Not surprisingly, after seeing the Stolpensteine, after viewing the stumbling stones, our little group of Gentle Walkers was somewhat subdued and thoughtful. However, our guide, Sabine, switched gears and began to talk about Bamberg’s historic past catching our interest with some fascinating history. Incidentally, if you do go to Bamberg and take a tour, be sure to ask your guide about the stumbling blocks. Since we thought it was the most moving thing we had seen, we mentioned it to our friends in the other Bamberg tour groups. Much to our surprise, we found that their guides had focused only on the historic past, and had not shown them perhaps the most important mementos on the tour.
Relief map of Bamberg for thevVisually impaired.
Before we entered into medieval Bamberg, Sabine also showed us another unusual display. The city had constructed a relief map of the historic city which allows visually impaired visitors to see the town with their touch.
Bamberg is a city of two rivers, the Main and the much smaller Regnitz.
Little Venice in Bamberg, no sidewalks to be seen along the Regnitz river bank.
We would cross the Regnitz more than once as we cris-crossed the historic heart of the town. Along the much smaller Regnitz river is an area called “Little Venice.” Here centuries ago, fisherman had built their homes along the river bank and they are still there. Not surprisingly, there is no way to access the homes from the river side except by boat, so if you want a close-up view, you have to take one of the local boat tours.
Perhaps the most visited site in Bamberg is the old Town Hall, built on a very small island in the middle of the Regnitz river. The building dates back to the 14th century and is constructed in a very unusual style.
Medieval front of the city hall.
It stands out even more because the facade is covered with baroque style frescoes.
l7th century frescoes on the side of the town hall
Bamberg legend says that the Bishop who governed the town in the 14th century, refused to give the townspeople any land for the construction of a town hall. They got around this by building on an unclaimed island in the river.
Sunday morning is probably not the best day to visit Bamberg because the churches were closed to visitors and the shops were not open on Sunday. We did get to see the statue of St. Cunigunde, the wife of Bamberg’s most famous son, emperor Heinrich II who was crowned in its cathedral in 1012 CE. Until her husband’s death, she ruled as Holy Roman Empress and had much influence in affairs of state.
St. Cunegunda, patroness of the city
She and her husband also gave much of their wealth away to aid the poor. Cunigunde is the patroness of Bamberg as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Cunigunde and Henry are buried in the Bamberg cathedral. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the cathedral interior but we did note her statue.
Bamberg was somewhat unusual in that during the middle ages, the town built bathhouses for the people, separate ones for men and women. Bathing was difficult at a time when almost no one had indoor plumbing of any kind.
More Bamberg saints and angels
Most people rarely took baths for this reason, but in Bamberg, citizens did have the opportunity to bathe for a small fee.
Our stay in Bamberg allowed some free time to explore the city which we enjoyed. We stopped for a coffee at one of the many local cafes with outdoor tables and watched locals and tourists stroll by. We did enjoy window shopping on the way back to our meeting place. I guess it saved us some money as we could look but not buy anything.
Beautiful nativity scenes in a Bamberg shop
I though wistfully of the beautiful nativity scenes we had seen in this Bamberg shop window, especially after I dropped my plaster St. Joseph and he broke in three pieces. Fortunately, unlike HumptyDumpty, he was put back together again with super glue.
Then we wandered back to our pick-up point, and hopped a ride back to the Maria Theresa. Sometimes it was hard to find our way back with all the twists and turns of the narrow streets, but this was not the case in Bamberg.
Who could miss this?
We had noted a brightly colored cartoon display on way to our bus stop, and it was easy to locate on the way back.
The Maria Theresa spend the rest of the afternoon docked at Bamberg Bayernhofen Kai; we could have taken a tour of a Franconian farm and village in the afternoon, but decide instead to relax and enjoy the view from the Kai.
Another beautiful stone bridge over the Regnitz
We set sail promptly at 5 PM; our next stop would be Nuremberg. En route, we would be traveling through the Main Canal towards the Danube.
After a pleasant and low key stop in Schweinfurt, the Maria Theresa set sail late that evening for Bamberg. The Ramblers had enjoyed not having to be someplace particular with a group, for a change. While Schweinfurt was not the most spectacular place we visited, it provided a sense of a more normal German lifestyle, as we mingled with dozens of families enjoying their stadtfest.
Bamberg was, according to our Uniworld printout, a city that is quite unusual. A UNESCO heritage site, it has a fascinating old town that had many special cultural and architectural historic places from the last thousand years. It would also provide the Ramblers with their most thought-provoking moments of the trip.
Bamberg already was on the map in the 10th century and once served briefly (in the 11th century) as the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Its most famous son, Heinrich II was crowned in its cathedral in 1012 AD. The Bishop of Bamberg wielded considerable power in the middle ages while Bamberg claims to have been the second German city to introduce the new process of printing in 1460.
Bamberg is also the last city on the Main River before the start of the Main-Danube Canal. After we left Bamberg, during the evening through the night and into the following morning, the Maria Theresa would traverse a series of locks that would eventually bring us to the Danube. Since we stopped there on Sunday August 30, we would not be able to tour the cathedral, as it was closed to tourists because of Sunday Masses.
Walking into Bamberg with the Cathedral in distance.
Neither were the shops open, as the residents did not shop on Sundays. However, as it turned out there was much to see and do.
Bamberg is in the area of southern Germany where beer replaces wine as a major product, and beer consumption per resident is the highest in Germany. There are 10 breweries in the area, each with its own beer tower. The breweries themselves are called Bierstadts or Bierkulturstadts. Our guide later told us that in the old days, each brewery could only sell their product to people who lived within view of the tower, but now this is not the case. Germans are concerned about the protein content of their brew and many refer to it as liquid bread. Probably their most famous beer is Rauchbier, first brewed in 1536. It is supposed to have a smoky flavor, but the Rambler is not a beer drinker and the senior Rambler doesn’t imbibe at all, so I can’t attest to its flavor.
