a charming valley, with verdant meadows and vineyards, streams and water mills, &c., the perspective in front being closed by a rocky barrier, on the heights of which stands the Castle of Ehrenburg, said to excel in beauty and preservation any other castle on the Rhine or Moselle.

Then Zell (population 2,500), to

Pünderich, a village on the right bank. Travellers intending to visit the interesting ruins of Marienburg should land on the opposite side of the river. The view from a hill near the ruins affords one of the finest prospects on the Moselle, embrac

We next pass Hatzenport on the left, and further on the same side the castle of Bischofsstein, belonging to the Archbishop of Trèves; then Moselkern, the entrance of the beautiful vale of Eltz.

If the traveller lands at Moselkern (Station), crosses the hill, or strikes across the heights along the side of the glen, he will obtain several fine views; and then passing through the romantic wooded Valley of the Eltz, he may visit the picturesque and interesting old Castle of Eltz, almost a unique specimen of a feudal fortress of the 12th century. Permission must be obtained from the proprietor, Graf Eltz, at Eltville.

The traveller can then return by the road, direct, to join the steamer at Carden (Station), a village charmingly situated in one of the sweetest spots of the Moselle.

Proceeding on, we next pass Treis, on the right side, situated within an amphitheatre of hills, on which there are two castles. Clotten, on the left, a small village with its church on the hill, and the ruins of an old castle. The next place we come to is Cochem (Station).- Hotels: De l'Union; Germania. This is an ancient town of 3,200 inhabitants, and the distant view of it, with two Castles on the hills behind (one formerly the seat of the Archbishop of Trèves), is exceedingly prepossessing and attractive; but the streets are narrow and dirty, even more so than those of the other towns on the Moselle. The Railway Tunnel is the longest in Germany, 4,600 yards, and took three years to make, at a cost of about £200,000.

Thence past Beilstein Castle, to the little fortress of Ediger, near the Ellerberg tunnel (2 miles long), which makes a short cut of the long river bends.

Alf, at another series of bends, in a beautiful part of the river, 5 miles from Bad Bertrich, which is convenient for the Eifel, a volcanic district between the Moselle, Roer, and Rhine.

a splendid panorama. Refreshments can be had at a small Inn within the ruins.

From Pünderich, the steamer proceeds past the villages of Enkirch and Starkenburg on the right bank, and then arrives at Traben on the left. (Claus Hotel.) A short distance higher up on the right bank is

Trarbach.-Hotels: Bellevue; Brauneberg; Gräfinburg. A town of 1,800 inhabitants, where the steamer remains during the night. This place resembles Cochem in the beauty of its position. It is situated at the mouth of the valley, and is encircled by a range of hills or mountains. The castle on one of these commands the river entirely. By road and footpath, Berncastel can be reached in less than half the time taken by a steamer.

Between Trarbach and Trèves the scenery becomes less beautiful, and the villages of Uerzig (Station), &c., with the exception.of Berncastel, are devoid of interest.

Berncastel.-Hotels: Drei Könige; Post. A town of 2,500 inhabitants. The situation of this town is very fine, but it is both dirty and badly drained. The ruins of Landshut castle belong to the Emperor.

Thence to Mülheim, Neumagen (ancient Noviomagus), Mehring, and the fine old city of Trèves (Station), described in Route 25.

ROUTE 22.

Coblenz to Mayence and Wiesbaden. By rail along the left bank of the Rhine, in 2 hours. Rail along the right bank, 2 hours. Steamers five or six times daily, performing the voyage up in eight hours, and down in five hours. The following description applies chiefly to the steamer route, and the words "left" and "right" refer to the position as seen from the steamer.

Above Coblenz the long ridges of the mountains begin to hem in the Rhine, which, as far as Bingen, flows through a contracted gorge. The broken fragments of feudal castles, and fortresses, with

the walled towns and venerable buildings, form prominent features in the scene, the interest being heightened by the historical associations connected with each and every object that bursts upon the delighted vision. Leaving Coblenz we pass Forts Alexander and Constantine on the right, and to the left, Fort Asterstein, which surmounts the heights of Pfaffendorf, situated above a village of the same name. Proceeding on, we pass Horchheim, noted for its excellent red wine, and see, opposite to it, the island of Oberwerth, on which is the former convent, now farm buildings.

