[Idyllchat] Rhine Tour

[TSchlingel at aol.com]

The Marksburg Castle is in Braubach and is one of the most intact castles  on 
the Rhine.  You can reach Braubach by boat right from the dock in  St. Goar.  
You can also see about 25 plus castles up and down the rest of  the Rhine.  
The train station in St. Goar is, as Haggart said,  automated and it is on the 
upper street behind the Church.  The nearly  destroyed castle above St. Goar 
is Rheinfels.  There is a tram that stops  just in front of the Church in St. 
Goar on the square (a really tiny  square) which is right next to Hotel Hauser 
which will take you up to  Rheinfels.  Walking the castle grounds is a good 
workout but not that  bad.  I have a really bad hip, walk with a cane, and get 
around it with no  problem.  For a really cheap price of probably a euro or 
less, you get  a rather primitive but effective map and narrative that will get 
you to all of  the castle's nooks and crannies.  Rheinfels also functions as a 
hotel  and has a very nice upscale, but reasonably priced restaurant.  It  
also has a very nice Terrace Cafe.  Both afford a spectacular view of St.  Goar, 
St. Goarhausen on the other side of the Rhine, and Katz Castle (privately  
owned) on the St. Goarhausen side.  Your apartment, I believe, is  above the 
Christmas and wine shop (I can't recall the name) and almost directly  across from 
the Ferry that can take you to St. Goarhausen, about 2 Euros round  trip.  I 
stay in Hotel Hauser when I go there, but shop in the Wine  Shop.  St. Goar is 
touristy, but only from about 10 am until PM when the  day trippers come 
ashore.  Early in the morning and then again in the  evening when the day trippers 
leave, you practically have the town to  yourself.  There are many nice 
restaurants in the town itself  and almost all within a short walking distance from 
your  apartment.  Several shut down in early evening when the crowds  leave.  
Apart from the road that runs along the Rhine, St. Goar has  basically 2 
streets.  The Upper and the Lower.  Most of the  restaurants, several bakeries, 2 
grocery stores, a tourist information  office, and other great shops are on 
the lower pedestrian  friendly street.   
I travel alone so an entire Untours apartment is a little much for  me.  
Hotel Hauser, on the other hand, is a nice place with extremely  reasonable prices 
and I usually get a room with a balcony overlooking the Rhine  at a price so 
low no one on this site would believe it.  It also has a nice  restaurant 
frequented by a number of the locals.  St. Goar is a  wonderful base and will 
easily allow you to visit towns up and down the  river.  Take in as many as you 
can and whatever recommendations you get  from the Untours people will keep you 
happy and very busy during your  stay.  Oh yes, above St. Goarhausen is a very 
interesting and  informative museum devoted to the Lorely.  Don't miss it and 
have a great  time
Tom Erdman, St. Louis



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