Sabine, our wonderful guide in Bamberg
After docking around breakfast time, we assembled in our groups to board busses that would take us to town. Unfortunately the town center was not within easy walking distance as it had been the day before. We decided to go with the Gentle Walkers again; they were a pleasant group and it is better to be one of the faster folks in the slow group than the slowest in the fast one. We were later very glad we made this choice because our Bamberg guide, Sabine, was the absolute best we had on the trip. She was thin and wiry, intense and enthusiastic, and reminded me of a faculty friend back home. As it turned out, she was an art history professor.
After we had gathered around our guide, the four Uniworld groups scattered in different directions. Evidently all the guides had a different idea of what was most interesting about their city. As it turned out, of the four guides, only Sabine made a stop to show us a place we have have often recalled.
Along this quiet street, something awful had happened in the past.
We headed up a narrow, cobblestone paved street, towards the historic district when Sabine stopped in the middle of the pedestrian street and asked us to look down. There set in the middle of the stones were five polished brass blocks. She asked us to take a closer look and we saw that each was engraved with the name, dates and address of a person or family. There we had our first real look at the Stolpensteine, or stumbling blocks. They held the names of individuals who had lived along this street and perished during the time of National Socialism. We would later see several more.
Their creator, Gunter Demnig is a German artist who has made it his life’s work to memorialize victims of the Holocaust in front of the buildings where they once lived.
Our first stolpensteine, those they commemorated had lived along that quiet street. Note: If you click on the individual blocks to enlarge them, you will be able to read them. The three lower blocks are parents and child.
Anyone can order one, but they are usually placed by the Stolpenstein team. In Bamberg, the money to order the stumbling blocks was raised by the schoolchildren of the city. According to Demnig’s homepage, the cost for each is 120 Euros, and to date they have been placed in 610 walkways throughout Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Norway and the Ukraine.
More about Bamberg tomorrow. If you are interested in learning about Mr. Demnig and his Stolpensteine, I have provided a link. They provide amazing and poignant memorials we will long remember.
One of our most enjoyable activities on board the Maria Theresa involved very little movement on our part. We spent many enjoyable hours on the bow or stern decks which were open to the sun. There we could sip a glass of wine , a beer or a soft drink and munch on some excellent cheese while viewing the German countryside. Fortunately for the Ramblers, the excellent late August and early September weather made this possible almost every day of our cruise.
We are either moving towards or away from a lock, with a village in the background
Saturday, August 29th was no exception. It marked the end of the first week of our two week cruise and again we had a choice of activities. Those who wanted could disembark at what Uniworld calls a technical stop. This means the MT stopped at a pre-arranged spot along the way so that the passengers who had elected to take a day trip could board their busses. The docking and un-docking process took about thirty minutes, and then the MT continued on its way to its regular stop at Schweinfurt. The day-trippers rode the bus to Rothenburg while the rest of the passengers enjoyed a relaxing day on board. In the late afternoon, the busses would then take them to our stop at Schweinfurt. Friends who went on the day trip had a very good time in Rothenburg (red castle) a very famous medieval town with many interesting buildings, museums and a castle. The Ramblers had decided not to take the Rothenburg tour, one of the few trips that had an extra charge, simply because they enjoyed sailing on the Maria Theresa.
Along the way we saw vacationers swimming and fishing in the Main River, and enjoyed the locking process. One thing the Ramblers didn’t expect was that we would get buzzed by an ultralight.
A good view of the ultralight, coming right at us.
We heard a buzzing sound which got closer and closer and revealed itself as an ultralight plane. The pilot seemed determined to get as close to the MT as possible without crashing into the canal. We soon realized that he was not hostile but merely showing off, and the pilot added a little excitement to our lazy afternoon.
As we drew closer to Schweinfurt, the MT glided through some industrial areas.
A factory along the Main, we saw very few, though I expect we sailed past many at night.
Obviously, the German rivers are utilized by industry as are the rivers in the United States and other parts of the world. However, for the most part, the daytime scenery is attractive and consists mainly of fields, vineyards and villages rather than commercial or industrial vistas.
Schweinfurt literally means pig ford, not a very glamorous name for an ancient town that became a German industrial center in the 20th century. Because of this, it was bombed heavily during WWII and much of the city was destroyed although it was soon rebuilt. Many American servicemen were stationed in Schweinfurt after the war, and the United States maintained a base there until 2014. Thus it didn’t really seem like a very promising stop for the Maria Theresa passengers.
Yes we made it under this low bridge but not by much. The sun deck cover and furnishings were dismantled during this part of the cruise because of several low bridges.
However, we found that Schweinfurt did have an excellent docking facility on the right side of the Main river which was walking distance from the city center. Those who hadn’t gone on the Rothenburg trip had the opportunity to stroll into town. Directly across from our dock, in the middle of the Main River was an island which seemed to contain a large campground, filled to capacity with folks enjoying the beautiful weather.
Folks enjoying the stadtfest in the marketplatz, St Johannes church tower is in the background.
August 29 was the second day of the Schweinfurt stadtfest or city festival, one of the many held throughout Germany near the end of summer. The Ramblers decided to check it out, since it is always fun to tour a new place on your own. It was but a short walk from the quayside, which has a large concrete walkway, a pavilion and beer stalls to the city center. I learned later that the residents of Schweinfurt consider it their (beer) beach and it is a popular place for jogging, cycling, walking or just sunning during nice weather. I also learned that the stadtfest has now been held for a few years. Every year it has drawn an increasing number of people who participate in various contests and listen to a variety of bands both traditional and rock. The downside of this for the Ramblers was that by the time we got there, the stores were closed. All that was open were the restaurants, bars and beer tents. Since we had just spent the afternoon on the MT, snacking and drinking, these had little appeal.
A quiet corner near the marketplatz
Still it was fun to spend some time wandering among fair goers of all ages who were obviously enjoying themselves.
The most impressive historic site in Schweinfurt is the Gothic Rathhaus built in the middle of the 16th century, which towers over the marketplace.
The Rathaus or City Hall, dates to the 16th century and dominates the market square.
We rambled around the streets that lined the market square, stopping to admire some of the quiet corners and interesting buildings. There was a church, as there usually is in Bavaria, not far from the square and we walked over to look at it. Unfortunately, all its doors were locked, as they are in many churches today, to prevent vandalism. The Ramblers walked around it to check but couldn’t get in. Neither was there a name visible on the exterior.
