Breakfast is provided every morning on our tour and this morning it was exceptional, but no time to linger as we were meeting Thomas, our local guide, for some history and a tour of Bacharach. Thomas shared how the Nazis coming to town had affected their town. He showed us the stumbling stones in front of houses where the neighborhood Jews had lived before they were taken away. These stumbling stones are a way to honor those neighbors. We hiked up the steep vineyards behind the City while he explained the importance of wine in this region. We could see the Rhine river from our steep view in the vineyards. Thomas told us the Rhine used to be near the City but because of commerce on the River that had all changed. He also said the River water levels have gotten very low due to drought and climate change.
The stumbling stones and a plaque documenting the last known residences of victims of the Holocaust
On to St Goar and Rheinfels Castle
After our morning tour we headed to St Goar for lunch and a hike up the hill to Rheinfels Castle. We enjoyed a hearty lunch together of sausages, sauerkraut, dumplings and potatoes. Then on to our new adventure to visit the ruins of Rheinfels Castle. Our guide certainly gave us a good idea of what it was like to protect the castle from siege. We even toured the underground tunnels with our flashlights in hand, sometimes we had to get pretty low and the passages were very narrow. Another hike down the hill and a visit to some shops in St. Goar before our cruise back to Bacharach. This stretch of the Rhine has castles along the way and the Lorelei.
A beautiful day for a cruise up the Rhine with our tour members, while we enjoyed some sun, a glass of wine and lots of beautiful Castles, and scenery