Page 484 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

3 Bonn CROSSING THE RHINE
In a beautiful river-
side setting, Ludwig No bridges span the Rhine between Koblenz and
Mainz; the only way to cross the river along this
van Beethoven’s home stretch is by Autofähre (car ferry). Prices vary
town warrants a stop slightly but you can figure on paying about €4.20 per
to visit the Beethoven- car, including driver; €1.20 per car passenger; €1.30
Haus Bonn (%0228-981 per pedestrian (€0.80 for a child); and €2.50 for a
7525; www.beethoven-haus- bicycle, including the rider.
bonn.de; Bonngasse 24-26;
adult/concession €6/4.50; Bingen–Rüdesheimer (www.bingen-ruedesheimer.com;
h10am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am- h5.30am-9.45pm Sun-Thu & 5.30am-12.50am Fri & Sat May-
5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun Oct, 5.30am-9.45pm Nov-Apr)
Nov-Mar), where the great Boppard–Filsen (www.faehre-boppard.de; h6.30am-
composer was born in 10pm Jun-Aug, 6.30am-9pm Apr, May & Sep, 6.30am-8pm
1770. Other landmarks Oct-Mar)
include the soaring Mün- Niederheimbach–Lorch (www.mittelrhein-faehre.de;
ster Basilica (%0228-985 h6am-7.50pm Apr-Oct, 6am-6.50pm Nov-Mar)
880; www.bonner-muenster.de; Oberwesel–Kaub (www.faehre-kaub.de; h6am-8pm
Münsterplatz; h7am-7pm), Mon-Sat & 8am-8pm Sun Apr-Sep, 6am-7pm Mon-Sat & 8am-
GERMANY 34 ROMANTIC RHINE
built on the graves of the 7pm Sun Oct-Mar)
two martyred Roman sol-
diers who later became St Goar–St Goarshausen (www.faehre-loreley.de;
the city’s patron saints. h5.30am-midnight Mon-Sat, 6.30am-midnight Sun)
Bonn’s old government
quarter dates from its time towers now houses the
as West Germany’s ‘tempo-
rary’ capital, between 1949 4 Remagen Friedensmuseum (Peace
and 1991 (when a reunited Remagen was founded by Museum; %218 63; www.
bruecke-remagen.de; adult/child
German government de- the Romans in AD 16 as €3.50/1; h10am-5pm early
cided to move to Berlin). Rigomagus, but the town Mar-mid-Nov, to 6pm May-Oct),
For a romp through recent would hardly figure in the with a well-presented ex-
German history from history books were it not hibit on Remagen’s pivotal
the end of WWII, pop by for one fateful day in early role in WWII.
the Haus der Geschichte March 1945. As the Allies
der Bundesrepublik raced across France and The Drive » Take the B9
Deutschland (Museum of Belgium to rid Germany southeast for 49km. The Rhine
History; %0228-916 50; www. of Nazism, the Wehrmacht winds back and forth away from
hdg.de; Willy-Brandt-Allee 14; tried frantically to stave the road until you come to the
city of Koblenz. Stay on the B9
h9am-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm off defeat by destroying all until you’ve crossed the Moselle
Sat & Sun). bridges across the Rhine. River to the town centre, or
But the Brücke von
The Drive » From Bonn, take Remagen (the steel rail risk getting lost in a maze of
the B9 southeast for 24km to bridge at Remagen) lasted concentric flyovers.
Remagen. When you leave the
German state of North Rhine- long enough for Allied
Westphalia and enter Rhineland- troops to cross the river, 5 Koblenz
Palatinate the road returns to contributing significantly Koblenz sits at the conflu-
the river’s western bank; on to the collapse of Hitler’s ence of the Rhine and
your right-hand side, you’ll see western front. One of the Moselle Rivers – marked by
the hilly wildlife park Wildpark bridge’s surviving basalt
Rolandseck. the expansive Deutsches

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