhine Gorge is said to extend from Rüdesheim to Koblenz, a 40 mile stretch of castles, terraced vineyards and quaint towns.

However, Castle Row doesn't end at Koblenz.  Indeed, past Koblenz there is another 20 miles of castles extending all the way to Bonn. 

This picture of the Rhine River at Lorelei Rock comes from Google Earth.  It clearly demonstrates the two worlds of the Rhine Gorge.  

Down below is the Land that Time Forgot.  Notice the little white specks of ships as they sail down the Rhine... one every half mile.
 
On the land above the river gorge one can see modern towns and acres upon acres of farmland.  These farms were surely carved out of what once had to be a thick forest. 

The Rhine Gorge cut through a part of Germany known as the Palatinate Forest.   I believe that until the farms cleared much of the land along the Rhine, this area was once completely covered with a complete blanket of forest.

Note how heavily forested the deep ravines are.  Furthermore, on the left of the picture, note how dense the forest is.  These hints suggest that during medieval times the thick forest must have been nearly impenetrable.  This explains why the waters of the Rhine became Germany's first "highway". 

The Valley of the Castles is a very strange world indeed.

The Magnificent Swiss Alps and its Rivers