First view of my mystery church, built in the 16th century and later rebuilt after WWII.
I didn’t think of asking as I was sure I could easily identify it when I got home. Wrong! There were many photos on the web of churches in Schweinfurt but none resembled the one in the photo I took. I wasn’t sure whether it was a Catholic or Protestant Church, as this area, though predominantly RC, has a substantial number of Lutherans as well as other Protestant denominations. I was about to give up when I tried just one more search and found it. Luckily for me, I had photographed its most famous feature, the “brides’ door” with statues of Adam and Eve.
Note statues, they made identification possible.
This enabled me to identify my mystery church as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Johannes at last, a very satisfying end. We tend to take for granted that information we are looking for is readily available on the net, but this is not always the case, even with all the finding aids available. Seems like the Schweinfurt Lutherans are not as avid photographers or Face Bookers as the Catholics.
After a pleasant walk around the city, we headed back to the MT for another excellent dinner. The folks who had taken the bus to Rothenburg had also returned, tired but happy, and glad they had gone. But did they have a chance to get buzzed by an ultralight? I think not.
One of the most interesting parts of our river cruise, at least to the Ramblers was watching the Maria Theresa traverse the series of locks that made river travel possible between the Rhine and the Danube. We especially enjoyed our trip through the 106 mile long Main Canal”s 16 locks, even staying up late to watch the locking process at night. The MT’s lights illuminated the dark water of the canal as we moved through the silent countryside. We found it almost mesmerizing.
Map showing the canal
The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal was finally completed in 1992 but later computerized between 2001 and 2007. The governments would like to add yet another lock between Regensburg and Passau, but construction has been stalled due to a combination of cost and environmental concerns. However, if constructed, this lock would prevent the low water conditions which have plagued the Danube this year.
Model of how ships are raise and lowered as they go through the canal.
Locks are needed for a variety of reasons; low water, a stretch of rapids or rocks, to allow a boat to move from a higher to a lower water lever or vice versa, or to get around a dam. Primitive locks aided European river travel for centuries, but in the second half of the 20th century, the construction of the Rhine Main-Danube Canal has increased the number of locks dramatically. There are 16 locks in the 106 mile canal, and their length, width and depth limit the size of boats that ply these rivers. Some also feature bridges that connect both sides of the river bank. Unfortunately, they are not very high and force river cruise ships to lower their pilot houses and take down their sun deck canvas and remove the sun deck chairs and tables.
Waiting in the lock along with a barge
A ship is lifted either up or down depending on the direction traveled, as the Danube end is 107.3 meters higher than the Main end. As we were heading towards the Danube our ship would first be lifted and then lowered to meet the level of the Danube.
Locking back from the stern as we enter a lock
The vessels that use the Main Canal can be no longer than 190 meters or 682 feet long, and 27.11 meters or 37.6 feet wide. The maximum depth inside the lock is 2.70 meters or 8.9 feet which limits the draft of the boats as well. Some of the locks are larger in area, but the size of the smallest determines the size of the boat. This has resulted in the long, narrow lines of barges and passenger boats including the Maria Theresa.
Going down
She is 38 feet wide, and we noticed that piloting her into the smallest locks was much like threading the eye of a needle. This was not an easy task and depending on who was piloting the boat we at least once heard scraping noises as the MT entered the lock. This happened very seldom however, as the skill of the pilot was amazing.
Entering a narrow lock
The Maria Theresa’s Captain is very proud of his ship’s appearance and if the sparkling white hull got a scrape, it was immediately touched up. The MT carries a small boat on her stern, and periodically it is launched so that the crew can inspect the hull and maintain its pristine condition.
The Ramblers thought you might enjoy a post on locking through, as it was fun. There were always a number of passengers outside watching the process. The crew really earns their money at this time as they have to lug the heavy lines around the bollards and then release them, again and again. Most time they were supervised by the “old captain.”
The old Captain
He had captained Uniworld ships for many years but loved sailing so much that the company lets him sail along when he wants as a supernumerary. At every lock, he would be outside checking that the crew did things right, while puffing on his pipe. We imagine that he is an valuable resource for the Maria Theresa’s Captain and crew.
After a pleasant morning, enjoying the scenery along the Main River, we docked at Wurzburg around noon. Every evening Uniworld provides a schedule of the next day’s events including the tours of the day as well as arrival and departure times. The Ramblers noticed that almost every day the Maria Teresa reached her docking space ahead of the time listed on the schedule. We were pretty sure this was part of our Captain’s plan to secure the inside docking spot, so his passengers would not have to climb over another ship to reach the shore.
Rafting is a common occurrence along the Rhine and Danube in the warmer months .Many cruise ships sail these rivers during the summertime, and docking spaces at some of the smaller or more popular stops are often at a premium.
Our docking spot with a view of the Marienberg Fortress
Rafting together (tying up to another ship instead of the dock) isn’t much fun for the passengers for a number of reasons. First it is often necessary to climb a series of stairs to embark or disembark. Second, if your cabin faces another ship, you have no view, except of the stateroom facing yours on the other ship, along with a distinct lack of privacy. This is when a balcony is not very useful, unless you want to meet the folks on the other ship. I’m sure the crew doesn’t like it either, as they have to tie up on two sides rather than just one.
The Maria Theresa tied up along the Main in a pleasant area along a wide sidewalk, close to a bridge over the Main. Across the river, there was an excellent view of the Marienberg Fortress high up a hill. Although we didn’t get to tour the fortress, I wasn’t too disappointed.
A floating art gallery whimsically named Noah’s Arte!
As with many of the historic sites in Germany, it had been almost completely destroyed during WWII and underwent a lengthy restoration which wasn’t finished until 1990. I’m sure the Marienberg Fortress is worth seeing as many of its treasures were saved, but we were scheduled to tour the Wurzberg Residence and Court Gardens instead.
As we disembarked to board our buss, we noticed there were a number of other ships docked near-by including several Viking long ships, a floating art gallery and a casino-restaurant. When we returned from our tour, we would have a chance to stroll along the river and check them out.
