As usual we were greeted by local guides who provided a walking tour of the town. Like many towns in this region it was ruled by the Romans for 400 years, more than 2000 years ago, and there are still remnants of this era to be found.
After the tour, we walked to the point where the two rivers meet, where there is a beautiful park and an enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm seated on a horse. This statue is about the size of a three story building.
We departed from Koblenz as we were having lunch, and then spent the whole afternoon sailing down a section of the river called the Romantic Rhine. Here the river runs through a narrow valley and along its length are beautiful vineyards, picturesque villages, and mighty castles. Some of the castles are just ruins but many of them are still occupied.
Throughout the afternoon, the cruise director provided commentary and historical background as this beautiful and unique scenery glided by.
We were extremely fortunate that the weather was great and all the local vegetation was starting to display the autumn colours which in another few weeks will be absolutely spectacular.
This section of the Rhine has been navigable since ancient times, and during the middle ages, the castles were established to support military support for the villages below and the toll stations along the river. Local barons were able to extract a lot of wealth in tolls from the commerce on the river.
A very spectacular day with great scenery and beautiful weather.
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