More Procrastination

Researching the Rhein (Rhine, Rhin) and Mosel (Moselle) valleys for tourism, I gleaned some good info from k-d riverboat lines. If one travels on the paddle steamer Goethe on the Nostalgia Route, one can savor the UNESCO menu! Thanks to UNESCO for recognizing the global cultural value of a section of the Rhine. To savor the UNESCO menu on the Goethe, the round trip itinerary from Koblenz, looks like this:

9:00	Koblenz	20:10	Ehrenbreitstein Fortress at the German Corner in Koblenz
9:30	Niederlahnstein	19:50
9:40	Oberlahnstein	19:40
9:50	Rhens	19:30
10:05	Braubach	19:20	the best preserved hilltop fortress in the Rhine Valley, Marksburg Castle
11:00	Boppard	18:50
11:15	Kamp-Bornhofen	18:40	the so-called „Hostile Brothers”
11:25	Bad Salzig	18:30
12:10	St. Goarhausen	18:05	you come to the fabulous Loreley Rock, which each year attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world
12:20	St. Goar	17:55
12:50	Oberwesel	17:35	Romantic castle such as the Pfalz at Kaub and Schönburg near Oberwesel proudly keep watch over the Loreley Valley
13:05	Kaub	17:25
13:35	Bacharach	17:15
14:30	Assmannshausen	16:45
15:05	Bingen	16:30
15:15	Rüdesheim	16:15	The snake-like bend in the Rhine near Bingen marks the beginning of one of the most exciting stretches.

Either one rides all the way to Rüdesheim, has a one-hour break (for wine?), or one gets off earlier to do some local (walking) tour, I suppose. Unless one is not among the thousands come to see the Loreley, that means the possible visit is at Oberwesel, but there is no promise that one can visit the castles overlooking the valley. One does pass the Loreley about noon, when the light is good.

• one full day
• Loreley at noon
• starts and ends in Koblenz
• option of consuming UNESCO menu
  

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An alternative would be to do a one-way visit, or round-trip starting in Mainz, even if that would mean taking an ordinary boat rather than the paddle boat.

---	Daily	Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat	Daily
Mainz	08:45	11:30	---
Wiesbaden-Bieb	09:05	11:50	---
Bingen	10:30	13:30	14:30
St. Goar	11:55	---	15:55
Koblenz	14:10 arr. 14:30 dep.	---	arr.18:10
Cologne	19:50	---	---

• half day (morning to 14:10)
• Loreley at noon
  
• no UNESCO menu
• start in Mainz, ends in Koblenz
  

The problem is how to combine with a Moselle boat ride to Moselkern to visit Burg Eltz, because that boat only leaves Koblenz at 9:45 (arriving at 13:00), with the return leaving Moselkern at 17:00 (arriving at 20:00 in Koblenz). In other words, Burg Eltz by boat necessarily consumes a full day, and one has to be ready to leave Koblenz at 9:45 in the morning.

One more constraint: no morning departures from Koblenz to Köln: switch to train for that leg of the journey? Or visit Maria Laach (if not done the first afternoon)--how accessible is it? -- then take the afternoon boat. More on the Benedictine Abbey.


K-D also suggests (from Köln?)

"...the legendary Drachenfels Rock at Königswinter.
There you can take the rack railway up to the spot where, according to legend, Siegfried killed the dragon. Enjoy the unique view down over the Rhine Valley. If you prefer to stay on the river bank, you will find a wonderful promenade which simply invites you to take a stroll."

That does not seem to work by boat from Koblenz: you arrive at 17:40, and there are no more boats that go to Köln the same day! Only to Bonn, at 18:40; is an hour enough to take the rack railway up, full enjoy the panorama (with the setting sun in one's eyes) and get back down to the dock?

Fares (euros, 2005: unchanged?):
Mainz-Koblenz : 42,90
Koblenz-Köln : 34,60
s/t : 77,50
Mainz-Köln : 47,x0
I wonder if you can buy a Mainz-Köln ticket, and get off at Koblenz for a while?

Bingen-Koblenz : 24,70
Koblenz-Moselkern: 14,60 (16,80 "return trip"--is that a round trip?)

Some folk from an association in Liege called Art&Fact organized a similar trip, four days. But it looks like they did it by bus, no mention of boat cruises. They do give the contact info for the hotels they used in Koblenz and Worms.

So, let's consider the car/train options, with and without a Loreley-by-boat.

• Day 1: Car or train to Oberwesel (from Mainz?). 11:35 boat to Bad Salzig (arr 12:30). If car, 13:20 boat back to Oberwesel (arr. 14:45). Just over three hours. I know I took the train to catch the boat in Köln, but I don't know whether the train always stops on the same side of the river as the boats. Nor know I where there are train stations (to research). Maria Laach for vespers, night in Koblenz. Loreley-by-land would add three hours for Koblenz and other foot excursions (or the rack railway near Bonn?).
  
• Day 2: Burg Eltz by boat, or Burg Eltz and Burg Thurant and Kobern-Gondorf and Cochem, etc. by car.

Of course, if it rains (quite possible in May) we won't see much either from land or from the river.

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Tags: gangof4+