Three miles or so above Coblenz we behold Stolzenfels one of the most interesting castles on the Rhine, beautiful in its picturesque outline and commanding position; it may justly be styled the Proud Rock. It is near

Capellen (Stat.), and was built in 1250 by

one of the archbishops of Tréves. In 1802, the ruins became the property of the town of Coblenz, and were given to the then Crown Prince, afterwards Friedr-Wilh. IV., who rebuilt them in the original style. A very good carriage road leads up to it, donkeys from Capellen, 80pf., there and back, 1mark 20pf. Its principal objects of attraction are the Kleiner Rittersaal, an apartment painted with frescoes, by Stilke, representing the knightly virtues, historical scenes illustrating, i.e., the death of the blind king, John of Bohemia, at the battle of Crécy-Courage. Hermann von Siebeneichen saving the Emperor Barbarossa by exposing himself to the Guelph assassins, having first forced the Emperor to flee-Fidelity. The Emperor Frederick II. receiving his bride, Isabella Plantagenet, sister to Henry III.-Love. Other subjects are Music: Philip of Swabia with his wife and minstrels on the Rhine. Justice: Rudolph of Hapsburg condemning robber barons. Perseverance: represented by Godfrey of Bouillon hanging up his arms in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Sts. Gereon, George, Maurice, and Reinhold, are painted on the window. In the Grosser Rittersaal there is an armoury, with the swords of Tilly, Blücher, Napoleon, Murat, Hofer, Alba, &c. Queen Victoria, accompanied by the late King of Prussia, visited this castle in 1845, just after its restoration. From here to Mayence, the right bank of the Rhine

I

belongs to Nassau. It is the most beautifully situated of all the Rhine castles, commanding a prospect up the river as far as the valley of the Dinkholder springs, with Rhens, Oberlahnstein and the Marksburg included. Opposite is the lovely valley of the Lahn, and the confluence of that river with the Rhine; while down the stream the view embraces Coblenz, with its fortifications, and the mountains above Andernach in the distance. There is a steamer every hour from Capellen to Ober-Lahnstein.

The little river Lahn issues with a slow current from a chasm, and is navigable for small vessels as high up as Weibery. At this spot the Russians crossed in 1814. The Lahn carries a great quantity of sand, &c., into the Rhine. Above its mouth, to the right, on the top of a rock, is the castle

Lahneck, like a mourning Naiad weeping, as it were, over its ruined grandeur. Below is

Oberlahnstein (Station) (7.), on the left, an old walled town, with a conspicuous red building at the edge of the Rhine, once a castle of the electors of Mayence; near it is a small white chapel among trees, where, in 1400, the deposition of the Emperor Wenceslaus was pronounced, and the election of Rupert, in his place, effected by the electors.

At the mouth of this river is the church of St.

John, a venerable ruin. Its choir and columns are worth inspection. Victoria Fountain, an effervescing water, was discovered 1880. At a short distance above it is the village of Nieder-Labnstein (Station), on the Rechtsrheinische rail, whence a line runs to Ems (page 110).

Rhens (Inns: Zum Königsstuhl; Stern, in the town), a very old town, which has many timber houses, and still retains a mediæval German aspect. Near it is the Königsstuhl (King's seat), an open vaulted hall. with seven stone seats for the seven electors, who used to meet in it to discuss affairs of state In this little town many treaties of peace were made and signed; emperors were dethroned, and kingdoms consolidated by the alliance centuries, withered into clay, whilst dynasties, supported by the traditions of ages, were set aside and others substituted in their place. A beautiful view is enjoyed from the terrace and

of

windows of the castle. The Rhine here attains a breadth of 1,820 yards. We see, in a valley,

Braubach.-Hotels: Arzbächer; Rheinischerhof; Nassauerhof; Deutsche Haus-a little town to the left, located at the base of a lofty rock on which stands the strong and feudal fortressthe castle of the Marksburg, described below. It is worth a visit; and a magnificent view can be enjoyed from the summit of the donjon keep. The castle is distant about 7 miles from Ems, and is approached by a very passable road. Outside the town is a beautiful mineral spring of delicious water. Persons desirous of visiting the Marksburg from the left bank of the Rhine, must cross the river at Niederspay, where there is a ferry. In the romantic valley surrounding Braubach there are copper and silver mines. On the top of a mass of rock appears

The Marksburg.-A fortress of the middle ages, in perfect preservation, being the only one of the Rhine castles which has escaped destruction. It is situated on a lofty rock, was used as a state prison, but recently as an infirmary, or rather it is garrisoned by invalids. It is well worth visiting, as a remarkable specimen of those terrible strongholds where "power dwelt amidst her passions;" narrow and mysterious passages, dungeons cut in the solid rock, are here to be seen; among these is one called the Hundloch (dog hole), into which prisoners were let down by a windlass, and another the Folterkammer (chamber of torture). A cell is pointed out as the one in which the emperor Henry IV. was confined.

After viewing these dismal records, the tourist may ascend the donjon keep, and take a view of the surrounding scenery, which is picturesque in the extreme. The appearance of the country on the right now becomes wilder and more romantic. A long sandbank stretches across the bed of the river, and the Rhine rolls its waves past Peterspay, Niederspay, and Oberspay, seen on the right. The Rhine here takes one of its largest curves, but is soon deflected again into its original direction by the mount of Boppart. The mountains now appear less picturesque, being generally flattened or rounded.

