Departing from Koblenz after breakfast, we sailed along one of the most beautiful sections of the Rhine River, the scenic 40 miles of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rhine River Valley between Koblenz and Rudesheim features a stunning landscape. We were able to see vineyards, small quaint towns and numerous castles. Hildegard, our cruise manager, did a commentary on each of the castles including the history and some interesting folk stories. The weather today was cool and cloudy with some drizzle.
While we were cruising this area of the Castles, onboard, we celebrated an old German tradition called “Freuchoppin” sp? sp? In this tradition, wursts, saurkraut, pretzels and beer are served in the morning, soon after breakfast.
Of course, we had our regularly scheduled lunch afterwards. The food on this ship has been exceptional.
Arrived after lunch at Rudesheim. This is probably the most famous wine town in the world. Located at the southern entrance to the fabled Valley of the Lorelei, it is the center of the wine industry. After walking along the Drosselgasse (the shopping street), we took the cable car above the vineyards to the top of the mountain.
We then met the bus to take us to Castle Vollrads, a 14th century wine estate for a wine tasting. Accompanied by a local wine expert, we were able to sample three wines in three different locations in the castle. Later, we wandered through the castle and the grounds, although it started to rain so we couldn’t walk around as much as we would have liked.
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