I think rivers hold a fascination for many people. And certainly for me. One of the topics that I enjoyed doing most at school was 'River Basin Management' in Geography. Perhaps humans retain a primeval fascination with large bodies of water, be they rivers or the sea. Somehow I always prefer a walk or bike ride by a river or the sea to one which does not encompass water.
Germany is a good place if you like towns and cities located on rivers.
Whilst on rivers like the Trent or the Thames in the UK these days, the traffic is predominantly leisure crafts, the larger rivers in France and Germany seem to still be used for large barges carrying freight. I applaud that, I gather that moving goods by ship is a good way to transport freight and it must keep lorries off the roads and Autobahns.
Easter Monday probably isn't an ideal day for travel on the Autobahns. So our transition from Gottingen to Frankfurt-am-Maine was somewhat hampered. But the weather was beautiful and we took the opportunity to stop at a conveniently located picnic area. The youth hostel in Frankfurt is splendid. More like a hotel than a hostel to me. I was even in a room with a view. The hostel is located next to the river, so there are views over the river and Frankfurt's central business district.
It was early evening by the time that we had checked in and - I think with a degrees of fluke - parked the car nearby. But there was still time for a quick look around the central area and a short length of river bank. As the sun set we enjoyed a few drinks in one of the squares.
This blog really isn't intended as any sort of travel guide and of course this list is totally non-exhaustive, but in my humble opinion a trip to Frankfurt would be incomplete without a trip to the (Church which was the original German Parliament and also the thin park). In the evening we went to a charming Frankfurt restaurant which served meat and particularly sausages which were myriad and varied in nature.
When I was a student I did the whole interrail pass cliché thing. And although it's very mild by the standards of what many people get involved in for gap year etc. activites. I look back on the whole trip fondly. During that trip (in 1997) I stayed in a wonderful Youth hostel which looks over the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Mosel in Koblenz. I was anxious to return and persuaded my companion that we should go there.
The hostel in Koblenz lies within a maize of buildings which go back for 1000 years. This area is all currently being refurbished for what the German people call a "Festung". Furthermore, I understand that there are plans afoot to install a cable car from the apex of the corner of the Rhine and Mosel (where there stands Koblenz's landmark statue). So all of it looks like a construction site. And what we failed to anticipate was that the youth hostel was in fact closed for refurbishment. We found an alternative youth hostel nearby.
The next day we drove up the Mosel towards Trier. The road follows the river which wiggles with pinache. It really is a lovely river valley. During the journey, we had several stops, which gave us a chance to walk along the river. It really did strike me that if I ever get the opportunity to come here again, then the best mode of travel would be on foot on a puch-bike or ideally in a canoe.
The motor car has proved to be a popular means of transport, but if you want to sample beautiful country, the pace is far too fast. In my opinion, the aforementioned modes of tansport are better. I have not been in a canoe in ages.
Germany is a good place if you like towns and cities located on rivers.
Whilst on rivers like the Trent or the Thames in the UK these days, the traffic is predominantly leisure crafts, the larger rivers in France and Germany seem to still be used for large barges carrying freight. I applaud that, I gather that moving goods by ship is a good way to transport freight and it must keep lorries off the roads and Autobahns.
Easter Monday probably isn't an ideal day for travel on the Autobahns. So our transition from Gottingen to Frankfurt-am-Maine was somewhat hampered. But the weather was beautiful and we took the opportunity to stop at a conveniently located picnic area. The youth hostel in Frankfurt is splendid. More like a hotel than a hostel to me. I was even in a room with a view. The hostel is located next to the river, so there are views over the river and Frankfurt's central business district.
It was early evening by the time that we had checked in and - I think with a degrees of fluke - parked the car nearby. But there was still time for a quick look around the central area and a short length of river bank. As the sun set we enjoyed a few drinks in one of the squares.
This blog really isn't intended as any sort of travel guide and of course this list is totally non-exhaustive, but in my humble opinion a trip to Frankfurt would be incomplete without a trip to the (Church which was the original German Parliament and also the thin park). In the evening we went to a charming Frankfurt restaurant which served meat and particularly sausages which were myriad and varied in nature.
When I was a student I did the whole interrail pass cliché thing. And although it's very mild by the standards of what many people get involved in for gap year etc. activites. I look back on the whole trip fondly. During that trip (in 1997) I stayed in a wonderful Youth hostel which looks over the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Mosel in Koblenz. I was anxious to return and persuaded my companion that we should go there.
The hostel in Koblenz lies within a maize of buildings which go back for 1000 years. This area is all currently being refurbished for what the German people call a "Festung". Furthermore, I understand that there are plans afoot to install a cable car from the apex of the corner of the Rhine and Mosel (where there stands Koblenz's landmark statue). So all of it looks like a construction site. And what we failed to anticipate was that the youth hostel was in fact closed for refurbishment. We found an alternative youth hostel nearby.
The next day we drove up the Mosel towards Trier. The road follows the river which wiggles with pinache. It really is a lovely river valley. During the journey, we had several stops, which gave us a chance to walk along the river. It really did strike me that if I ever get the opportunity to come here again, then the best mode of travel would be on foot on a puch-bike or ideally in a canoe.
The motor car has proved to be a popular means of transport, but if you want to sample beautiful country, the pace is far too fast. In my opinion, the aforementioned modes of tansport are better. I have not been in a canoe in ages.
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