After leaving Cologne we headed through the Rhine Gorge which is flanked by a multitude of Castles on either side and quite spectacular. The only problem was lousy weather and poor visibility. Managed to photograph a few
However there is a better selection from my 2021 Rhine cruise (scroll down a ways !) when the weather was considerably better.
Arrived in Rüdesheim where we headed off to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum which actually turned out to be a fascinating collection of fully restored and amazingly functional music boxes some of which were mini orchestras.
The dawn of computing with the paper and wax storage & recording systems. The first phonogram (record player) when, those of you of a certain age will remember, operated at 78 rpm .
Back to the ship via a “pit stop” for a Rudesheim coffee (rocket fuelled cappuccino) and some apfelstrudel. Headed downstream to Miltenberg, Wertheim and onto Würzburg.
We are now visiting various medieval cities along the Rhine that were almost all totally destroyed by the Allied bombing campaign at the end of WW2. Some raids that were ruthlessly carried out with clockwork precision and were comparable to what was done to Dresden. A staggering 95% of buildings were flattened with severe civilian casualties. An amazing programme of reconstruction and restoration has taken place with most now boasting the inevitable World Heritage status
All a bit of a Baroque blur but highlights include:
Wurzburg
At one point the HQ of the Holy Roman Empire whose bishops built their equivalent of Versailles. Baroque and stucco overkill ..
The obligatory Chinese couple getting married
A photo after the RAF paid them a visit in 1945….
After lunch a serious clamber up the hill to the Fortress where the Bishops were based before they built the palace.
A view down to the Palace and Scenic Crystal
Bamberg
Bamberg is another medieval town that miraculously avoided the WW2 bombing raids and survived pretty much intact.
A plaque commemorating General von Stauffenberg – executed by the Nazis for masterminding the plot to assassinate Hitler with bomb in the briefcase at the Wolf’s Lair in July 1944.
Next stop Nuremberg. Will post this now as we are just heading into some mega locks to lift us up to the Danube.