The Rhine

The mighty Rhine River. The stretch between Koblenz and Rudesheim is known as the Romantic Middle Rhine. The whole stretch is identified as a UNESCO world heritage site and is straight out of a picture book with steep hillsides and a castle around every corner. The area reminds me a lot of the Columbia Gorge.

I pushed on from Koblenz in the fog and for the first time pedaling up river instead of down.  Even so, the gradient of the river is so low that the route is essentially flat.  I had decided to go as far as Oberwessel on the river's right bank, about 44 km upriver.  I didn't want to rush through this stretch and was still feeling a bit sick anyway.

Oberwessel is one of a couple dozen scenic, medieval towns along this stretch. It's probably best known for it's relatively in-tact city walls and guard towers. I spent a couple hours walking the town and the walls.

I stayed in a half-timbered place built in the 1400's. Very nice.