The stonemasons and craftsmen, who during the Middle Ages began building the great Cathedral of Cologne, probably had no idea that it would take more 600 years to complete one of the most magnificent churches in the world. Before work could begin, the old house of prayer that was on that site had to be…
Month: October 2019
Cologne – Magnificence on the Rhine
Visiting Cologne in 2019, it is hard to imagine that 95% of the old city centre was destroyed in the Second World war, and that the population had dropped from it’s pre-war numbers of around 800,000 to a mere 40,000. It is even more remarkable that the Cologne Cathedral survived when it was surrounded by…
Marksburg Castle – Medieval Life Perfectly Preserved
Our visit began at the dock in Braubach and as we disembarked from the Lif, we couldn’t help but look up at Marksburg Castle over and over again. It looked really spectacular, and that is probably because of its completeness relative to so many of the other ruins we had seen along the way. While…
The Main meets the Rhine
The Rhine River starts its journey in Switzerland, then flows through France, Germany and the Netherlands before entering into the North Sea. It is also the longest river in Germany with the Main River being one of its’ main tributaries. We were about to encounter it for the first time on our cruise. Early on…
Cruising and Biking the Tauber Valley
As the Viking Lif pulled away from its mooring location at Wertheim, we didn’t have all hands on deck. A few of our fellow passengers had opted for a 16-mile cycling expedition along the Main River to Freudenberg, where the ship would pick them up some four hours later in the day. Among those who…
Wertheim – “Between the Rivers”
Located where the Tauber and Main rivers meet, no matter what book, website, brochure, or handout I read, Wertheim was summed up by pretty much all as “a charming little town, very picturesque, and very cozy”. It was against that description that the Viking Lif eased its way into its’ mooring spot at Wertheim on…
Würzburg – Power and Wealth
“For centuries, the Würzburg prince-bishops wielded enormous power and wealth, and the city grew in oppulence under their rule”, and with that statement from our nightly Port Talk, the stage had been set for a visit to the site of one of Germany’s finest palaces – the Unesco-listed Würzburg Residenz. Würzburg is a very old…
Smoke Gets In Your Beer
There’s quite a bit to tell you about our visit to Bamberg, Germany on Thursday July 12th, but instead of describing it in chronological order, I’m going to go a little Quentin Tarantino on you, and start in the middle. For while there are many historical facts and features about the city, the most unique…
Stanger Adventures 