Power and Poetry

There's a compelling reason to travel by ship. Being on the river gives a strong sense of history and purpose.

For example, you can see the castles in context. During the turbulent middle ages, the castles served as protection for bishops, nobles, prince-electors, robber knights and dukes. Many castles also served as toll stations, each controlling part of the river and collecting a percentage of the goods being transported. At one time, a ship starting full in Bingen would arrive in Koblenz with only 10 percent of its goods remaining.

The castles came under frequent attack in disputes over territory, property and inheritance. During the Crusades, when the "good" knights headed east, robber knights took advantage and seized many castles. Still, most castles survived the Middle Ages fairly well. It wasn't until the Thirty Years War and French occupations at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries that most damage and destruction occurred. Most of what we see of today's castles is due to a vast reconstruction effort - much of it in English Neo-romantic style - after the Prussians pursued Napoleon's troops across the Rhine on New Year's Eve 1813.

Try to imagine steering a barge downstream, or even worse, being towed slowly upstream by horses or oxen. As you pass the island fortress of the Pfalz, with its turrets and gun slits, you almost feel the intimidation. You'd pay the toll.

The Rhine had its share of natural dangers as well. At the Bingen Reef, you can still see the standing waves and riffles as the Rhine pours over a series of ledges. Even today, ships must navigate a narrow channel blasted through the rock.

According to legend, the most dangerous point on the Rhine is below the Loreley cliffs at St. Goarshausen. (Actually, the Loreley - the long-time name for the cliffs - first referred to as a woman in an 1801 poem, and it was she, not the sailors, who died.) Although a seductive blonde makes for better poetry and song, it's the narrow channel, sharp turns and steep cliffs that have plagued sailors for centuries. Radar installations along the river help control a sophisticated lighting and warning system, controlling ship traffic.

That traffic is considerable. During a day on the river, you'll likely see ships carrying the flags of eight nations. Barges (including the incongruously named "Love Boat") plow through the current with containers or loads of coal, and cabin cruisers bounce in the waves. Flat, long excursion ships pass by on their luxury cruises between Basel and Düsseldorf or Rotterdam. Small ferries, some for passengers only, maneuver between the larger ships. Occasionally, an eel boat will pass, its nets at the ready. Local sightseeing boats carry tourists to see the nearest castles. And other ships in the Köln-Düsseldorfer fleet pass by, their passengers waving a kindred hello.

This article appeared in its original form in Gemütlichkeit Travel Newsletter.