As I was going through the photos of my travel folder, I felt a delicate sense of elation within. Over the last decade, during different phases of my life, I have got a chance to visit different locations along the River Rhine. That's why I love tracing rivers...one, you get to see different places on their banks...two, there is a subtle connection when you see the same river in different forms during different phases of life. This connection built across time and places is a very special feeling to treasure.
Rivers are important...to the regions they flow through. They are influential in shaping the cultural, political and geographical identities of the regions. Rhine is no different. From the glacial lakes of Switzerland till it reaches the North Sea at the Hook of Holland, the Rhine has defined the places she flows through. The path of the river is divided into five parts depending on her moods- the Alpine Rhine when she takes her birth and early steps, the High Rhine when she picks up more volume and gushes ahead with waterfalls, the Upper Rhine when she is still in early stage but has matured into a mighty river, the Middle Rhine when she flows through the gorges and the valleys majestically picking up the tributaries on the way and finally the Lower Rhine when the matured Rhine breaks into dis-tributaries and finally gets absorbed into the North Sea. 
Since the early days of mankind, the river has been mighty influential in shaping the cultural and political identities of regions around it. The ancient Romans used the river as a natural border a few thousand years old ago...so did the modern nations of Europe a few decades ago...and in between the two eras, the political extents of different kingdoms spanning a few thousand years often used the presence of the Rhine. The river has been an important trade route since ages giving rise to many small towns and villages on its banks. Thanks to the thriving trade, people living along the river became wealthy and prosperous. The region, with its wealth and influence became the heart of the Holy Roman Empire. In spite of a history ravaged with wars, the river continued to remain so special to Germany that it is synonymous with German nationalism. Also different cities of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg. France and Netherlands have been greatly shaped by the flow of this river.
My glimpses of each of the different phases of Rhine - starting from Liechtenstein, Schaffhausen, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Trechtingshausen, Konigswinter, Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf and finally Rotterdam at the Hook of Holland. Though I am yet to visit the early glacial lakes of the Rhine, yet the image of the flow as a somewhat narrow stream near Vaduz in Liechtenstein is still fresh in memory. At Schaffhausen, where a young powerful High Rhine takes a mighty jump is a scene to behold. The enthusiasm of the flow and the roar of the Rhine here almost defies her serenity as she is about to pick volumes from different tributaries and pick up a new incarnation ahead on her route.
I got a glimpse of the cultural Middle Rhine from the towns of Mañnheim, Trechtingshausen, Heidelberg, Konigswinter and Bonn. This is the phase of the river when she passes through incredibly scenic locations. On the hills on either side of the river and within lush forests, there are numerous castles, about forty of them...some of which are in ruins and some of which have received a layer of restoration. Many of these castles can be dated back to early thirteenth century but the tides of time and numerous wars have had their toll on these castles. The seventeenth century Thirty Year War between the Holy Roman Empire and its adversaries from the west left many of the castles in ruins. This period was brutal and millions lost their lives in the wars and the famines that followed. Generations of German nobility, who flourished along with their castles, saw their decline too, along with their castles during the war. Peace returned towards mid of the seventeenth century with the signing of the Peace of Westphalia and the other treaties. The valley became a part of Prussia during the nineteenth century when the wealthy nobles tried to restore some of the castles back to life. World War II also had its impacts as some of the brutal battles were fought in the region.
This phase of Rhine has inspired many poets, artistes and painters to immortalize her beauty, spirituality and significance. The poems of Lord Byron, the travelogues of Friedrich Schlegel, the visual arts of William Turner, the paintings of Johan Ludwig are just a few examples of the impact the Rhine had in influencing contemporary literature and art forms which have outlived their period. No wonder, the phrase Rhine Romanticism is as trendy today as it was a few centuries ago. The charming small German towns and villages along the banks, with their terraced vineyards lend an incredibly picturesque setting. With all the rich landscapes, history and cultural significance, this stretch of Rhine is also a UNESCO world heritage site. The famous Lorelei rock also can be located in this stretch.
By the time, the Rhine flows through Bonn and reaches Cologne and Dusseldorf she is wider and mature enough to flow out into dis-tributaries near the Dutch border. As the different distributaries flow out through different towns and cities of Netherlands, the mighty Lower Rhine is set ready to get assimilated into the North Sea at the Hook of Holland...leaving behind a trail of folklores, legends and stories.
The Rhine Valley is well connected by rail with most towns located on the bank having their own railway stations. The DeutchBahn trains from the major cities like Dusseldorf, Cologne or Bonn can get you to any of these towns in an hour or two and from any of these towns a Rhine cruise can be taken. And if you are the kind who want to hear the story of the medieval Europe and Holy Roman Empire from a river, the Rhine river cruise is a beautiful way to do so.
This post is for alphabet ‘R' of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2020 challenge:
R for Rhine
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