Forward to the past: Koblenz to Sankt Goar

This week I’m travelling from Koblenz to Sankt Goar…the long way…by way of Burg Eltz castle.

Burg Eltz was built in the 12^th century and has been in the Eltz family ever since. Although it has seen its share of war and fighting, it has never been destroyed. It has definitely been restored, but never completely rebuilt. Allegedly, it had some narrow escapes. At one time it was on a list of buildings to be destroyed, but a family member was a high ranking military officer and deleted it from the list. In another tale, the locals lured some would-be raiders to a nearby corn field and set fire to it (and the raiders, too).

The castle rests on an oval-shaped rock and blends nicely with its foundation. This results in some unusually shaped rooms.

The castle also boasts a collection of hundreds of German metalworks spanning over 8 centuries. The Armory and Treasury tour is self-guided, and it is included in the castle’s guided tour fee of € 6.50 (student discount!). Here are some of my favorite pieces.

This is a drinking vessel called “Gluttony being conveyed by Drunkenness.”

This is a beautiful piece of ivory and silver. It features the Roman mythological goddess Diana in a hunting scene. It is also a drinking vessel.

Here is another piece featuring Diana. This is called "Diana Riding a Stag", and it is described as a “mechanical drinking game on wheels.” Here is how they say the game was played:

“Diana was wound up and then moved around the table. Wherever she stopped, the man had to empty the stag and the woman had to empty the dog, both of which were filled with wine. Both cups were connected with short chains, thus forcing the drinkers to get close.”

I’m thinking these people knew how to have fun.

Then it was on to St. Goar.

St. Goar and its sister city St. Goarhausen lie directly across from each other on opposite sides of the Rhine. The 2 cities are named after a clergyman named Goar who settled here to care for shipwrecked sailors, which was very common here. This is a very dangerous spot for ships because it is the deepest and narrowest spot on the Rhine. It has been the site of so many shipwrecks, in fact, that it inspired the very popular legend of the Loreley, the name given to the huge cliff at St. Goarhausen.

The legend of the Loreley dates back to an early 19^th century poem by Clemens Brentano. According to the legend, a beautiful woman sits atop the cliff combing her long, golden hair and sings. Her beauty and singing are so alluring that they are said to mesmerize sailors, and in this hypnotic state, the seamen lose control of their ships and crash against the rocks.

Scholars have quite a different theory to explain the extraordinary number of shipwrecks. They believe the word “Loreley” comes from a root word that means “to buzz” or in some other way refers to loud noises. One theory suggests that the high cliffs and narrow channel create an acoustical environment that amplifies the sounds of the rushing water not only coming from the river, but also from a small waterfall that was once in the area. The cacophony of echoing sounds would have been distracting enough, but when combined with a narrow waterway which left little room in which to maneuver watercraft, this greatly increased the potential for danger.

The visitors’ center had some great displays and a 3D movie that were well worth the € 2.50 admission price.

When it came time to settle down for the evening, I considered which of the 3 types of accommodations would best suit me. All 3 types were available in the area. First, there was the Loreley-Jugendherberge St. Goar, with prices starting at € 16.00.

Although the view was great, a school group was staying there. The thought of being stuck in the same building with a bunch of screaming school children all night made me start to twitch. So, I decided my sanity was worth more than € 16.00.

The B&B Bei Alex seemed like a good alternative.

The rates were reasonable, starting at € 36.00 for a single room, and it is located 300 feet from the Rhine river. I thought it would be peaceful to listen to the sounds of the river while I slept. However, a fellow tourist pointed out that the natural acoustics not only amplify the sounds of the river, but also the sounds of the trains. Instead, he recommended the Berghotel auf der Loreley.

The Berghotel is literally on top of the Loreley. It had great views, and the idea of getting a peaceful night’s sleep made the € 75.00 for ein Doppelzimmer inkl. Frühstück well worth it. The only drawback was that, apparently, a lot of other people had the same idea. The place was packed. So, it wasn’t exactly the quiet sanctuary I had hoped for. Nevertheless, I had a great stay.