Wurzburg is the largest city of the German region called Franconia and has been inhabited since 1000 BC. Like many of the German river towns, it occupied a strategic location, and quite early, prospered as a market town and religious center. Under the Hapsburg’s, it eventually became part of Bavaria. Unfortunately just before the German surrender in 1945, Wurzburg was nearly destroyed by allied bombers in a raid that lasted only 20 minutes. However, during that brief time, at least 87% of the city was destroyed and more than 4,000 Wurzburgers were killed.
The Wurzburg Residence, the former palace of the Wurzburg prince-bishops, had suffered serious damage during the bombing raid but it, like most of the city’s other historic sites has been restored since the war’s end.
Approaching the Residence
Because of the intricacies of the ceiling frescoes and plaster work, this was a difficult task. The Residence is on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites as it is one of the most important baroque palaces in Europe. The building of light colored stone took 60 years to complete, with 20 spent on the exterior shell and 40 on the interior. The building contains one of the largest frescoes ever painted which depicts the four continents as they appeared to Europeans in the 18th century. The plaster details that were part of the ceiling decorations were particularly beautiful and worth the tour.
Colonnade Wing off to the side of the Residence
However, you will have to take the Rambler’s word for this as the Residence permitted no indoor photography and the Rambler obeys the photography rules.
In many ways, the palace was more impressive outside than inside, as the overlarge rooms looked somewhat forlorn as if missing the crowds of people that had once filled their spaces.
Not only is the fountain magnificent but it provided a place for weary tourist to sit.
Our young guide seemed somewhat overwhelmed by her task and only too glad when she had finished her part of the tour. We were glad to escape ourselves, as these buildings, grand as they might be, provide only a glimpse of what they might have been to a modern observer.
The exterior of the Residence is magnificent, and was built to be seen; no foundation plantings marred our view of the building’s front and sides. Fortunately for day tripper, the wide expanse deliberately kept empty in front of the Residence, now provided a huge parking lot for cars and busses. There is a garden, of course, built for leisurely strolling, and we took a peek before boarding our bus for the return trip to the Maria Theresa.
Late summer flowers blooming in the Residence Garden
In Wurzburg, we had the option of walking back to our boat, and many of the passengers took advantage of this option. As it turned out, they had a chance to stroll past historic places as well as the windows of shops selling designer clothing. Ten years ago, the Ramblers might have chosen this option, but the Senior Rambler’s back was hurting and I didn’t want to push my luck.
When we got back to the ship, we enjoyed a stroll along the river and inspected the other ships that were docked there. This was also a wonderful opportunity to do some people watching. Since the Maria Theresa wouldn’t sail until 10 PM, after dinner we had another chance to walk along the river.
Our ship aglow at night with Fortress in background
It was even more fun this time as when we walked down the gangplank we were surprised by the Maria Theresa’s night time appearance when docked. As the sun didn’t set until fairly late at the end of August, we had been underway before it was completely dark on the previous evenings.
Staying later in Wurzburg, we saw for the first time that our ship literally glowed in the dark, outlined with blue light. It was quite a sight.
View looking back at the Maria Theresa
We never saw any but the Uniworld ships lighted at night, although other lines may do this,needless to say, it was pretty spectacular. Of course, the lights go out, when the ship sails, so they don’t do this every night.
The Marienberg Fortress also glowed with light, as did several other historic buildings and churches along the river.
A beautiful end to a wonderful day along the Main
This made for a pleasant ending to another wonderful day on the river. Tomorrow we wouldn’t stop until late in the afternoon, at Schweinfurt.
Taking a river cruise on the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers is not all stopping to tour historic sites, eating fantastic meals, enjoying a glass of beer or wine or talking with new-found friends. Some days your ship will just cruise along between stops at a leisurely pace, maybe 7 miles per hour, and you will have plenty of time to enjoy or photograph the varied scenery along the river.
Miltenberg, a mix of old and new.
The Rhine, Main and Danube have provided transportation since Roman times and thus villages and towns line their banks on both sides.
In the United States,the Mississippi River banks are lined with 30 ft high flood control levees on both sides for most of Louisiana. It is only possible to see over them if you are on the top deck. When the levees end, the mighty Mississippi winds its way through hundreds of miles of agricultural land. Rivers are used for transportation of bulk cargoes in the US, and consequently rather than quaint villages, a passenger might see factories or silos of one kind or another, as towns are often built away from the banks because of flooding. Of course, European rivers also flow past industrial areas, but in general there is much more to see.
After sailing through the Rhine gorge and our stop in Rudesheim, the Rhine turned towards Basel, Switzerland and the Maria Theresa continued along the Main River towards the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.Thus, on the fourth day of our cruise, the Maria Theresa, after sailing at night, arrived in Miltenberg at breakfast time. We would have the morning and early afternoon to enjoy the quaint historic old town of Miltenberg.
Our guide in front of one of the many timber-framed houses.
All the groups, including the Gentle Walkers, were bussed to the entrance of the Alstadt, where we met our guide, a tall Dutchman who had married a local girl. He was both funny and knowledgeable and told us much about the town history as well as its quaint buildings. The foundations of Miltenberg date to the 2nd century A.D. when the Romans established an outpost there. During the middle ages the town took shape as a small but prosperous business center where craftsmen shaped columns and grindstones. Miltenberg was initially protected by a castle built ca. 1200, and had a hospital by the beginning of the 14th century.
The oldest guesthouse in Germany, with Bavarian flag in front. Maria Theresa, among others, stayed there.
Miltenberg still boasts the oldest inn or guesthouse in Europe, the Hotel zum Reisen and a number of timber-framed houses that looked like they could provide background for Grimm’s fairy tales. Most date from the 16th century at least. Miltenberg’s old town has plenty of cobblestone streets that lead upwards to the hills that surround the town. Because of flooding problems near the river, Miltenberg had limited growth potential and it is a long and narrow presence along the left bank of the Main River. However, recent flood control programs have stopped the flooding although land is still scarce. Miltenberg has started to expand on the right side of the river after buying land from a neighboring town.
If you look carefully you can see that the date on the house says 1581.
