Having ridden the Lahn many years ago, we have wonderful memories of staying here before. Bad Ems is a highlight for us. It is not only a beautiful place, it is also known for its restorative springs…hence the name Bad (translates - bath). You see many people visiting here who have injuries or health issues and they come to take advantage of the restorative baths and spas. In 2021, the town of Bad Ems became a UNESCO World Heritage site under the name “Great Spa towns of Europe” due to its famous hot springs and for its architecture dating back to the 18th century. What a fine and well deserved distinction for this relatively small town of 9,000 inhabitants.
A very happy bee was enjoying the flowers at the hotel.
We stayed at this grand old hotel for the night. It has been recently acquired by Trip Inn Hotels and is being restored. We had a lovely huge room with high ceilings and charming architectural touches. Luckily we found a special rate of $60 Cdn and we upgraded to the bigger room with more comfort for $70…..worth the splurge!
For us, it is always a wonderful surprise to emerge from riding in nature along the river to the splendour of the buildings of Bad Ems. The large building on the right is a very grand hotel, Hackers Grand Hotel.
The hotel, a Baroque style building, was originally built for a Princess from the House of Nassau Orange as her private bathing palace. It was built in 1711-1720 on the site of the healing springs used in the Middle Ages. In the 19th century, the Spa Palace became a Royal and Imperial Residence. Today the Spa Palace is the home to Hackers Grand Hotel.
This beautiful dog was somewhat perplexed by the look of us and our set up. He never barked…he just kept moving his mouth and looking at us in consternation.
The Lahn River is at a very high level this year with the water cresting the banks. Everywhere we travel, we see the tangible results of a changing climate in our world.
This “thumbs down” spot has painful memories for Barry. On a previous ride years ago, we were riding in the opposite direction on this steep short section (unpaved with loose gravel at that time) and he had a bad fall. Due to the unstable road surface and a gate at the top, we decided that one rider was enough weight on the bike. Unfortunately Barry wiped out and had an embarrassing fall. I say embarrassing because when you wipe out on a recumbent tandem, you tip over very slowly sideways and you are helpless to prevent it. It also didn’t help that he did it under the watchful eyes of a full deck of diners and beer drinkers on the deck above. Yes there were scrapes and bruises, but I think the damage to B’s pride is what he remembers most.
We recall that the next day, Barry was many shades of purple from his hip to his calf. The Italian cafe (where the patrons had a front row view of his fall) took care of him and helped me clean up his wounds and brought him a cold beer on this 42 degree Celsius day.
The Lahn River is indeed a beautiful playground for boating, fishing, cycling and trekkers. There are locks along this stretch of the river.
Hans and Alfred from Switzerland have ridden the Lahn from its source. As so often can happen on a route like this, we met these two fellows at different places along the river. Perhaps we’ll see them again someday. All the best to you both.
This landmark, the Stolzenfels Castle in the hills tells us that we are nearing the town of Lahnstein, which is very close to the Rhine and Koblenz. Our ride along the river is quickly coming to a close.
Stolzenfels Castle is one of the most romantic castles on the Rhine. It resembles a palace more than a castle. This 19th century palace is a beautiful example of Prussian Rhine Romanticism and it served as the residence of the Prussian Crown Prince Frederick William.
Koblenzer Brewery on the Rhine….a familiar landmark.
We mentionned earlier, that we learned that today (Thursday) is a holiday….which means many people will take tomorrow as a holiday day which then makes the w/e complicated for accomodation. After spending much time researching our options, we found that the prices for Koblenz and the Mozelle had risen significantly for the next 3 days and availability was poor to non existent. We don’t spend $300+ ever, so we regrouped. All that we could find that was appealing was a Guesthouse in the wee village of Urbar, a bit north and on the east side of the Rhine. We booked their last room for one night. And that leaves the w/e…what to do? Well, we will head back up the Lahn to Dasenau (3 km beyond Bad Ems) and stay in a traditional Inn on the river Lahn for Friday and Saturday. This will give us the opportunity to revisit Bad Ems and spend Saturday at the Emse Therme Spa and give our sore bodies some TLC courtesy of Bad Ems’ therapeutic mineral springs. Problem solved…now we are excited for what the weekend will bring.
Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles) Total: 106 km (66 miles)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48984-Centaurea-montana
6 months ago
6 months ago