This post is the continuation of a series documenting our travels to the Rhine and Moselle river valleys in Germany in the European summer of 2024. After a great couple of days in Cologne ( Cologne by Dawn & Dusk – Rhine & Moselle valley, Part 2 ) where we had taken a day trip to see the beautifully restored Drachenburg Castle ( Bonn & Drachenburg Castle Day trip – Rhine & Moselle valley, Part 3 ), we had shifted bases to what is called the Romantic Rhine and the pretty little village of Bacharach ( Up the hill and down to the river in pretty Bacharach – Rhine & Moselle valley, Part 4 ).
On our second day in Bacharach we had taken a great morning walk on the walls of the village and around the pretty little cobbled streets ( more on that in the next post ) before returning to our Hotel Altkolnischer Hof for a superb breakfast.
The beautiful breakfast room/ restaurant at the Altkolnischer Hof, Bacharach
After enjoying the breakfast we returned to our room to pick up our day bag and set off for the next sightseeing location on the agenda – The neighbouring town of St Goat and the ruins of the Rheinfels castle that loomed over it.
At our simple but comfortable room at the Altkolnischer Hof, Bacharach
Bacharach was still empty as we started towards the train station after purchasing a return ticket for the journey online as there is no manned ticket window at Bacharach (Though there are ticket vending machines but I didn’t want to risk it).
The empty streets of Bacharach on the way to the train station
It was a warm summer morning and we wanted to finish visiting the castle before it got uncomfortably hot in the afternoon. Summers have been getting harsher with each passing year in Europe and it was no different here in the Rhine valley. We reached the station where we took the next regional train to Sankt Goar which was just 2 stations away. After a short 10 minute train ride we were in the town of Sankt Goar and we immediately saw signs marking the way to Rheinfels castle and followed them.
We came to a fork where there were two options – A path through the forest or a wide motor able road. We decided to take the latter on the way up as we wanted to get there fast and see the castle and then take the forest path down when we could linger and more importantly, it would have tree cover to shield us from the summer sun. We passed two towers that I assumed were the remnants of the old town fortifications.
Towers on the way to Rheinfels from the railway station
The wide motor able road upto Rheinfels – The flags visible on the castle tower above
The road was a moderately steep incline with a narrow footpath on either sides of the road. We walked up the road on the footpath to the gates of the castle. That’s when I saw the wired fences that meant that at least some part of the castle was under restoration. That is never a good thing for tourists, as it means those parts become off limits. We went to the gates where there was the ticket shop where we bought our tickets and were handed a map of the castle. The helpful staff there also marked out the parts under restoration and the alternate path to be taken for those parts of the castle.
The ticket shop to the Rheinfels Castle on the right
The Rheinfels castle – once the biggest castle on the Middle Rhine
We entered the ruins which were reminiscent of the forts back in our home state of Maharashtra. Burg Rheinfels built first in 1245 was a huge fortress of the Holy Roman Empire till it was destroyed by Napoleon and his French revolutionary army in 1797. Unlike the restored castles elsewhere Burg Rheinfels was used as a source of building stone after that and today what’s left is a fraction of what it originally was – and it’s still quite huge! The location meant it was important to protect all trade passing through the Rhine in those days. Post its ruin it has had no military significance and so it was luckily not bombed in WW II.
The ruins of the Rheinfels Castle and its location above the Rhine
We walked along the main entrance path into the castle till we reached a huge room on one side which was the main cellar where all the food and provisions of the castle were stored. The room was huge and we could immediately feel the temperature drop as we walked down to the floor of the cellar showing us why it was used to store grains and wine at a place that was much cooler than the rest of the castle.
The main entrance into the Rheinfels Castle
The ramparts and the lower castle overlooking the Rhine
The huge main cellar intended for storing all the castles provisions
We then reached the main castle courtyard which was the centre of the original castle 5 centuries ago. This courtyard was built so that it could withstand a prolonged siege – there was a bakery, pharmacy , brewery , a well and even a stable for livestock built into this part of the castle. It could house as many as 4000 people at the time of a siege!
The main castle courtyard at Rheinfels
The valley on the other side of the main courtyard lined with vineyards
We walked to the corner tower and took a look inside to find the remnants of the spiral steps going up to the top of the tower. We could only imagine the view the soldiers would have had from the top.
The tower at the corner of the main courtyard
We then waited for the museum at castle to open that showed the various stages of growth and eventual destruction of the castle. There even was a virtual video tour around the tunnels of the castle which were previously open to tourists but now only possible by a previously booked guided tour. So the virtual video would be the closest we would get to the tunnels.
