Sept 25th 2014 Bingen amRhein
We decided to have dinner at the Hostel.No one wanted to ride to town and than up again. Dinner was ok and the fact that one can order wine and beer makes it better.
Breakfast next morning was also really good.
We left the Hostel in perfect sunshine and decided to check out the Museum am Strom.
There was an exhibit on the life of Hildegard von Bingen. We all decided to see it and even got a discount. It was very interesting and we spent several hours. Burg Rheinstein, Burg Reichenstein, Burg Sonneck, Burg Hohneck, castle ruins Fuerstenberg,Burg Stahleck, and more too numerous to remember and name. We pass through the famous Wine village of Bacherach (we will have to come back because this were our lodging is) We are on the way to Oberwesel,a little town with is ramparts and towers still intact. We stop have some lunch and guess what Federweisen of course. We really want to hike up to the Lorelei, but after spending so much time with Hildegard von Bingen we are running out of time. Against Mac's advice we take the ferry across the river to St.Goarshausen, but realize that there really is not enough time.. Back across the river were Mac was waiting and back to Bacherach and the Youth hostel Burg Stahleck way above the town. The girls decided to bike up there right away, while Mac an I decided to have dinner in town.It was dark when we started up the very steep hill to the castle.I had to push my bike the last steep part of the road. Arriving up there checked in and were given the key to our room. OMG what a catastrophy. No way could we stay there.Must have been the dungeon long ago. No WC no shower damp and cold. Up we went to complain, nothing else was available, so got our money back.Rode back down the steep hill to town and checked into nice Hotel am Markt.
The museum in Bingen was one of the highlights of our trip. It was fascinating learning about Hildegard von Bingen, German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, and visionary.
ReplyDeleteWe groveled to explore the Lorelei by taking a ferry across the river only to take it right back. It was fun to imagine the deathly fate of the sailors being lured into the rocks by the sweet song of the siren...
It was an incredibly steep hill to climb to get to the Burg Stahleck, our youth hostel in Bacharach so we had to walk our bikes. It was perched on the topmost hillside overlooking the river as all the castles are. When we got there we were rewarded by the grand views of the river and countryside below and couldn't believe we were sleeping in a castle.