After the tour, everyone had a chance to chose another more specialized tour but the Ramblers decided to just walk slowly back to the ship. Although we were bussed to town, we had to find our own way back. There was almost no chance to get lost as we merely had to amble down the cobblestone paths enjoying our walk through the village until we reached the banks of the Main and turn towards the Maria Theresa.
As it turned out, this was quite a hike for us Ramblers, especially since some improvements were in progress on the street next to the river. This meant there was no access to the benches along the bank and the traffic was particularly heavy.
Art ware shop off the square.
We later learned that the traffic was due to a well-known local event. The last week of August is the time of St. Michael’s Fair (Michaelesmesse) in Miltenberg, although it doesn’t coincide with St. Micheal’s feast day which is in September. Because it is the largest end of summer fair in this part of Bavaria, it draws a considerable crowd from the region.
Although it was still early in the afternoon, many families had already arrived, probably because they wanted to get a good parking place.
End of summer fair in full swing.
Old towns like Miltenberg sprang up long before the auto traffic, and there usually aren’t too many places to park in the historic area,.This was the case here and the road work made it worse.
The Maria Theresa sailed at 2 PM and all were able to enjoy a wonderful view of the town from the river as we headed towards our next stop, Wurzburg.
After an overnight sail to our dock at Frankfurt, the Rambler was ready to head out on an all-day trip to Heidelberg. The Senior Rambler was not sure he wanted to go, but while he was making up his mind, we stopped to watch the docking process .
It is amazing how fast this is accomplished with the sailors moving very quickly, sometimes scrambling over rocks to pull the heavy lines they wrapped around the bollards. When the ship was secure, the gangplank was extended to shore and anyone could disembark if they chose.
Swans heading for the Maria Theresa, they are grey before they turn white.
The Maria Theresa’s gangplank is quite sturdy and has a series of metal cleats along its length. They are to prevent one from slipping while ascending or descending but one does have to be careful not to trip on them. Of course, there is a handrail along both sides, available for grabbing of one does mis-step. The gangplank is rarely level so you are either walking up or down, sometimes at a fairly steep angle.
On the river side, we stopped for a few minutes to admire the swans which had cruised up to the ship.
Are you sure you don’t have anything for us?
No doubt they were looking for hand-outs but they didn’t get any as we were going, not coming to breakfast. They were still hopefully swimming around the ship when we headed to the dining room for breakfast. Since we boarded the MT on Sunday near Amsterdam, we had followed the Rhine to the place where we had landed on our flight from Atlanta.
Glad we didn’t have to walk up castle hill, This part of Heidelberg is not modern!.
Frankfurt is a modern city which has one of the few skylines in Europe that could be mistaken for one in a city of similar size in the US. It is also the financial center of the EU, the home of the European Central Bank and the Bundesbank. Those who had already been to Heidelberg could take a walking tour of Frankfurt which included a culinary treasure hunt. I am not sure what entailed was but I’m sure it was fun. I also heard later that the shopping in Frankfurt was excellent, but since I’m not much of a shopper anymore, this had little appeal. The Maria Theresa would leave the Frankfurt dock at 3:30 on its way to Miltenburg, Because the Heidelberg tour lasted all day, the MT would make an extra stop (they call it a technical stop) in Offenbach to pick up the passengers who had chosen to go to Heidelberg.
Thus I headed off the the Heidelberg bus with the gentle walker group, leaving the Senior Rambler to his own devices. I have learned that when he doesn’t want to do something, it’s better to leave him behind. The gentle walkers were a congenial group and I would have plenty of company during the day. It was not a long trip to Heidelberg by bus, and soon our bus driver was carefully steering our large bus up castle hill around many obstacles.
Obviously the hillside around the castle is a prime real estate location.
Viewing castles always involves an upward hike, and Heidelberg was no exception. The castle area was also very crowded. As we learned later, the 16 German Federal States agree on a staggered vacation schedule ahead of time, so that all of Germany is not on vacation at the same time. Evidently August is a popular month for local touring; although Germans love to travel the world, they also enjoy their own heritage. Plus Heidelberg is also a popular stop for river cruises, so our Uniworld groups had to be careful or they might end up on another company’s boat!
By the 1300’s, Heidelberg was large enough to support a university and had become the political center of the Rhineland.. Heidelberg University, founded in 1386 soon became one of the greatest in medieval Europe.
The first part of the castle you see; ruins are being stabilized
Today the university has perhaps 30,000 students, large by European standards and one in 5 people currently living in Heidelberg (population, 139,000) likely attends either the University, the Teacher’s College or the Academy of Music.
View from the river.A ruin for centuries
Heidelberg did not suffer much damage from WWII bombing raids as the US Army planned to place its European Headquarters there and bombed the citizens with leaflets instead.; 20,000 or so American service-people and their families live there today.. Although Heidelberg Castle is a ruin, it was partially destroyed a long time ago, and was not a casualty of WWII. The Castle and attached palace were built of reddish sandstone, and stood out beautifully against a background of blue sky and deep green vegetation.
See the blue sky through the windows of the top two floors.
Sandstone is not the most durable of stones and erodes over time. Currently there is much evidence of attempts to stabilize the existing ruins, rather than restoring the buildings to their original form. The castle and palace obviously suffered periods of neglect but now the German government is working hard to preserve what they have. It is startling to see that the windows of the upper floors of one building are open to the sky beyond, while the lower floors house museums and meeting spaces. The Castle is a popular wedding venue and we saw several bridal parties on the grounds.
You can just see the end of the giant barrel in back of our guide Sonia.
We ended our tour of the Castle with a view of the biggest wine cask ever,in the cellars. It really is big but not very exciting for me, as it has been empty for quite a while. However it is significant because the area still produces some of Germany’s finest wine. We stopped briefly in the cellars, enjoying a pit stop while our guide gave us more information on the history of the Castle and the area.
From the castle hill, we found our Uniworld bus which next stopped at Heidelberg’s old bridge where we enjoyed a beautiful view of the vineyards marching up the hills surrounding the Neckar River valley.
Bird’s eye view
We looked down on a multitude of red roofed buildings and far below, the Neckar River itself, winding slowly through the valley.
