R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley

R&R on the Rhine - Memphis to Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Viking Bestla
R&R on the Rhine - Amsterdam
R&R on the Rhine - Kinderdijk
R&R on the Rhine - Cologne
R&R on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Upper Rhine Valley
R&R on the Rhine - Rudesheim
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg Castle
R&R on the Rhine - Heidelberg and Speyer
R&R on the Rhine - Strasbourg
R&R on the Rhine - Black Forest
R&R on the Rhine - Colmar
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 1
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich Day 2
R&R on the Rhine - Zurich to Memphis

One of the highlights of the trip was Easter Sunday afternoon when we sailed through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.  This is a river valley with castles everywhere you turn, many located on cliffs high above the river.  Along the way there are railroad tunnels with entrances disguised as churches to try to deceive would-be Nazi bombers, steep vineyards on both sides and little towns dotting the way.  UNESCO has deemed this area a World Heritage Site because of its "importance as a transportation route for 2000 years", its "outstanding organic cultural landscape" and as "an outstanding example of an evolving traditional way of life and means of communication in a narrow river valley".

We were thrilled it was such a lovely day as we were able to sit up on the sun deck in our lounge chairs and listen to our cruise director narrate what we were seeing as the scenery came to us.  It was great to be able to just kick back and take a load off our feet!  Loads of photos, most of which I don't have a description for, but hopefully they paint an interesting portrait of the area.



Train tunnel disguised from above!

This area is also where the myth of the Lorelei has its origins. Officially the Lorelei is a large rock that sits at a bend in the river, rising some 120m above it.  This is where the river is most narrow and with the strong current there have been many boat accidents here.  The name comes from an old German word lurein meaning "murmuring" and the Celtic word for "rock", ley.  Combined they are the "murmuring rock".  The heavy currents here, along with a small waterfall that once existed give the area its name.  The other version of the story is that the Lorelei maiden (mermaid?) sat on this rock to sing to the sailors and lure them to their death.


The Lorelei Statue