Bacharach

July 11, 2022

We left Nuremberg this morning for the little town of Bacharach on the Rhine River, the last stop of our German visit. After riding the high-speed train from Nuremberg to Koblenz, we transferred to the regional train to Bacharach. Thanks to Germany's €9 national pass, the regional train was packed with tourists and locals. But fortunately, it took only thirty minutes to get from Koblenz to Bacharach. Bacharach is a historic town of less than two thousand permanent residents, with a castle built in the 12th century. Nowadays, this town is mainly a tourist place, but there are not too many overnight tourists.

Arriving in town in the afternoon, we walked from the train station to our hotel, which was only five minutes away. But dragging our suitcases over the cobblestone street made our walk a little harder and longer. Too early for check-in, we found a restaurant next to the hotel to have lunch and had German schnitzel and green salad. When we were done with lunch, the hotel was ready for us. After check-in, the three of us went up the hillside to see Stahleck Castle. It was a 12th-century fortified castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, which was destroyed in the late 17th century but rebuilt in the 20th, and is now a hostel. We had our afternoon coffee break with German cheesecake and ice cream at the castle café at the top while admiring the panoramic view over the Rhine River. The area is also known for its white wines, harvested from the vineyards on the steep hills along the river. Walking through the vineyards definitely was a treat. We knew we would return here to hike on another day.

Dinner was delicious paella, grilled calamari, and local white wine at the restaurant next to the railroad track. It was an unique experience with the train coming and going every few minutes when we were eating, and we didn't expect to have such good paella in a small town like Bacharach. After dinner, we strolled along the Rhine River, watching the trains passing on both sides of the river and the cargo ships and cruise ships that slowly moved along the river. We loved the town, and it was an enjoyable day.

欧洲游第五十二天：今天离开纽伦堡来到在莱茵河上的小镇-Bacharach，也是我们德国游的最后一个住宿点。一早坐高铁从纽伦堡到Koblenz,然后换当地火车到Bacharach. 因为德国9欧元的全国通行票，小火车挤满游客，幸好从Koblenz到Bacharach 只需三十分钟。Bacharach 是一个不到二千人的历史小镇，镇上城堡建于十二世纪。如今这个小镇主要是旅游的地方，但是小镇上游客不多，很安静，是个值得去的地方。下午到达小镇后，在旅馆边找了家餐厅吃午饭，德国炸猪排，蔬菜色拉。安顿好后，仨人就上小山坡去看当地古城堡，土坡上都种酿酒葡萄，据说这里葡萄酒还有点小名声。在城堡上喝上一杯咖啡加上德国的奶酪蛋糕和冰淇淋，欣赏莱茵河上的美景，真的是非常享受。晚餐是西班牙海鲜饭和烤鱿鱼，挺好吃的。有点没想到这么个安静小镇里能吃上海鲜饭。饭后又在莱茵河边漫步，看望着河两岸上来来往往的火车和慢行在河上的货船和游轮，美好的一天这样结束了。