Our final stop was the Hauptstrasse in the old town which runs parallel to the river. It is a crowded but wide, pedestrian walkway, paved with the usual lumpy cobblestones. Before we were turned loose to have lunch on our own,for which we all got lunch money, we were treated to a culinary treasure hunt of local specialties. Our guide led us to two shops and a restaurant where sampled gummi candies, evidently invented in Heidelberg, pflammenkuchen, a kind of a pizza like thin flat bread topped with ham and onions and Student Kisses, another candy invented in Heidelberg.
I am not a big fan of gummi bears, but the Flammkuchen was delicious. This is similar to a similar dish popular in Alsace-Lorraine made with ham onions and sour cream. Germans also prepare a sweet, rather than savory, made with plums rather than ham, but it is probably too messy to hand out as samples. As for the Student Kiss( Studentenkuss.) I loved the combination of wafer, nougat and dark chocolate, so I enjoyed my sample very much. I learned that the kisses were first developed and sold in 1863 by Fridolin Knosel, to provide a chaste way for students to exchange hopeful messages with kisses. We also tried Schlosskugeln (cannon balls) a dangerous to the hips, Heidelberger treat.
Pretty sure the saleslady dresses to match the product.
They are still made by his descendants and sold in the same shop. Today you can purchase kisses with a message of your choosing in a variety of languages. It is a very popular tourist spot in the romantic Heidelberg tradition, perhaps because it sells delicious candy!
Lunching in Heidelberg was fun. My companions were determined to have schnitzel, so we checked the menus of a number of cafes for this regional specialty. Since I expected that the schnitzels would be large and I had been well fed on the MT, I chose the liver dumpling soup. Ah, my German/Hungarian heritage drew me to it. This was a soup my mother made often, when I was growing up and I was eager to try the Heidelberg version. I was not disappointed. Both dumplings and broth were excellent and filling. And I was right, the schnitzels Jenn and Karen ordered were gigantic!
After lunch we split off to wander Heidelberg’s Alstadt. Many people were out on such a nice day, but the Rambler was running out of gas. I thought I’d seek out a church and sit down for a while in relative solitude. Saying a few prayers wouldn’t hurt either. Luckily I ran into Chad, our cruise manager who knew the area well. Because this is a more Protestant area , I was looking for a Catholic Church.
A quiet moment
They are had to tell apart sometimes because in Lutheran areas, the Lutherans simply took over many of the existing Catholic Churches. He pointed me to one, although I’m still not sure it was Catholic. I liked it though, as it was quite plain and a change from the over-the-top baroque churches so common in Bavaria and Austria.
After a brief bus ride, we saw the Maria Theresa waiting for us. We quickly boarded, the gangplank was hauled up and we were on our way to Miltenberg. Before I forget, I must mention a Rudesheim product that I have enjoyed for a long time. I didn’t realize until it was too late, that the Ramblers probably could have visited the Asbach Uralt Visitor Center in Rudesheim where they produce Asbach Uralt Brandy.
Asbach Uralt Brandy
Asbach was my Dad’s favorite after dinner drink, although he wasn’t much of a drinker. I saw it on the shelf in a local liquor store some years ago, bought a bottle and realized I enjoyed it too. Asbach was readily available on the Maria Theresa , and particularly delicious in a German coffee with a little sugar and whipped cream. A similar drink is a Rudesheim specialty and some of our fellow cruisers enjoyed on the previous day.
On our second day of sailing there was much to see all morning as we cruised past a stretch of the Rhine, where castles, ruined or occupied, perch on almost every hill. Some make you wish you could stop and explore, but after a while, it’s almost, ho hum, another castle.
An impressive castle ruin on the hilltop above
I had purchased a map which showed the castles along this part of the Rhine, but it really difficult to determine just what you were seeing. The Ramblers decided to sit back and just enjoy the scenery. This part of the Rhine can be quite narrow, rocky, and dangerous. En route we passed through the Lorelei; not a person, but the spot where the Rhine flows through a narrow rocky gorge. In the days before Germany was united, local barons often collected toll from passing boats in this area. They actually constructed small fortifications which doubled as toll plazas.
Looking back at the passage through the LoreleiAn old fashioned toll both in the Rhine
We sailed past several more campgrounds along the banks of the Rhine. This is obviously a popular tourist area for Germans and Austrians who live in the area.
Crowded campground along side the Rhine. It was vacation time in this part of Germany
Local residents enjoy traveling around to the quaint villages, and tasting wine at the many wineries and tasting rooms in the area, just as much as tourists from other parts of the world. Some even bring their boats along, and launch them on the Rhine, as there are many places to dock. Crossing the Rhine in this part of Germany involves taking a ferry ride, as there are very few bridges to be seen, but ferries in almost every town.
The Drosselgasse or strangle lane, one of the reconstructed old streets in Rudesheim, little more than 6 feet wide
Our stop today was the small city of Rudesheim, within the Valley of the Lorelei and the center of the Rhine River valley wine industry. Two millenniums ago, it was a Roman settlement as were most of the cities along the Rhine. Today it appears to be a quaint, almost medieval place; the reality is that most of the original buildings were destroyed during WWII. Rudesheim is actually a tribute to the skill and determination of its citizens to restore their city. They have been so successful that close to 3 million people visit Rudesheim annually, about half from abroad.
After another delicious lunch( the MT’s kitchen served the most wonderful soups at lunchtime, with a different selection every day)our ship docked alongside a riverside park in Rudesheim.
Thousands of grapevines, with Rudesheim in the background
At this stop we experienced RAFTING for the first time. Because of the growing popularity of river cruising, sometimes there isn’t enough dock space available close to town during the peak cruise months. Consequently, the second river boat to arrive has to tie up to the boat that is already docked. The Ramblers are surprised this doesn’t happen even more often than it does, as most cruises seem to start on Sunday and end on Saturday. At any rate, the Maria Theresa was the second ship in Rudesheim, so in order to disembark, we had to walk through the first ship to reach the shore. Luckily the dock was fairly level so it didn’t involve much stair climbing. Viking seems to have its own dock space, but because there are so many Viking ships on the river, they are almost always rafted two or three together.
