Willkommen in Deutschland!
Our first stop in Germany was monumental— not just for the views, but because it was our first official “gruppenfoto!” At this point, we were really getting to know one another, thanks in big part to the help of our cheerful and knowledgeable guide, Tim. This was on the hill of a small rest stop on Bundesautobahn 61, less than an hour away from our first destination— Bacharach.
Bacharach is a small village on the Rhine River. We stayed at Hotel Altkolnischer Hof, which is located just steps inside the town’s stone gates. Our first night was calm, with a hearty German dinner filling our bellies. Jacob is a non-drinker and he was pleased to find “alkoholfrei” options widely available in a land that’s well-known for its beer.
The Rhine Valley is known for its Riesling, and there are plenty of vineyards located along the river.
Almost all of the buildings in Bacharach are constructed either stone or wood such as this one.
“Stolpersteine," also known as “stumbling stones," honor victims of the Holocaust outside of their last-known freely chosen residences.
Our group listening to our local guide Thomas telling us about the history of Bacharach.
The stonework is beautiful in this medieval village.
A street in Bacharach.
Jacob showing off his tattoo of a local pizza restaurant back home that bears a striking resemblance to this statue.
Some establishments such as this one have paintings to describe what types of buildings they were and who they housed.
Atop a hill in Bacharach.
St. Goar + Rheinfels Castle
After a short break, we traveled up the road to St. Goar where the mighty Rheinfels Castle stands with a commanding presence. Our local guide, Alwin, gave us an unforgettable tour of the castle grounds and finished up by serenading us with an original song inside what was once the castle’s cellar. The acoustics, of course, were phenomenal and the song itself was breathtaking. You can watch him playing it here on YouTube.
Finishing out our day, we returned to Bacharach by boat. There were plenty of refreshments on board and many sights to see along the way back. Castles and vinyards line the banks of the river and the skies were so blue that day it felt magical. Later that evening, we were on our own for dinner and found ourselves at a spot in Bacharach called Jägerstube. Funnily enough, we ran into Tim who joined us for dinner and gave us an insider’s look at his many years as a Rick Steves guide.
Road to Rothenburg
Our next stop was Rothenburg ob der Tauber. After we arrived in the well-preserved medieval town, we explored on our own and toured the Crime and Punishment Museum. Later on that evening, we rejoined our group and embarked on the legendary Night Watchman’s tour. Afterward, we settled into our room at the Hotel Gerberhaus.
While Autumn slept in the next morning, Jacob rose early and joined Norm, a fellow member of our group, for a sunrise stroll along the medieval wall surrounding the entirety of the town. Autumn was pleased to see the pictures that Jacob took but was thankful for the extra rest!
The iconic Ratstrinkstube clock tower; every hour on the hour, the heroic mayor of Rothenburg appears and drinks a gallon of wine to save the town.
Rothenburg's Marktplatz
Toy store right outside of Rothenburg's Marktplatz
Rothenburg's Burggarten
Another hotel in historic Rothenburg
Outside of St. Jacob's Cathedral in Rothenburg
St. Jacob's main alterpiece
Riemenschneider's alterpiece inside St. Jacob's
Marktplatz - the Nightwatchman beginning his tour of Rothenburg
The Nightwatchman during his tour of Rothenburg
Opposite view of Rothenburg's Marktplatz
The restaurant we ate at in Rothenburg, Baumeisterhaus
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The Artist vs. The Art
Pro Tip: If you’re an early riser like Jacob, it pays to get up at dawn and walk the exterior wall surrounding Rothenburg. This medieval wall was built for the same reason that many walls were built— to protect the citizens and keep everyone else out. It also gives a great view of the surrounding area and a real sense of what life must have been like during those times.
Before leaving Germany for Austria, we stopped at Dachau concentration camp. It was cold, rainy, and emotional— a fitting reminder of the atrocities that occurred there and throughout Nazi-occupied Europe.
The experience was a somber but necessary one, as we must never forget the impact that fascism had on the world-at-large in the early part of the twentieth century.
We felt that no photo we took could truly capture the pain and sorrow of Dachau. Instead, we would like to leave you with this quote:
“We are not entirely guiltless, we the Allies, because it took us twelve years to open the gates of Dachau. We were blind and unbelieving and slow, and that we can never be again. We must know now that there can never be peace if there is cruelty like this in the world. And if ever again we tolerate such cruelty we have no right to peace.” —Martha Gellhorn