July 10, 2023
Day 9: Rüdesheim - St. Goar - 20 miles
A day cycling past castles and vineyards
The day started with another crossing across the Rhine. It was an enjoyable fast cycle down the hill from Hotel Zum Baren to the car ferry at Rüdesheim. The timing was impeccable with the ferry from Bingen landing. My group boarded and soon found ourselves on the west side of the Rhine. The path outside of Bingen was quite nice and wound along the Rhine. This would be the state of the ride today, all flat paved paths and roads.
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The number of cycle tourists is dramatically higher on1 this stage of the Rhine. It was soon easy to see why. Fantastic views, a nice flat course, quiet streets, and storybook German villages. This is an excellent weeklong bicycle tour for novice cyclists. The mileage between cities is low and the area is a definite tourist attraction. The number of river cruise boat docking makes that evident.
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This is the heart of the Romantic Rhine. Today's ride passed many castles perched high on the mountains above the river valley. German tourism says there are sixty castles lining the Rhine valley with these 20 miles having the largest concentration. A small village or town was at the foot of many of these castles.
This was a day that gave us time to explore these places. The group chose Bacharach which was highlighted in our tour guide. It is a picturesque village. A morning latte and pastry made for a perfect stop as the heat of the day began to rise.
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St. Goar came soon after. Tonight's accommodation, Hotel Landsknecht, was two miles past St. Goar. A riverfront cafe on the edge of St. Goar was the perfect lunch stop for bratwurst and beer. Some of the group took a ferry to see the famed Lorelei Rock where the siren enticed ships to their doom. I opted for a less adventurous afternoon in the village's church square in the shade with a Coke Zero.
Hotel Landsknecht is a quaint Rhine River hotel on the cycle path. It sits with a wonderful view of the river and castle high above. The group opted to have their 3-course meal, which was excellent, as we watched the ships, freighters, and river cruise ships pass from the restaurant terrace. I had the sauerbraten again, an almost identical meal as last night. It was a step above and delicious.
Tomorrow's ride is a 21-mile ride to Koblenz on the Romantic Rhine cycle path following the river. It looks to be another day of wonderful scenery.
Today's Trivia
Lorelei, a beautiful maiden, threw herself into the Rhine in despair over her faithless lover. She became a siren who lured fishermen to destruction. The myth is associated with a large rock named which stands on the bank of the Rhine River near Sankt Goarshausen.
Today's ride: 20 miles (32 km)
Total: 111 miles (179 km)
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