This is one reality of river cruising which will cause problems for people who can’t walk or climb steps on their own. There simply isn’t another way to get off the ship except by going through another ship when they are rafted together. In this case, the Ramblers suggest cruising at a less popular time, early spring or late fall, when there are fewer ships on the rivers and rafting is unlikely. Otherwise, if you can’t make it up and down sometimes steep steps, you may be trapped on the boat at some stops. Although most river boats have elevators, none of them go up to the sun deck, which is often accessed only by a set of steep stairs. However, rafting sometimes involves climbing up to the top deck in order to disembark,
After getting off the MT in Rudesheim, we boarded a mini-tram (it really was mini–generous sized passengers had to squeeze in. The tram took us to the center of the Alstadt, where we climbed a series of steps to the catch the gondola which would take us to the top of the Niederwald Monument. The best way to get to the Gondola is to ride the mini-tram; it takes you around the Alstadt and you get off near the Kathe Wolfhart store.
The senior Rambler in the gondola heading up the hill
Although the Rambler is an historian, she has never been very fond of monuments, however visiting this one had several benefits. You got to ride in an open gondola, and the view from the top was magnificent. What I didn’t find out until too late, was that we weren’t far from the cloister of Hildegarde of Bingen, the famous (to me anyway) medieval mystic, musician and physician. I wish Uniworld would include tours of her cloister along with the monument.
Built in the 1880’s to celebrate the unification of Germany as a nation state in 1871, the monument is impressive. It is crowned with a statue of Germania and features bas-reliefs of Kaiser Wilhelm and his generals on the base. There was a good crowd of river cruisers and local tourists milling around base of the monument and taking photos. There was also an opportunity to try out the local wines at the top of the hill. There were several booths set up by the local wineries offering tastings but the Ramblers found the view much more interesting. After wandering around for a while and admiring the views, we headed back to the gondola house and literally hopped back on for a ride back down to the town.
View from the top of monument hill
No mini-tram awaited us, so we slowly strolled back to the river, admiring the quaint buildings and people watching along the way. This had been a very nice stop, with a little of everything, tram and gondola rides, a good walk, sunshine and moderate temperatures. Some fellow cruisers raved about the Kathie Wohlfart Christmas shop in town and came back toting serious purchases. Since the Ramblers have 60 plus years of somewhat battered but beloved Christmas memorabilia, we weren’t even tempted to go inside. But evidently it is a good place to stop if you are interested in such things.
Rudesheim from the gondola
Luckily, it is very hard to get lost in Rudesheim as everything runs down to the river. Once you see the river, you can head for your dock. We had to walk through another ship on the way, and thought it not nearly as nice as the MT. Some of the folks on the other ship evidently thought so too, and we felt rather smug when they made admiring comments about the Maria Theresa. It would not be hard to get to sleep tonight as we sailed to Wurzburg.
Our first day of cruising down the Rhine would take us to the city of Koln, which had been leveled during WWII and somewhat hastily rebuilt afterwards. First, however, we enjoyed the scenery that unfolded as we made our stately progress downriver. I think most of the passengers were startled, as we were, to see a number of families, children and young people, swimming or splashing around in the Rhine. There were also many Germans on holiday , camping, fishing and boating. During our cruise, we would pass a number of large campgrounds filled with the smaller European trailers on the river banks. Perhaps the water quality is better than it looked, as I know the European Union has strict rules about water pollution in Western Europe.
Today we would enjoy our first tour to the Kolner Dom but because the Maria Teresa wouldn’t arrive there until 4:30, the ship made a technical stop right after lunch, at 1;45. In other words, the MT stopped, lines were secured, the gangplank was set up, and those who wanted to tour Koln, disembarked and walked to our busses at the town of Zons,Germany It seemed like a pleasant place, but some of the gentle walkers were taken aback to find we had a long, mostly uphill walk to our bus. Uniworld always makes provision for cruisers who have trouble walking but in this case, we had no choice but to suck it up if we wanted to go on the tour. The Senior Rambler was having trouble with his back, and it took him a while to get to the bus, but several passengers kindly made sure they didn’t leave without us.
The ride to Koln was a relatively brief one, as the roads were straight while the Rhine made a serious of twisty bends on its way to Koln. Our destination was the very heart and soul of the city, the magnificent Dom or cathedral which is the largest and one of the most beautiful in Germany.
The beating heart of Koln tourism, the Cathedral square
Although building started in the 13th century the Gothic cathedral was not finished until 1880. Until the 19th century, Koln was Germany’s largest city and is still the center of Germany’s Catholic population. After the creation of the German nation state, with its capital in the Protestant north,
Details of the 19th century entrance
Bismarck’s government provided funds to complete the building, using the medieval plans but with 19th century materials to gain the loyalty of the Catholic south.
One of the reasons it was originally built was to house the relics of the Magi, the Three Kings who came to pay homage to Jesus.The Archbishop of Koln acquired their relics in the 12th century from the Holy Roman Emperor Plans were made to build a cathedral to house these precious relics and the cornerstone was laid in 1248. Even though the church was not completed, it became an important place of pilgrimage. As the centuries passed, the Dom was visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who came to venerate the relics of the Magi. It was second only to Rome in popularity as a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. It still attracts thousands of visitors every day although not all are believers or even Christian.
There are many reasons to visit the Dom; its architecture is magnificent, its interior is beautiful and it is filled with medieval and modern stained glass, art and sculpture. The building is so large that it swallows up the hundreds of pilgrims wandering the interior at any given time. Of course the main attraction is the large gold casket which serves as a reliquary for the bones of the Magi. No matter the authenticity of the relics, the casket is a magnificent work of gold-plated silver over wood. Of course, it is incredibly valuable and consequently protected by iron bars and no doubt several hidden alarms. This made it very difficult to take a decent photo but I tried.
The Dom has a very high vaulted ceiling which is beautiful in its simplicity. On the left side, a swallow’s nest organ juts out from the side wall. It was added to celebrate the 700th anniversary in 1998. It does look like a precarious perch for the organist.
One of the oldest artifacts in the Dom found near the main altar is the Gero cross, a large crucifix carved in oak with some paint and gilding. It was thought to be have been commissioned around 960 AD, for Gero, the Archbishop at that time. It is the oldest known free standing crucifix still extant in Northern Europe and was moved from the earlier Romanesque church which stood on the site.
