Viking Cruise #21: Docking at Rudesheim, Germany

In today's blog about our Viking River Cruise on the Rhine River, we docked at the town of Rudeshiem.  What's interesting about this stop, is that the cruise offered a day trip to a winery (which we didn't do), but didn't mention we could walk the town. Fortunately, we love to explore and we had to figure out our way to get there. We were glad we did. Rudeshiem turned out to be a highlight of the trip, we got to explore it with fellow passengers and new friends Mary Ellen and Mary and we even splurged on tee shirts for ourselves. :)  

(Photo: L to R:  Rob, Tom, Mary Ellen and Mary - we met in the town and enjoyed walking around together. Credit: R.G.) 

WALKING AROUND - Mary Ellen, Mary, Tom and I agreed that the town has a nice feel to it. There were some brick-lined streets, and there were quaint little shops. We also stopped and got a Pretzel. It's Germany, and the country is famous for them, and rightly so. The Pretzels are delicious!  Fortunately, the day we got to the town, the sun finally came out, and temperatures warmed into the 60s, so it was a vast improvement over the earlier part of the week (cloudy and in the low 50s). 

MARY AND MARY ELLEN - We were so fortunate to meet Mary Ellen and Mary - We immediately bonded with them and befriended them. They are best friends who live in the same town, same block, and were special education teachers - who both still meet with their now adult students. They both have dogs, too, so we had lots to talk about. Meeting and befriending them really made the trip. In tomorrow's blog you'll meet others we bonded with. Walking the town with Mary and Mary Ellen really made it super-special. 

ABOUT RUDESHIEM - Rüdesheim am Rhein is a town in the Rhine Valley, Germany. It’s known for winemaking, especially of Riesling wines. In the center, Drosselgasse is a lane lined with shops, taverns and restaurants. Nearby, Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet is a museum of automated musical instruments. Medieval Brömserburg Castle is home to the Rheingau Wine Museum, exhibiting wine paraphernalia from ancient times to the present. **However, we didn't visit the castle, the wine museum or the museum of musical instruments. Instead we really just enjoyed walking around this very quaint town!

PASTRIES - Every town we visited in Germany had a bakery or two or three. Rudeshiem was no different, and I had to take a picture of the amazing cakes in one of the places.

QUAINT STREETS- Walking around really gave a feeling like we were in another country (other than the U.S.). The brick-lined streets, the lantern-type lights, and the shops filled with goods made for a quaint town. 

NEXT: On to Speyer, Germany! 

 

Viking Cruise #10: Love Locks Bridge of Cologne, Germany

Today's blog about our Viking River Cruise on the famous Rhine River takes us to Cologne, Germany, and the famous "Love Locks Bridge." In today's blog, you'll learn about the "love locks" and the history of this bridge that was once destroyed during World War 2!  

(Photo: Tom and Rob standing in front of the Love Locks or Hohenzollern Bridge of Cologne, Germany that spans the Rhine River. Credit: R.G.) 

WHAT IS THE LOVE LOCKS BRIDGE? Padlocks became symbols of love. Since 2008, lovers have attached them to bridges, gates, fences and similar public places. Often, the names or initials of the lovers are engraved and the key gets thrown away in order to demonstrate the indestructibility of the love between them.

The keys of the love-locks attached to the Cologne Hohenzollern Bridge are thrown into the river Rhine below. The Rhine, which traverses Germany, has seen millions of loving couples but keeps their secrets in its watery depths.

FUNNY STORY - Our tour guide reported that several people have been caught coming back with bolt cutters and cutting off the locks after they've either broken up or divorced their "Love Lock" mate. 

WHERE IS IT LOCATED? The Hohenzollern Bridge spans the Rhine River. To visit Love Locks Bridge from the city, either take the U-Bahn lines 5, 16 and 18 and get off at Dom Hauptbahnhof, or lines 1 and 9 to Deutz Bahnhof.

PLANNING A LOCK OF LOVE - Our friend Jim had the foresight to plan ahead for the Bridge. He's a true romantic.  His wife Sue said, "Jim knew about the bridge and engraved the lock and brought it with him (he knew we were touring the area);  the day we put it on the bridge happened to have been our anniversary too!!!  That Jim!!"  ! (Photos: Sue with the perfect lock, and close up of the lock. Credit: Sue and Jim L.)

HOW MUCH DO THE LOCKS WEIGH ON THIS BRIDGE? - City officials estimate the locks weigh an estimated 40 to 45 tons. In comparison, an ICE train weighs at least 400 tons.

SURPRISE! THE BRIDGE HAS A WEBSITE!  https://www.lovelockbridge.cologne/index.html. That's where I got the following history of the bridge below. 

A LOOK AT THE BRIDGE'S HISTORY - The Hohenzollern Bridge began construction in 1907. Four years later it was proudly inaugurated by the German Emperor Wilhelm II.

At that time, the bridge consisted of three parallel parts, each of them having three transverse arches to drive through. Two of them stretched over a pair of railway tracks, and the third one stretched over a street.

Shortly before World War II came to an end, the Hohenzollern Bridge was destroyed. 

Between 1948 and 1959 it was rebuilt with a different architecture. Only the railway tracks and two sidewalks have been re-established.

STATUES AT BRIDGE ENDS -  At each end of the bridge, two statues of troopers were set up. They show Prussian Kings and Emperors of the Family of Hohenzollern. 

FAST FACTS -  Today, Hohenzollern Bridge has a length of about 400 meters (almost a quarter of a mile). It is crossed by more than 1,200 trains each day and thus, it is one of the most used European railway bridges.

NEXT: Stumble Stones, Dwarves and Dunkin!