Castles on the Rhine

The Rhine River is perhaps best known today for it's huge variety of castles. In fact, it boasts over 50 castles, many located along a 65 mile stretch between Ruedesheim and Koblenz. We had a great lecturer come onboard to provide some context on why all these castles are located in a small area. The Rhine has long been a critical means of transporting goods from central Europe up to the coast. In the Middle Ages, many wealthy landowners took advantage of their strategic lands and required merchants to pay taxes in order to transit along their particular section of the river. Castles served to defend these lands and enforce the payment of taxes.

We toured the castle of Heidelberg and admired it's location atop the current city. The guide told lots of stories about castle life and we toured the wine cellar with one of the largest wine casks of the time. 

We also had a full afternoon cruising along the particularly castle rich region between Ruedesheim and Koblenz. During this cruise, most travelers gathered on the top deck with blankets and the bartender brought us Ruedesheim coffees (made with brandy, chocolate and whipped cream). Another highlight along this stretch is the famous Lorelei Rock said to lure sailors to their demise. 

That evening we had the unique opportunity to visit Lahneck Castle, a 13th century fortress near Koblenz. We toured via candlelight, providing a more authentic experience to what it would have been like to live there in the Middle Ages.