Europe: Romantic Rhine

Get up a close to a land of legends on a river cruise, writes Donna McIntyre.

A river cruise along the romantic Rhine may not involve throwing yourself from great heights, or making a pilgrimage that will blister heels and blacken toenails. But it's definitely up there on any wishlist as an experience that will make you feel like a time traveller as you move through this valley that has witnessed so much of the history of Western Europe.

Starting our upstream journey from Koblenz on our Scenic river cruise, anticipation builds as we near the middle section of the Rhine. This steep gorge section between Koblenz and Bernkastel is deep and one of four sections — high, upper, middle and lower of the river — between Lake Constance and the North Sea. This is where the majestic castles, or burgs if you're using the German word, are clustered, high on the craggy hilltops. As your eyes focus on the first castle, the next one comes into view, and another and another.

On this afternoon sailing, we make our way past more than 40 castles from the Middle Ages. They sit high above the twists and turns of the valley and vineyards that make patchwork patterns on the steep slopes. Thanks to the valley's microclimate, grapes thrive on the terraces. And every now and then we pass another picturesque, historic village on the riverbank.

We keep an eye out for the most magnificent burgs — the Marksburg, the only undamaged hilltop castle in the Middle Rhine Valley, the Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, on a rocky island in the river and Stolzenfels and Rheinfels castles. The architecture of the churches, too, adds to the feast for our eyes. So much history everywhere we look.

Rhine River and Marksburg Castle at sunset, Germany. Photo / Getty Images

Some castles were used to control customs, others were fortresses. Castles were destroyed only to be rebuilt later. The ever-changing landscape was admired by painters, and the inspiration for many poets' works, and Wagner used a legendary castle as the setting for his opera Gotterdammerung.

We are merely following in the footsteps — or wakes — of so many other visitors before us as the Middle Rhine Valley has been a hugely popular tourist attraction since the 19th century. It is also a trade route, dating back two millennia, as an important route between the Mediterranean region and northern Europe. That continues today, and we constantly pass other cruise boats and barges travelling in the opposite direction.

Unesco World heritage status acknowledges its significance and history, and the stories of the river, its towns and castles are fascinating. At times the Rhine has served as a border and a bridge between countries and cultures. Still does in parts.

The river is contained within walls rising 200m high. The most famous natural feature is the Lorelei Rock that rises 130m above the river at one of the narrowest points. In ages past, ships came to grief on the rocks here, after getting into difficulty in the tricky currents. This inspired poets to write about the Lorelei siren, whose beauty and songs were blamed for luring sailors to their doom.

A bronze statue denoting the legend marks the once treacherous spot. Fortunately the Middle Rhine Warning System's light signals now guide ships safely through the river's dangerous passages, and our boat's nautical staff are on watch around the clock.

FACT BOX

Scenic's Romantic Rhine & Moselle river cruise is a 15-day sailing between Basel and Amsterdam. Prices start from $6255pp, twin share, with sailings from April to October.