The charming castle of Liebeneck rises majestically above Osterspay, which may be called a neat orchard. Opposite Niederspay about

2 miles beyond Braubach, is the Dinkholder Brunnen, a famous mineral spring.

Boppart or Boppard (Station), on the right, Hotels: Spiegel; Rheine; Closmann, in the town. An ancient walled town, population, 5,000. This is a gloomy but interesting place, the Roman Bondobriga, having been one of the 50 castles of Drusus on the Rhine. In it are the remains of the palace of the Frankish kings, and the ruins of a fine chapel. Behind the town is the ancient nunnery of Marienberg, now an establishment for the water-cure. The walls of the Roman castrum, a quadrangle' of strong masonry, still exist in the heart of the town. The Church is 13th cent., and the Carmelite Church 14th cent. The streets of Boppart are very narrow and dark, but possess many attractions for the architect and antiquary, many of the buildings presenting great peculiarities of architecture.

corn

Approaching Salzig on the right, the mountains recede a little from the banks, and give place to fields and meadows. We next see the mouldering battlements and ruined towers of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein opposite, just before Salzig, seated on a lofty rock, clothed with vines. The traditions connected with their history make them interesting. They are called the Brothers, from the fact of two brothers having resided in them. The brothers fell in love with the same lady, and became foes, and fell by each other's sword. These ruins have a beautiful appearance when viewed from the left bank of the Rhine. In a picturesque valley lies Bornholm, formerly a cloister of Capuchins; above is the eminence, on whose summit are the ruins. A walk, shaded by walnut trees, takes you from the cloister to the village of Kamp.

We now come to Salzig (right), with large plantations of cherry trees. The inhabitants possess large vineyards all round. Near Hirzenach the river takes an easterly turn. On the right bank you see the village of Kester, with its demolished parish church. Opposite to it rises a high wall of rocks, at its foot girded with vineyards, and on its summit crowned with wood. You next come to Ehrenthal (left), where there is an abundance of silver, lead, and copper mines. In the whole district, from below Hirznach to Wesel there are basalt, slate, lime, marble,

and other minerals. A beautiful scenery now expands itself before the voyager. Welmich, with its Gothic tower and picturesque environs, now appear, and behind it the old walls of the castle of Thurnberg, built by Kuno V. Falkenstein, archbishop of Treves, in 1363, peer down upon you. It is called the Mouse, to distinguish it from a castle called the Cat, which is above St. Goarshausen. The scenery now is rich in the extreme, fertile gardens and luxuriant meadow-ground are spread out from Welmich to the very bank of the Rhine. On the right are St. Goar and Rheinfels, whilst below Welmich the river makes a great curve towards the north, forming a fine bay, surrounded by eminences. To the right, close above the town of St. Goar, are situated the most extensive ruins on the Rhine, namely, the fortress of Rheinfels.

This stronghold was built in 1245 by a count of Katzenellenbogen, to levy duties on the passing merchandise; but, pushing his extortions too far, he was besieged by the people of the adjacent towns, who, for fifteen months, endeavoured to reduce the castle, but without success; it fell afterwards, however, with most of the other robber-dens, before the confederacy of the German and Rhine towns. It became afterwards, in the hands of the Landgrave of Hesse, a modern fortress, which baffled the French in 1692, but was taken and blown up by them in 1794. The ruins now belong to the Emperor. The view is only limited The custodian requires a fee of 50 pf, to 1 mark. The country now changes its aspect as if by magic; from the gloomy rocky gulf you enter a cheerful and pleasant valley, and see all round you eminences covered with leafwood or planted with vines and gardens, beautifully along the banks of the river, expanding itself like a sleeping serpent.

leading out of the high road to the bridge, shortly before coming to the Trumpeter's Grotto, see below. The Protestant Church, near the centre of the town, is worth a visit; it is erected over the crypt of the old church of St. Goar, built in 1468. In the Roman Catholic Church of St. Goar there is a rude image of that hermit, who, it is said, to prove his holiness, hung up his cloak on a sunbeam. To the right, some delightful excursions and views may be had from the Nassau bank of the Rhine, and boats are always at hand to bring visitors over the river. There is a steam ferry to

St. Goarshausen (Station)-Hotels: Adler; Lamm; Krone; Zum; Hohenzoller-1,400 inhabitants, still partly surrounded with its old walls. Here begins the Forstbachthal, a Swiss valley, celebrated for its beauty, being traversed by a clear stream, forming numerous cascades, between precipitous masses of rock. At the entrance of this valley stands the castle of the Katz, a very picturesque object, built in 1393, by John III., Count of Neukatzenellenbogen. An excellent red wine is grown here on the Putersberg, equal in richness to that of Assmannshausen. On the right of St. Goarhausen we see the demolished castle of Rheineck. In this part there are charming valleys. The Lurleiberg can be reached by carriage from the Schweizerthal.

