Category: Bacharach

Along the Rhine-Bacharach

©2023 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

There are so many beautiful towns along the Rhine River in Germany. But how do you decide which one to visit?

You call a friend who is from there for suggestions!

So, after my friend, Annie, gave me a list of her favorites, I decided on the town of Bacharach. Only a few trains stops up the river, she described it as charming with a very German feel and consisting of an upper town with amazing views of the valley below and a small town beneath. At this time of year, there would not be many tourists…the most enticing bit of information!

After a long night of transatlantic travel, I was tired, but I decided to head right out to make the most of the shorter hours of the fall season.

It took a few minutes to figure out my train ticket and which platform I was leaving from at the Mainz train station, however, I was soon on my way. Forty-five minutes (and a short nap) later, I was exiting Bacharach’s small station and heading into the lower town along the river.

Bacharach Train Station
First views of Bacharach from the train station

Walking along the main street, I found it to be extremely picturesque and quiet, which was both good and bad. Good that I did not have to fight for space along the small walkways and narrow streets, but bad that not a lot of the shops were open. Contenting myself with a bit of window shopping, I headed north towards the center of town, passing the Stadt Bacharach am Rhein, a city government office, and other buildings, all constructed in the traditional half-timbered style.

Walking along Bacharach’s main street (Stadt Bacharach am Rhein bottom, middle photo).
Walking along Bacharach’s main street
Hotel Kranenturm, an historic hotel built into and alongside the Kranenturm tower and city walls.
Walking along Bacharach’s main street.

Kirch St. Peter in Bacharach, the town’s Catholic church, was open, however, I decided to bypass instead to make the ascent to the upper town first. Taking the stairs behind the church, I began the long climb, pausing every so often to take a breather and take in my surroundings. Views of the nearby hillsides offered ancient crumbling walls, old towers and lovely perspectives of the town below.

Kirch St. Peter in Bacharach
Stairs to Werner chapel, castle and upper town.
Views from the stairway.

Eventually, along the long, steep staircase, I came upon the Ruine Wernerkapelle. The Werner Chapel was a major landmark in Bacharach and was erected after the murder of a boy called Werner. The fury over the murder resulted in riots and subsequently, the deaths of forty other people. In 1287, work began on the chapel to commemorate Werner’s memory and to offer a place of prayer for those making pilgrimages to his grave site. Sadly, the beautiful chapel was destroyed in the War of the Grand Alliance in 1689 and only the crumbling ruins remain.

Werner Chapel
Werner Chapel
Werner Chapel
Werner Chapel
Werner Chapel
Werner Chapel
Werner Chapel

Continuing my climb, the stairs transitioned from hard stone to packed earth, littered with fallen leaves and twigs causing me to carefully place my footing with each step. Breathing heavy and tired, I finally encountered a stone archway and a another set of steps leading to Burg Stahleck, the historic castle dating back to the 12th century. Now housing the Bacharach Youth Hostel, it consists of half-timbered houses, romantic courtyards, towers and a cozy wine bar with stunning views of the Rhine Valley.

Werner Chapel from higher up
Entrance to Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck
Burg Stahleck

After winding my way throughout the property, I headed to the small restaurant, grabbed a bottle of Bitburger beer and sat in the courtyard, watching the cruise boats navigate the river below. The beer was a much needed refreshment but after a night of little sleep, I had to fight the urge to have another lest I succumb to the longer sleep I desperately needed…plus, I still had much to see in the lower town!

Views from Burg Stahleck courtyard

Descending the seemingly never-ending staircase, I finally reached St. Peter’s church (est. 1230) once again. Thankfully finding it unlocked, I ventured inside, admiring the rich ornamentation and beautiful interior in the early French Gothic Style. While not as ostentatious as those in Italy or Central and South America, what I admired most was the beautiful organ and the brightly colored capitals on the columns.

Kirch St. Peter
Kirch St. Peter
Kirch St. Peter
Kirch St. Peter
Kirch St. Peter
Kirch St. Peter

Heading west behind the church, but still in the lower town, I found myself strolling along small pathways next to a narrow waterway. Admiring the flowers that grew along the trail and the beautiful old homes, I finally found the Steeger Tor, the wooden tower built in the 14th century at the western corner of the city’s fortifications. The Steeger Tor has retained its original roof and is constructed in the half-timbered style seen throughout the city. Covering the Blücherstraße, cars are still allowed to transit through its open base.

