| Dennis Sherman and Laurie Erickson
came to visit in October and we took a Rhine River cruise. |
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| The "Mäuseturm" tower on an
island in the middle of the Rhine River. Probably built in the 13th
century as a lookout tower for Castle Ehrenfels. (160kb) |
Burg Ehrenfels, built around 1215 as a
customs fortress, passing into the possession of the archbishops of Mainz
around 1270. (94kb).
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Legend has it that the hard-hearted Bishop
Otto sought refuge in the tower from a swarm of mice, but the mice swam
after him and devoured him. (234kb) |
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| Burg Ehrenfels has remained a ruin since it
was destroyed by the French in 1689 (192 kb) |
The romantic village of Assmanshausen,
famous for its red wines, with its first official mention in 1108.
(249 kb)
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The "Krone" inn, famous for its
beautiful half timbered exterior visible from boats on the Rhine. (223
kb) |
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| Burg Rheinstein, first built around 900 as a
customs house for the empire. (183 kb) |
In 990, given by Emperor Otto III to the
archbishopric of Mainz, which extended it into a fortress. (301 kb)
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Prince Fredrich Wilhelm of Prussia bought
the ruin in 1825 and rebuilt it. (311 kb) |
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| The Clemens Chapel below Burg Reichenstein.
The chapel was built in the 13th century and is one of the oldest churches
along the Rhine. (205 kb)
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Burg Reichenstein, built in the 11th
century. Destroyed in 1253 and again in 1282. |
Reichenstein was purchased and renovated in
1899 by Baron von Kirsch-Puricelli (275 kb) |
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| Burg Sooneck, built in the 12th century.
(143 kb) |
Burg Sooneck was also destroyed in the 13th
century, and was rebuilt in 1349. (162 kb) |
Sooneck was destroyed by the French in 1689,
and rebuilt in the romantic style by Prine Fredrich Wilhelm of Prussia.
(189 kb)
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| Castle Furstenberg, built in 1200 by the
Archbishop of Cologne. (121 kb) |
Destroyed by the French in 1689, it has been
a ruin ever since. The tower has remained in good condition (and is
being repaired here.) (97 kb)
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The Gothic parish church in the town of
Lorch was first built in the 13th century. (270 kb) |
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| Lorch's Gothic parish church. (215 kb) |
Burg Stahleck, above the town of Bacharach,
was started in the twelfth century. (110 kb)
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Destroyed by the French in 1689, Stahleck
became a youth hostel in 1925. (113 kb) |
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| The island fortress "Pfalzgrafenstein"
resembles a stone ship, pointed upstream, in the middle of the river near
Kaub. (91 kb) |
Castle Gutenfels, above the town of Kaub.
(149 kb) |
Pfalzgrafenstein was used to collect
exhorbitant tolls on the river. (126 kb)
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| Pfalzgrafenstein was never taken, because
the rocky promontory and swift current make it virtually impregnable. Burg
Gutenfels can be seen in the background. (195 kb)
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Burg Gutenfels, above the Pfalzgrafenstein,
was used by Ludwig the Bavarian as a customs fortress to collect Rhine
tolls. (152 kb) |
Gutenfels was built circa 1200 by officials
of the Falkenstein-Münzenberg. (162 kb) |
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| Schönburg Castle, above the town of
Oberwesel, was first built before 1149. (85 kb) |
By 1266, no fewer than five families of the
lords of Schönburg were living in the castle. (106 kb)
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The Church of St. Martin in the town of
Oberwesel. (120 kb) |
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| Destroyed by the French in 1689, it was
purchased in 1885 and renovation work began. (129 kb) |
A closer view of St. Martin's church. (127
kb) |
A view of Oberwesel with parts of its
medieval town fortifications, and the Church of Our Lady in the
background. (203 kb)
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| The Church of our Lady in Oberwesel, along
with a tower of the town's fortifications. (242 kb)
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The Ochsenturm (Oxen Tower) in Oberwesel.
(188 kb) |
The famous Lorely rock. (220 kb) |
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| Burg Katz, above St. Goarshausen, was built
in 1371. (172 kb) |
A view of Rheinfels Castle, above the town
of St. Goar, was built in the middle of the 13th century. (184 kb)
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A closer shot of Rheinfels Castle. (104 kb) |
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| After hiking up to Rheinfels castle, here is
a shot of the outer courtyard (although it sure looked like a moat.) (249
kb)
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Laurie and Dennis inside the first
entranceway of Rheinfels. (195 kb) |
Laurie looking out on the Rhine from a
vantage in Rheinfels castle. (197 kb) |
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| Some wax seals on display in the museum
inside Rheinfels castle. (151 kb) |
Three more seals in the Rheinfels museum,
showing some different shapes for wax seals. (79 kb)
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A view of the interior courtyard of
Rheinfels castle. (278 kb) |
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| Looking off the clock tower of Rheinfels,
along the river side of the castle. (239 kb) |
Laurie and Dennis on the clock tower.
You can see Burg Maus in the background. (228 kb)
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A better shot of Laurie and Dennis.
(217 kb) |
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| A view inside one of the underground tunnels
under Rheinfels. It was pretty dark and so a flash was the only way
to take a picture. (203 kb) |
Laurie thinks we should go this way.
(175 kb) |
An artsy shot showing a series of arches in
Rheinfels. (120 kb) |
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| A defensive room with the only natural light
coming through two arrow slits (only real light through one), designed to
shoot arrow down on the enemy. (185 kb)
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Another shot of this room. (215 kb) |
A 1470 Gothic triptych from the school of
the "Hausbuchmeister" forms the centerpiece of the Roman
Catholic parish church in St.Goar. (165 kb) |
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| A 14th century Goar epitaph. (152 kb) |
View of just the center panel of the
triptych. (159 kb)
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The left panels of the triptych. (162 kb) |
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| The right panels of the triptych. (304 kb) |
Burg Katz, formally "Neukatzenelnbogen",
built above St. Goarshausen in 1371. (120 kb)
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Burg Katz, blown up by the French in 1806
and partially restored in 1896. (164 kb) |
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| Schönburg, St. Martin's Church, and
Oberwesel. (154 kb) |
One of the medieval fortifications of
Oberwesel. (277 kb)
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Other fortifications in Oberwesel. (158 kb) |
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| Schönburg and St. Martin's Church
(181 kb) |
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