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BOPPARD ON THE RHINE
Loverly Loreley Tourist Town on the Middle-Rhine

The town of Boppard on the Rhine in the Rhineland Palatine has been a cross roads for travelers along the great river for 2,000 years. The Romans built a fort in 360 AD to guard the trade route to their Germania territories (see Roman Ships at Mainz). King Richard I of England built a tower to control his claims to Germany, before finding himself captured and held for ransom. The German Electors built a fortress to collect river tolls. King Richard's tower is gone, but the Roman Fort remains, one of Boppard’s most noted sights, one of the best preserved Roman Forts north of the Alps, located right in the center of town, just next to the train station. The Elector’s medieval fortress along the banks of the Rhein was mostly destroyed but the castle tower remains as the city’s museum. The museum is free with exhibits of local history, a unique collection of Bentwood furniture by local 18th Century craft master Michael Thonet, artifacts from graves excavated at the Roman Fort and a 14th Century mural. Climb up the winding tower stairs to the top floor of the castle tower and compare pictures by Nikolaus Schlad of Boppard in the 1800’s to a current fortress-eye view out the narrow windows to the river where it curves around the Bobbard Hamm and Rhine cruise boats dock at the village’s old town tourist center. Also notable at the village’s market square is the two-towered 12th Century church of Saint Severus with Romanesque period wall paintings.

Boppard is a popular tourism town stop for many of the Rhine cruises and tours. Located on the west side of the Rhine about 30 kilometers south of Koblenz, Boppard is just to the north of the Loreley. The mighty rock of legend where sailors, drawn by the siren song of the long-haired mythical beauty would wreck on the shoals where the river curves around the massive cliff. Local cruise boats depart every hour for sightseeing cruises past the Loreley and back, making circle tours taking about 2 hours. The larger KD Cruise line regularly stops at Boppard on its longer Rhine cruises up and down the river (see KD Rhine Cruise Line).

The quaint old town has many small tourist hotels and restaurants along the river front, like the river view Rheinlust Hotel or the grand 19th Century art nouveau Best Western Bellevue Rheinhotel For wine touring, Weinguts and Weinstubs (Wine Sellers and Wine Taverns) for tasting both Rhine and Moselle Wines are sprinkled all over town, along the narrow streets lined with beautiful half-timbered buildings. The town lights up at night in sparkling reflections on the flowing currents of the river. There are no bridges across the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz, so crossing in this area known as the Middle-Rhine is by ferry. Boppard like St. Goar to the south is a ferry crossing, with the ferry boats droning all day long from one side to the other, with about 20 minutes between each crossing, the cost of the ferry is a few euros for a 5 minute ride. Boppard is an easy destination for a Rhine River trip, whether by rail, on-off cruise boat or car. The road that follows the Rhine is a pleasant, easy drive past the many castles, small villages and wine vineyards between Bingen and Koblenz. A winding road out the west from from Boppard leads to the A61 autobahn, where you can head north to Cologne or south to Mannheim, or if feeling adventurous you can continue on the narrow road (at points actually one lane) to the Mosel River for more castles and wine vineyards (see Cochem Castle on the Mosel and Castle Thurant).

Cross the Rhein by ferry at Boppard to the east bank and about 4 kilometers north to Braubach where you’ll find Marksburg Castle, one of the best preserved medieval forts on the Rhine (see Castle Marksburg) or if a real aficionado, stop at the Castle Institute library at Phillipsburg Castle in the Braubach old village directly below Marksburg (see Phillipsburg Castle Institute). Phillipsburg is a short walk from the on-off cruise dock at Braubach, just cross under the railroad track to the old town street and turn right, follow the signs. Marksburg is a real hike to the top of the hill, easier to catch a bus in town.
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STUTTGART MUSEUMS

WINE AND WURST GERMAN WINE ROAD

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