On the same side, but a little above St. Goarhausen, the black perpendicular precipice of the Lurleiberg rises abruptly from the water's edge, opposite to which, on the road side, is a grotto, in which is stationed a man who, with a bugle or by firing a pistol, awakens the echo of the Lurlei, which is said to repeat sounds fifteen times. Above this, in mid-channel, and visible at low water are the rocks called the Seven Sisters, the subject of a legend, the author of which was Clemens Brentano, 1802, see page 116.

Oberwesel (Station). On the right.

Inns: Rheinischer Hof; Goldener Propfenzieher; Deutsches Haus.

Cross," by Diepenbrock. The picturesque appearance of this town is much increased by its turreted walls and the lofty round tower called the Ochsenthurm by the water side. The village of Engehöll is well worth a visit. Above Oberwesel the Rhine forms a lake, which appears to be entirely blocked up by rocks. The view is sublimely grand, and magnificently striking. Beyond the lake the river makes a curve; its current strikes agaist a group of rocks partly visible and partly concealed from view, and forms a whirlpool called the Bank. Immediately below the bank there is another whirlpool called the Gewirr, which, according to tradition, was formerly connected with the Bingerloch, by a subterraneous chasm. The former whirlpool has often proved fatal to shippers, especially to the rafts, the forepart of which is frequently sucked 5 or 6 feet under the surface, and the crews plunged up to their necks in water, and many a rower has found a grave beneath the dark blue waters foaming around him. Tradition hands us down a mystic legend in connection with this spot, representing it as haunted by a beautiful syren, whose deeply rich and magic melody beguiled the passing boatmen in order to overwhelm them. The legend is related in Heine's well-known "Ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten."

To the left, the next object of interest we meet is Schomberg, a ruined castle, now called Schönburg, and once the dwelling of a family of the same name, from which sprung Marshal Schomberg, the general of William III. at the Battle of the Boyne, in Ireland. It is called the Beautiful Fortress, from seven daughters of the house, who were as lovely as they were cold hearted, and were turned into seven rocks, seen to this day below Oberwesel, rising out of the bed of the river.

Caub is now seen on the left. It has 2,100 inhabitants. Hotels: Zum Grünen Wald; Adler;

Thurm. It is chiefly remarkable for its slate quarries, and as being just close to the spot where Blücher crossed the Rhine, on the 1st of January, 1814. From the heights above, the Rhine was first seen by the Prussians, who gave one loud and exulting cheer, shouting The Rhine! the Rhine!

Above the town of Caub is GUTENFELS, a ruined castle, 12th century, upon a steep mount.

Tradition derives it as named from a fair lady named Guda, a favourite of Richard of Cornwall, Emperor Elect of Germany, the brother of Henry III. of England. In 1807, it was sold for the consideration of a few hundred florins. There is on a projecting point of rock, a watch-house, which seems to be suspended in the air; from its giddy height, you look with fear on the river rolling deep below you. It was here Gustavus Adolphus, in the Thirty Years' War, issued his orders against the Spaniards, who had taken their station on the opposite bank.

Up to quite lately a toll was paid here to the Duke of Nassau by all vessels. The Duke was the only person who exacted this feudal impost, though a couple of centuries earlier all vessels had to pay thirty-two tolls on their voyage of the Rhine. Opposite Caub, in the centre of the river, we see the fine old Castle of Pfalz, built in the fourteenth century by King Lewis the Bavarian for a toll-house. To this little island Louis le Debonnaire retired to die in 840. Tradition states that the Pfalz served as a place of refuge for the Countesses Palatine during their accouchements, but the story is very improbable. The castle can only be approached by a ladder, and a portcullis closes the only entrance. The key is kept by a boatman in Caub. In remote times the dungeons served for state prisoners. Downwards from Caub the valley has a more romantic appearance, the mountains draw nearer each other, the towns and hamlets have a more antique form, and wonderful traditions are told of the ruins of castles and cloisters, of reefs, and of the whirlpool, and other phenomena of nature.

Bacharach (Station) Hotels: Wasum; Bastian; built along the right bank. Population, 2,000. Its antique walls and open towers, by which it is encircled, are picturesque and ornamental. The mount against which the town is built, is planted with vines as high up as the Castle of Stahleck. The excellent quality of the wine of this place, to which the valleys of Steeg, Manebach, and Dubach belong, together with that of the adjacent eminences, the Schlossberg, Vogtsberg, and Kuchlberg, is guaranteed by two respectable historical witnesses. Pope Pius II., better known as Æneas Silvius, ordered a tun of it to be sent annually to