Page 533 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

GERM AN Y  531

Popular sights along the route Florinsmarkt takes its name
include Bacharach, a pretty from the Romanesque-
town on the left bank, and the Gothic Church of St. Florin,
striking white-walled island which dates from the 12th
castle of Pfalzgrafenstein, which century. Nestling among
once levied tolls on passing the square’s historic buildings
ships. Past the town of Kaub on is the Mittelrheinisches
the right bank is the rock of the Museum, with medieval art
Lorelei, a legen dary siren who and archaeological collections.
lured sailors to their deaths with The present appearance of
her song and her beauty. A the Alte Burg, with its fine
modern statue marks the spot. Renaissance facade, dates from
Across the river is the town of St. the 17th century, but a fortress
Goar, domin ated by the ruined has stood on this site since the
Burg Rheinfels, blown up by early Middle Ages.
French troops in 1797. Burg Katz Other sights of interest are
The apse and towers at the east end of the offers one of the best-known the Liebfrauenkirche, which
Kaiserdom, Mainz views of the Rhine valley. At has a beautiful Gothic choir,
Boppard, the attrac tions include the Kurfürstliches Schloss (the
end – one for the emperor and the 13th-century Church of St. Electors’ palace), and Festung
one for the clergy. The nave is Severus and more spectacular Ehrenbreitstein,
filled with the splendid tombs views. Just south of Koblenz where the archbishops
of the archbishops, ranging in stands Schloss Stolzenfels, of Trier resided from
date from the 13th to the 19th created in the early 19th 1648–1786.
century. The St. Gotthard- century for King Friedrich
Kapelle beside the cathedral Wilhelm IV. There are no Environs
was the private chapel of the bridges on this Northwest of Koblenz,
archbishops. It has a fine stretch of the river, the Benedictine
12th-century arcaded loggia. but if you are abbey of Maria
Other attractions include the exploring by car, Laach is a
well-preserved old half-timbered there are ferries at masterpiece of
houses of the Kirschgarten area various points. Romanesque
and the Baroque Kurfürstliches However, the best Detail on tomb of Heinrich II, architecture. It
Schloss, now a museum of way to enjoy the Maria Laach was begun in
Roman and other relics. Rhine’s magnificent 1093 on the orders
Mainz is also famous for the scenery is by boat. of Count Palatine
development in the 1440s by Heinrich II, who lies buried
Johannes Gutenberg of printing s Koblenz here. The Paradise courtyard,
with movable metal type. The meant to symbolize the
Gutenberg Museum has a Rhineland-Palatinate. * 110,000. £ Garden of Eden, resembles
@ n Zentralplatz 1 (0261-194 33).
recreation of his studio and a ∑ koblenz-touristik.de the Alham bra in Granada
copy of his famous 42-line Bible. (see pp312–13).
Koblenz stands at the confluence
E Gutenberg Museum of the Mosel and Rhine rivers. R Maria Laach
Liebfrauenplatz 5. Tel 06131-12 26 40. On the Deutsches Eck, the spur Off A61, 25 km (16 miles) NW of
Open Tue–Sun. Closed public hols. of land between the two rivers, Koblenz. Tel 02652-590. @ from
stands a huge equestrian statue Andernach or Niedermendig.
a Rhine Valley of Emperor Wilhelm I. Open daily.
n Zentralplatz 1 (in the Forum
Confuentes), Koblenz (0261-194 33).
4 K-D Linie, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer,
Koblenz (0261-91 46 99 90); in
operation Apr–Oct: weekends.
Cruises on the Rhine are available
along much of its length, but the
most scenic and popular stretch
is the Rhine Gorge between
Mainz and Bonn. The gorge
starts at Bingen, where the Nahe
joins the Rhine on its 1,320-km-
(825-mile-) journey from
Switzerland to the North Sea. Burg Katz above the town of St. Goarhausen in the Rhine Gorge

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