Today the Scenic Jade travelled back to the Rhine. Last year we cruised to Rudesheim and then through the Rhine Gorge. This year we did it the other way round, through the Rhine Gorge and on to Rudesheim. Going through the Rhine Gorge was a different experience to the one we had 6 months ago when the Rhine experienced record low water. The river was full, flowing at a great pace. It was also a little overcast, so not the very best for photography.
Last year I talked about the Rhine Gorge and the Robber Barons, and Siegfried’s Musikal Kabinett in this post. However, because of time constraints caused by record low water levels in the rivers, we hadn’t had enough time to visit the village, and the cable car up to the Germania statue was closed. So the first thing we did after the ride in the little train into the town centre was go up to the monument.
In this day and age, the statue is very Victorian and over the top, shouting at France, “We WON!!!” It was erected after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, won by Prussia (who’d have guessed?). The war led to the formation of the German nation under Kaiser Wilhelm I, who had been king of Prussia. Remember him on his warhorse back at Koblenz? The German Empire didn’t last long – Wilhelm’s grandson, Wilhelm II, went into exile in the Netherlands after Germany lost WW1, and the ill-fated Weimar Republic was formed.
Anyhow, although the views were great, it’s not a patch on the Wachau Valley or the Moselle valley when it comes to picture-skew. IMO, of course.
Rudesheim, the Rhine Gorge – and Miltenberg – Greta van der Rol
[…] case with Rudesheim, where we visited the wonderful Siegfried’s Musical Kabinet in 2015, and the Germania monument (via chair lift over the vineyards) in 2016. If you’re interested, you can read all about it via […]
Julia Barrett
I mentioned my son took a similar trip in April-May. He took the same photos! How cool!