Pathway to Steeger Tor
Pathway to Steeger Tor
Pathway to Steeger Tor
Steeger Tor
Steeger Tor
Steeger Tor

After a string of cars had passed, I carefully walked though the opening and then made my way up to the hillside planted with rows of grapevines winding their way along the wired supports. A dusty path led me to the Postenturm, which once acted as a defense tower in the northern wall of the town and was restored as a water reservoir in 1899. Now solely an observation tower, the slate quarry stone spire allows visitors to climb to its head for incredible views of the upper and lower towns and the surrounding countryside.

Bacharach’s fields of grapes which yield their famous wine
Postenturm
Postenturm
Views from the Postenturm
Views from the Postenturm
Postenturm

After my visit, I continued back down the hillside and encountered a cute grey cat who jumped down from its perch to lead me to the way back to the lower town. Wandering the small cobblestone streets, I discovered many interesting sights…an alleyway filled with umbrellas, the Virgin Mary tucked behind a small arched window, a wishing well and a garden of zebras…before finding the Münzturm.

Pathway from the Postenturm
My cat guide.
Discoveries in the lower town.
Discoveries in the lower town.
The lower town.
View of the Postenturm from the lower town.
Restaurant in the lower town.
The lower town.

The Münzturm, an historic tower, is well known throughout the region as the location that Swedish troops entered to invade the city during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). Built in the 14th century, it is also known as the Mint Tower or the Coin Tower because of its location near the Palatinate mint on Oberstrasße. As with the Steeg Tor, cars can utilize the narrow opening at the bottom to enter the city and a staircase on the southern side leads to the city wall. Still in use today, the upper floors serve as a guild tower, archive and meeting room for the Wine Guild Bacchus Zechgesellschaft zu Bacharach und Steeg von 1328.

Münzturm, also known as the Mint Tower or the Coin Tower.

While my plan had been to have a bite to eat at the medieval, half-timber Altes Haus, I discovered that it did not open on this particular day until 6:00 p.m. Not wanting to return to Mainz in the late evening, I decided to take a few photos of the place that was immortalized by Rhine poets and the setting of many films. This famous restaurant was built in 1586 but an inscription on the house states that its beginnings date back to 1368.

Altes Haus restaurant

Continuing on with my explorations, I headed back toward St. Peter’s Church, taking a left on Marktstraße. Here, I discovered yet another historic tower, the Marktturm.

The lower town.
Marktturm

This tower was well known for the annual Bacharach wine market that took place between the tower and the church during the 15th and 18th centuries. During the 18th century, it also functioned as a prison, during the 19th century, it housed the community bell and in the 20th, a wine tavern. Escaping damage during World War II, it was restored in 1910 and today it is used as a private residence. Part of one of the best preserved city fortifications in the Rhine Valley, you can also access the city wall from a staircase on the left-hand side.

Passing beneath the Marktturn, I headed to the pathway outside the city walls for a different perspective. While I did not walk along the immediate river front, I could see numerous boats traversing the waters and a couple parked at the river’s edge. I knew there were boats that could take me all the way back to Mainz, but I was not sure of the schedule or the embarkation and disembarkation points. Instead, I walked along, passing the Church of St. Nikolaus and the Customs House while making my way back to the train station. What I later learned was that it has been said that once upon a time, kings from around the world would only drink Bacharach wine. Being a major player in the wine industry, the sales and the collected customs duties, in this exact building, made Bacharach an extremely wealthy town.

City entrance and city walls. Alternate view of the Kranenturm hotel which is built into the city wall and tower.
Church of St. Nikolaus

While there are many beautiful towns throughout this region, Bacharach is definitely one that warrants the effort for those desiring to be transported back many centuries. Definitely not a large city, but I would still say that Bacharach is still a rich one. Rich in its history and rich in that it is one of Germany’s true treasures in the Rhine Valley.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe

Burg Stahleck

Kirch St. Peter in Bacharach-Evanglische Kirchengemeinde Vierthaler

Ruine Wernerkapelle

Steeger Tor

Postenturm

Münzturm

Altes Haus

Marktturm