Waiting at the courtyard before visiting the museum
The museum on the right and the ruined tower on the left
After visiting the museum we started on our way out as the other parts of the castle were under restoration including the clock tower which was the highest tower of the castle. That was very disappointing as I was looking forward to the views across a huge part of the Rhine from this very famous view point. Sadly we had to be satisfied at looking at the tower from below.
At Rheinfels Castle the biggest on this part of the Rhine
On our way out after visiting the open parts of Burg Rheinfels
The under restoration clock tower with the German flag fluttering on it
View of the Rhine from the base of the clock tower
This time we decided to take the nature trail down to the town and it first passed through a residential colony before it went through a densely wooded patch first on a level trail for some time before descending down the hill in a series of stairs. It was a much better walk than the one up and we enjoyed our time coming down stopping ever so often to photograph wildflowers or the odd blue tit that was willing to pose for me.
Wildflowers on the nature trail down to St Goar
A couple of cooperative blue tits pose for me on the nature trail down to St Goar
On the nature trail down to the town from the castle
We soon came to a clearing where we could see across the river to the two castles on either side across the river called the Katz and Maus castle (literally cat and mouse castle) called so because the former was built by Count William II Katzenelnbogen – hence Katz/ Cat castle. The other one built later on was mockingly called Maus/ Mouse because they thought it would be defeated by Katz , the name stuck!
Katz Castle on the other side of the river from St Goar
Maus Castle on the other side of St Goar across the river
Reaching the end of the wooded part of the nature trail
We reached St Goar to find that the next train back to Bacharach was almost an hour later so we decided to explore the town and see the church that dominates the skyline at St Goar – the Stiftskirche. There has been a church at this location since the 6th century built on the burial site of the eponymous St Goar. The present church with its gothic architecture dates to the 15th century.
The Stiftskirche at St Goar
As usual there was no one inside the beautiful church. Arched painted ceilings, beautiful vaulted Gothic roof, some pretty stained glass, a huge church organ and a solemn looking crypt that was the burial site of St Goar , this pretty little church had it all. We walked around and did our church routine of sitting in the pews for a few minutes before walking out into the hot sun.
Painted vaulted ceilings in the Stiftskirche at St Goar
Stained glass, vaulted ceiling and murals on the walls at Stiftskirche
The beautiful organ at the end of the nave at Stiftskirche
The crypt at the Stiftskirche – at the burial site of St Goar himself
Some beautiful stained glass at the Stiftskirche at St Goar
Us at the Stiftskirche in St Goar
We then walked down to the riverfront where we enjoyed the breeze for some time and watched the barges go by. We still had time so we decided to have a drink at the restaurant Goar Bistro Restaurant just at the waterfront before catching the next train back.
The view across the river and to the Katz castle from St Goar
The Stiftskirche dominates the skyline of St Goar
It was a great place to sit in the shade and enjoy a cool drink on a clear summer afternoon. Service at the smaller towns can be notoriously laid back, knowing that I paid for our drinks as soon as they came so that we didn’t have to wait for our bill and miss the train back to Bacharach.
Enjoying our drinks at the Goar Bistro’s outdoor seating
We then walked back to the station through the town and reached the station 10 minutes before time as is our habit.
Walking through St Goar to reach the train station
We reached the train station to find out that the train was delayed by 15 minutes! We decided to wait it out on the little train station this time lest we miss this train too.
The little train station building at St Goar
Waiting on the St Goar railway station
I was looking around for a subject to photograph and got out my 300mm as there was a wall with creepers right next to the train tracks and I was hoping I would get lucky. A green backed tit obliged and kept me entertained till the train came as it hunted for worms on the wall giving me some decent photos.
A green backed tit gives me something to do while waiting for our train
Our train finally arrived and we boarded and soon we were back in Bacharach. We walked back to Bacharacher Kebab and Pizza Haus which we had gone to the previous evening for lunch. The better half had her favourite falafel with fries and salad while I had a meat lovers pizza, we both had an ayran (Turkish buttermilk) each which was perfect for the hot summer afternoon.
Enjoying a great and well priced meal at the Bacharacher Pizza & Kebab Haus
With our tummies full we decided to rest for the afternoon and step out again once it was a bit cooler in the evening. We would go up to the castle in Bacharach, the Burg Stahleck and also go back down to our favourite spots up the hill and down to the riverside park.
But that is topic for another post some other time, some other day.
Till then,
Tschau!
yogictravel 
Yet another charming castle and town with a lovely church.
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