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THE
MIDDLE RHINE TRAIN
Mittelrheinbahn – Mainz to Cologne
The
stretch of the Rhine River which meanders in wide flat current between
the steep hillsides of
the Rhineland came to the world’s attention in
the 1800s when Lord Byron described the haunting wrecks of castle ruins clinging
above the river around twist and switch of the river in the 3rd Canto of his
epic travelogue “Childe Harold”. Even farther back the German medieval
roving poets sang the Song of the Lorelei, the “Lorelei Lied”,
of the long golden haired maiden who would sing exquisitely from the shore,
luring
the sailors on the mighty river to crash on the rocks where the shallows make
the hard turn around the rocky prominence name for the legend. The Middle Rhine
between Bingen and Koblenz is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site
for its castle dotted slopes. Today, freight ships and tankers as well as passenger
cruise ships (see KD
Rhine Cruises) of wide-eyed tourists motor up and down the river
day and night. Many of the castles, once ruins have been turned into touring
destinations and even hotels (see Auf
Schoenburg Oberwesel and Castle
Reichenstein).
One
can tour the Middle Rhine by car, driving the narrow highway which follows
the river bank
on either side, with the occasional ferry crossing. By rail,
the main tracks between Mainz and Cologne run on either side of the river,
below the wine vineyard strung slopes with high speed trains, freight trains,
Intercity and Eurocitys with iron wheels singing on the rails. The main trains
only make limited stops along this section of the river, mostly at Bingen,
St Goar, Oberwesel, Boppard (see Boppard), Koblenz, and Bonn. To stop along
the way, at all the little quaint villages and towns, for an overnight accommodation
to explore all the castles (see Castle Rheinstein), restaurants, river tours
and wineries that make this one of the most popular of German tour areas, a
new train service has begun operations.
The MittlerheinBahn (MRB) is not a special tour train or excursion service, it is simply the
local
rail train with brand new cars of distinctive clean
yellow and gray, which runs between Mainz and Cologne. Rather seeming like
a city S-Bahn, the MittelRheinBahn train takes about three hours to stop at
all the stations along the west bank of the river (ICs ECs and ICEs take about
half that time). Tickets for the Mittlerheinbahn can be purchased at ticket
machines at any of the stations. Multi-day tickets are available. It is also
included in any of the various rail passes (see Eurail Rail Pass). Any DB rail
ticket good between Mainz and Cologne can be used on the MRB. Tickets for the
full length Mainz to Cologne (Köln) are about €30. The more scenic
part, Bingen to Koblenz, is about €12 and takes 50 minutes. There are
usually lots of seats available, as locals really take the faster trains. One
can take one of the other main line trains if in a hurry, but for a slower
(somewhat) look at the passing scenery of the river or for hopping off and
on, this is the one you’ll want, though the Middle Rhine is often overcast
or gloomy, which adds to the mood, I suppose, but can be a bit disappointing
sometimes if you're just passing through on the train.
If
making a long train journey through Germany along the Rhine (see Follow
the Rhine with a Rail
Pass), connect
to the MRB at Mainz, Koblenz or Köln.
The track in Mainz is at the end of train platform. In Cologne, or the other
stops it is one of the main tracks. If staying in the Middle Rhine area, even
with a car, trips on the Mittelrheinbahn might be the most convenient way to
make trips to the big cities, so not to have to worry about parking. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Selected
Stops on the MittelRheinBahn
Mainz Hbf
Bingen(Rhein) Stadt
Bingen(Rhein) Hbf
Trechtingshausen
Niederheimbach
Bacharach
Oberwesel
St Goar
Boppard Hbf
Koblenz Hbf
Andernach
Remagen
Bonn Hbf
Köln Hbf
Köln Messe/Deutz
Compare
travel deals on the Rhine
River at TripAdvisor
Web
Info
Mittelrheinbahn
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See Also:
WORMS CATHEDRAL - MARTIN LUTHER
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