There are many sculptures both old and new, both beautiful and grotesque but my favorite was the effigy of a long dead Archbishop. His likeness reclines somewhat nonchalantly on top of his tomb, attended by a cherub, waiting for the last judgment.
As you may have guessed there was much to see in the Kolner Dom and the Rambler suggests strongly that you visit if you have a chance, . It is as you might expect, a UNESCO World Heritage site. One caveat, because it is so popular, pickpockets lurk in the crowds, hoping to relieve the unwary of their valuables. Ironically, although Koln was flattened during WWII, the Dom itself received little damage. It seems that its towering spires were an excellent landmark for the pilots.
The cathedral dominates the skyline
Today athletic and determined tourists can climb 500 plus steps to the top of one spire, where I’m sure you can see for miles. The Ramblers did not avail themselves of this pleasure.
After our tour, we had a choice of going back to the MT or strolling around the Alstadt (a short distance away) . Uniworld thoughtfully provided shuttle busses for those who wanted to stay later. Most decided to return to the ship, as many were still adjusting to the time change and working off their jet-lag.
For those who go, there is a tourist information center across from the Dom and a McDonald’s’ around the corner. The most famous local product is the Eau de Cologne. Only in Koln can you find the original , but elsewhere you will see the 4711 Eau de Cologne, which is similar. This cologne has been around for a long time; I remember seeing it around our house when I was growing up, but it is not a scent the Rambler enjoys.
After checking the water levels on the Danube religiously (still low) and expecting to hear that our August 24th cruise on the Maria Theresa was cancelled yet again. we heard from our travel agent that the cruise was a go.
My thoughts on this were that our large ship, the Maria Theresa is as big as they can build for European rivers, was stuck on the Amsterdam side of the voyage. The Danube low spot seemed to be between Regensburg and Passau in Bavaria, close to the Austrian border. When the MT got to Regensburg towards the end of the cruise, Uniworld was hoping that the water level would be deep enough to let them through.
The August 24th cruise would start in Amsterdam and our flight details had changed. This time we were flying out from Atlanta to Frankfort with a connector to Amsterdam and home from Budapest, with a connecting flight to Frankfort again and then home to Atlanta. All the flights were on Lufthansa and a much better route than we had had before. That is the one problem with getting your airfare from the cruise company; you have no choice over the airline or the connecting flights, if any. We had no complaints with what we got, as we enjoyed our travel on Lufthansa.
Again we hoped to add premium economy seats to our long flights as we had last December. However, when I checked on the Lufthansa website a few days before we were to leave, there seemed to be no Premium Economy seats available on our plane. Undaunted, I called Lufthansa and explained what I was trying to do. What I found out was that Lufthansa was adding Premium Economy seats to all its big Airbus long-haul planes, but there was a caveat. The upgrade would not be completed on all of their planes until October and until then, the seats were blacked out on the computer. The agent suggested that we get to the airport early and try to book the upgrade there. That was disappointing, but these days, one has to get to the airport early for international flights, so there was still a chance we could get them. However, we resigned ourselves to being crammed into the regular economy seats for 9 hours.
AS it turned out, we got through security quite easily and arrived at our gate with plenty of time to spare. There we found a very helpful Lufthansa agent who knew all about the upgraded economy seats. She praised them highly saying they were almost like business class, and yes, they were available for our flight.
Here is a link to Lufthansa’s snappy new commercial promoting Premium Economy. Kind of cute.
Our Lufthansa ride to Amsterdam, fortunately the crying baby stayed in Frankfort
Lufthansa Premium Economy is more expensive, around $300 per person, as compared to Delta and United, but to us it was well worth it. The seats were larger, new and quite comfortable, the meals were quite good, and bottled water was waiting for us by our seats. There was only one fly in our ointment, a poorly behaved toddler who fussed and cried loudly a good bit of the time. Of course he and his mother were also in Premium Economy and even in our row, but thankfully on the other side of the plane.
After an uneventful flight across the Atlantic, our gate wasn’t ready. We had to get out of the plane in the runway and board busses which took us to the Frankfort terminal. There wasn’t a lot of time between flights and we were worried that if our trans-Atlantic flight was late, we might miss the connector. No worries though, our flight was early, and even with the hassle of getting bussed to the terminal, we were fine.
After another uneventful flight, we again found ourselves in the extremely long corridors of Schipol. There were no little carts to lug senior citizens across its vast expanse, and this time we had our luggage. Naturally we were at the opposite end from where we were to meet the Uniworld representative. It was a warm afternoon and by the time we got to the exit we were hot and sweaty. We finally spotted a Viking representative waving her characteristic red sign near the exit, but not the blue and white of Uniworld. I asked the Viking lady if she had seen the Uniworld folks and she replied that they usually waited outside for their people. The Ramblers hesitated for a moment, because it was an exit only and we wouldn’t be able to get back if she was wrong. Fortunately, she was right. We finally located our guide and were directed to the bus, which, of course, was a fair distance away. We were very glad to clamber aboard and were handed bottles of water by the driver. By this time, we really needed them.
After all the Uniworld passengers had been collected, our guide told us that we would be traveling to Utrecht, where the Maria Teresa was docked. Evidently because of the Amsterdam Sail 2015 festival, traffic was so bad in the city, that they had decided to tie up in Utrecht instead. Otherwise it might have taken us quite a while to get to the ship.
The Maria Theresa, stern view.
This part of the Rhine is fairly commercial and there is much barge traffic, and no so much quaint scenery, so according to our Captain, we weren’t missing much, scenery wise. However, we were docked alongside a paved walkway with
Our cabin had opening windows with a screen to keep the bugs out. Makes an interesting pattern in this photo.
apartments in the background. Those who wanted, could stretch their legs walking along the Rhine. Carla, the hotel manager and Captain Richard Martin graciously welcomed us aboard. We were happy to get to our beautiful and comfortable cabin, and wash up before we began our exploration of this amazing ship.
Not surprisingly, there is no way to access the homes from the river side except by boat, so if you want a close-up view, you have to take one of the local boat tours.
