Koblenz, Marksburg Castle, and scenic cruising on the Rhine Dec 4

 Sunday, December 4 

We arrived at the port in Koblenz, where we headed by bus to nearby Braubach, and the Marksberg Castle.  Built in 1117, sitting high above the Rhine, it is the oldest and only castle never conquered or damaged along the river. A steep climb by bus as far as it could go, and then by foot switching back and forth, and finally to the entrance of what was obviously a wealthy home of the time, with large well preserved rooms.  The walkway in is stone, with steep stairs and uneven climbs, all original, but we found it manageable despite the warnings of it being strenuous, and I was so glad we decided to go. It was really interesting to see the castle, and realize someone actually still lives there, bringing provisions up through the challenging entrance.

Getting off the boat for our excursion, a statue on the wall at Deutches Eck, a promontory in Koblenz where the Mosel meets the Rhine.   

Our first glimpse of the Marksburg Castle built in  1117, where we were headed by bus to visit. 

After climbing a long steep switchback road leading up to the Castle, we entered the huge doors to the castle.   

A great view of the Rhine valley from the castle walls.  

peeking through the slits in the wall where guns would be mounted

An uneven rocky entrance to the castle led from the gates to the castle 

The coats of arms of the various lords, and an unusual little door. 

another view of the approach, as our guide stops to talk about the coats of arms 

A Christmas tree with electric candles by the door of the castle where  people still reside. 

Another great view over the walls to the valley.

We were amazed that the garden was alive and green in the cold! 

The view down to the water from the castle walls shows river traffic, and a line of RVs, which seemed very popular in this area, as we passed campgrounds all along the river.  

Beer was essential, as the water was not safe to drink, and they had a good supply  

Entering the kitchen and dining area, pewter dishes mounted on the wall. 

The Castle had its own chapel for the family and visitors to worship.  

beautiful ceiling in the small chapel. 

And entering a display of arms and armor, some interesting very old weapons. 

This display showed the evolution of armor

The blacksmith shop was on the lower level, and the horses were brought up the rocky entrance into the shop. 

leaving the shop gave me an opportunity to shoot the doorway without the group

The end of the tour , and back to the gift shop

A view of the Castle looking back up after descending the long steep road.  

Our ship had once again moved along the river while we explored, and met us basically at the bottom of the hill, where we shed our many layers of warm clothes, and headed cold and hungry to lunch.  

We boarded the boat , which started moving before we even got to the restaurant and we watched the charming village go by as we had lunch. We then spent several hours in the lounge as our activity director pointed out the many castles along the Rhine as we sailed by.   The town, the castles, the history and stories, all absolutely charming, and I am enjoying it all immensely!  Clem didn’t want to brave the elements, but I donned my jacket and went on the upper deck for a while, and again, was so glad I did.  

Maus Castle 1353

The terraced hillside seen all along the river. 

Sculpture of Lorelei, A beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to

The Lorelei rock,  UNESCO World Heritage Site,  an infamous maritime disaster sited since its first records during the 10th century, with various myths , including the siren mentioned above, trying to explain the high number of ship wrecks, and the loud echo inside the passage.  

Since I was up there myself, I shot a selfie, with a castle in the background!  It was windy and cold, but worth it for the view. 

We were treated to tea time, and a gingerbread making demonstration in the late afternoon, and now have some time before our port talk for tomorrow and dinner. It’s good to find a few spare moments to catch up on my chronicling, and sometimes catch a power nap!  We have been on the go, but so thoroughly enjoying it all! 

The pastry chef demonstrated making the dough, and we were given the recipe.  

At the evening port talk we were offered hot chocolate, and after I asked Clem to pose for a photo, Susan offered to take one of both of us, and said, now pretend you like each other!  Our reaction is shown! 

We were also given silver balls on which to write our wish for the coming year, and then hang them on the Christmas tree, which had been set up for us by the piano in the lounge.

We were able to see the walls through the windows tonight as we entered the locks,  which at this point are taking us up a level,  rather than going through during the dark of night. Its very interesting to see how close we are, and to watch the walls seem to drop down, as the water rushes in and takes the boat up.  

It’s interesting to see as we enter the locks, how close the walls are, and watch the height difference as we go through.