September 18

Day 7: September 18 

Nature

Rhine Valley Trip

Rhine Valley

When looking at all of the amazing sights Germany has to offer, we found an article labeled, "Rhine Valley Trip from Frankfurt". By clicking on the link, a gallery popped up showing many pictures of the adventure's endless beauty. It was labeled as a day trip that lasts eight to ten hours, showed numerous must-see sights, and included a lunch. Part of what made it unforgettable was that it took us to villages, medieval castles, vineyards, and of course the river. The schedule would allow us to spend time in the Rhine Valley, experience unforgettable views, eat a provided lunch, and cruise down the Rhine River.

Ski Lift

We woke up at 9:00 A.M. to be ready to leave at 9:30 to be at the meeting point by 10:00. It wasn't too far; we decided to take a taxi. When we arrived we were provided with a schedule of the day, instructions on what to do, and sign-in sheets. Then, at 11:15 A.M. our tour bus departed from Frankfurt. Grace almost missed the bus because she had to use the bathroom, not realizing there was one on the bus. Our tour guide, Steve, was funny, kind, and fluent in English. We sat right up front and ended up talking with him for a little while about Germany and telling knock-knock jokes. I think only Ellie found them funny, making the conversation a little bit awkward. The part of the Rhine Valley that we visited was labeled as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took a ski lift up to the top of the hills to see a view from the Niederwald Monument. We found the ride enjoyable... maybe too enjoyable. It was moving pretty slow, but to some people (Logan and Ella) it felt similar to a roller coaster. We could see the castles, vineyards, and the bright blue water. After returning down to the Valley, we went to a riverside restaurant to receive our free meal. The options were chicken or vegetarian; we all ate chicken. While it was simplistic, it was still delicious. The chicken was served with coleslaw and fries, which we found a bit peculiar as those sides sound more American than German. The restaurant was breathtaking, providing a view of the Rhine and stained-glass decorations. Next, was the boat ride down the Rhine River. We didn't want to miss seeing any of the castles or monuments, therefore we loaded first to be able to sit on the top deck, near the front (the front is where the best audio is experienced). Thank goodness I brought sunscreen because it was an extremely sunny day! We chose English as the guide for the cruise. Ellie tried to make us choose German because she thought it was funny, but why on earth would we listen to a tour in another language? The boat ride was, without a doubt, the best part of the trip! When we arrived back to land, we returned to the same restaurant where we'd eaten dinner to enjoy a wine tasting. It was quite a weird experience as we're not used to consuming alcohol in the United States. While Ellie, Grace, and Logan found the taste appealing, Ella and I found it awful! Still, considering our age we didn't drink too much... it was more of a taste test. Then we went back on the bus to the village, Rudesheim, where we had forty-five minutes of free time. Lastly, we returned to Frankfurt at 7:30 P.M. Here's a break down of what we saw/did during each part:

Rhine Valley/Rudesheim

The part of the Rhine Valley that we went to was part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. This organization tries to inspire the, "identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". UNESCO has many missions as to what to do for these sites, but they all fall along on the protection and awareness of the magnificent places. The World Heritage Site we visited was the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, and we mainly were located in the town of Rudesheim.

Rudesheim

 The part of the Rhine Valley we went to was a total of 65 kilometers, but of course we didn't cover all of that land. What makes this land special is the castles, historic towns, and vineyards and it's strong influence on authors, artists, and composers. Rudesheim is especially known for wine-tasting, meaning we felt obligated to try some. As said earlier Ella and I found it repulsive, but the rest seemed to enjoy it. Still, they knew not to drink too much. While older couples on the trip were laughing and having a good time drinking the wine at a bar, we sat at a booth enjoying our water! It didn't matter to us because all we cared about was being together in the most astounding country! When the trip was coming to end we were awfully sad, but we were told there would be forty-five minutes of free time spent in Rudesheim. The town was lovely, filled with shops and people. I fell in love with the organization of the town as the buildings looked old, yet intricate, and the streets were made out of stone. It literally was the exact depiction of the village you'd see in a fairytale. We asked our tour guide what the best place to visit was when we went into the town and he said it was the Drosselgasse, a 144 meter long walkway. The lane is lined up with restaurants, cafes, and courtyards filled with music and dancing. We picked up some drinks from the café and then went to an open courtyard. There was a mini concert going on, and people were on their feet dancing. As a spur of the moment decision, we decided to join; it was a blast. We probably stood out because one could say we weren't the best dancers. The band played alternative music and while you could here their German dialect, the rhythm sounded extremely familiar to the music played in the U.S. Overall, the time spent in Rudesheim, more specifically Drosselgasse, was great!

Spectacular Views

Loreley Rock

While we did see a variety of amazing views, two really stood out to us: the Loreley Rock and the view from the Niederwald Monument. The Loreley Rock (also called Lorelei) is a 433 feet high slate cliff, located in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The first hints of human settlement on the large rock date back to 600,000 years ago. The water that surrounds the rock is considered the most dangerous part of the Rhine River. The name "Loreley" comes from the German word lureln, meaning murmuring. The currents and tiny waterfall near the rock are said to create a murmuring sound. Our tour guide explained to the group a myth we all found extremely interesting. In a ballad there was a beautiful girl who wants to kill herself because she can't have her lover. A bishop, who was enchanted by her elegance, tried taking her to a convent. On her way, she stops at the rock to see the love of her life's palace. After seeing him ride away, she jumped into the dangerous waters. Even though this appeared to be a haunted story, the rock looked like a fairytale. Before we saw the actual rock, I recall Grace questioning what could be so fascinating about a large rock. But after laying eyes on it, she quickly took her statements back. Part of what made it so lovely was the bright blue sky and water that surrounded it. The rock was covered in a nice, green moss, dressing up the atmosphere. Another amazing view we were able to see was from the Niederwald Monument. This monument was built in 1871 and is usually called, Germania. It sits above a massive staircase in a park. Leading up to it are gorgeous, green vineyards that extend for miles. It symbolizes the inauguration of Germany after the Franco-Prussian War. The monument extends to up to 125 feet into the sky. In the center of the structure sits the female figure of Germania, who holds both the German Empire sword and a crown. To get to the monument you can take a cable car that gives you a great view of the water and vast grassland. Yet another stunning experience we all enjoyed!

Niederwald Monument

What we saw on the boat ride

Rhine River

Due to the Rhine River being an extensive river, the steamer boat only took us up to St. Goarshausen from Rudesheim. This River is Central and Western Europe's second longest river, spanning 764 miles from the Swiss Alps to the Netherlands and flowing into the North Sea. The one river flows through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, and Liechtenstein. Something I found fascinating is that this river is 240 million years old! That's such a long time! The whole boat ride we sat in awe, staring at cute villages, lively vineyards, and magnificent castles. It was hard to even look up from the water because it was perfectly blue. We enjoyed the cool breeze on our faces and loved the fact that we were in absolute paradise! The boat ride was about an hour and a half, and we made it all the way up to St. Goarshausen, located near the Loreley Rock. St. Goar is a town, however, we didn't get out and look around; it was the location marking our turn around. One of the eye-catching castles we passed was the Rheinfels Castle, the largest castle on the Rhine for five hundred years! It was built in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen to protect tax collectors. An attack by French Revolutionary Troops destroyed the castle, but today it has been partly restored. After passing the castle and turning around, we continued on the boat ride, having another opportunity to see all the glorious nature we missed the first way. The ride was relaxing, fun, and a jaw-dropping experience!

Rheinfels Castle