A Tale of Two Rivers
Now I've got to admit that I've got 'form' when it comes to travelling to one country and then, without too much pre-planning, having lunch in another country. After buying food for a picnic lunch in the Black Forest a quick map consultation revealed that without too much of a detour we could cross the border into Switzerland, see the Rhine Falls and return to Germany later in the afternoon.
We drove across the Swiss border (again without any customs checks) and made our way to the Rhine Falls. As soon as we got out of the car we could hear the roar of the water. This is the largest waterfall in Europe so attracts plenty of visitors. There's a small admission fee to access the viewing platforms but its well worth it. First up some facts. The falls are 150 meters wide and 23 meters high. In the summer months, the average water flow is is 600 cubic meters per second. The viewing platforms are excellent. Having packed a picnic we found a bench looking down on the falls and proceeded to dine al fresco, with a perfect view of the waters charging past.
After lunch we carried on walking down getting closer and closer to the waters edge. I took a few seconds of video on my phone to try and capture the sheer power of the volume of water rushing past. It doesn't do the experience justice. We had crossed the Rhine when entering Germany earlier in our trip, and would cross it again later on our journey. Its the second longest river in central and western Europe and was a sort of companion for the first part of our tour.
Eventually we made our way out of Switzerland and returned to Germany, driving through gentle rolling hills in a largely rural landscape until we reached the more dramatic limestone gorge of the Upper Danube. The Danube (or Donau in German) is another great European river, even longer than the Rhine. I had seen it before on a trip to Budapest crossing and recrossing it via the long bridges that connect Buda and Pest. We had seen one of the streams that is the source of the Danube a few days earlier at Martinskapelle in the Black Forest. Our accommodation for the night was in a former 17th century mill building in a small hamlet called Neumühle sited right on the bank of the river. We crossed a bridge and found that foot and cycle paths went east and west. Here the river had grown in size but the water currents were almost imperceptible. Walking along the river bank surrounded by trees, plant life, moths, birds and butterflies was so relaxing. Water lilies grew in patches in the almost still water by the river bank.It was such a contrast to the turbulent waters of the Rhine.
We walked for a couple of miles, spotted a solitary swan gliding gracefully midstream, a black kite soaring effortlessly in the air currents above us and a heron by the river bank standing motionless, as if frozen in space and time.
After a good meal in the gasthof restaurant (excellent baked trout for me) we strolled along the river bank again, this time headed in the opposite direction. The early evening light sparkled on the water.
The next day, after breakfast, we drove the short distance to Beuron a small village further up the gorge dominated by a large Benedictine abbey, founded in 1863 although an earlier religious settlement had preceded it. Its a huge complex, not open to visitors but we were able to view the church which was beautiful in the morning sunlight and lavishly decorated inside.
A pilgrim path led to the abbey and a statue to a pilgrim had been erected to guide travellers - including Mrs B.
Finally we walked across an ancient covered wooden bridge that is around 300 year old and provided safe passage (for a toll) for travellers in times past.
It was time to leave Beuron and continue our journey. We had seen two great European rivers in less than a day but were now going to reacquaint ourselves with the Rhine as it leaves Bodinsee, Germany' largest lake, at the university city of Konstanz (or Constance) that sits on its southern shore.
We drove across the Swiss border (again without any customs checks) and made our way to the Rhine Falls. As soon as we got out of the car we could hear the roar of the water. This is the largest waterfall in Europe so attracts plenty of visitors. There's a small admission fee to access the viewing platforms but its well worth it. First up some facts. The falls are 150 meters wide and 23 meters high. In the summer months, the average water flow is is 600 cubic meters per second. The viewing platforms are excellent. Having packed a picnic we found a bench looking down on the falls and proceeded to dine al fresco, with a perfect view of the waters charging past.
After lunch we carried on walking down getting closer and closer to the waters edge. I took a few seconds of video on my phone to try and capture the sheer power of the volume of water rushing past. It doesn't do the experience justice. We had crossed the Rhine when entering Germany earlier in our trip, and would cross it again later on our journey. Its the second longest river in central and western Europe and was a sort of companion for the first part of our tour.
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| Close to the edge.... |
Eventually we made our way out of Switzerland and returned to Germany, driving through gentle rolling hills in a largely rural landscape until we reached the more dramatic limestone gorge of the Upper Danube. The Danube (or Donau in German) is another great European river, even longer than the Rhine. I had seen it before on a trip to Budapest crossing and recrossing it via the long bridges that connect Buda and Pest. We had seen one of the streams that is the source of the Danube a few days earlier at Martinskapelle in the Black Forest. Our accommodation for the night was in a former 17th century mill building in a small hamlet called Neumühle sited right on the bank of the river. We crossed a bridge and found that foot and cycle paths went east and west. Here the river had grown in size but the water currents were almost imperceptible. Walking along the river bank surrounded by trees, plant life, moths, birds and butterflies was so relaxing. Water lilies grew in patches in the almost still water by the river bank.It was such a contrast to the turbulent waters of the Rhine.
 |
| The Upper Danube |
We walked for a couple of miles, spotted a solitary swan gliding gracefully midstream, a black kite soaring effortlessly in the air currents above us and a heron by the river bank standing motionless, as if frozen in space and time.
After a good meal in the gasthof restaurant (excellent baked trout for me) we strolled along the river bank again, this time headed in the opposite direction. The early evening light sparkled on the water.
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| The Gasthof Neumühle |
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| Beuron Abbey Church |
A pilgrim path led to the abbey and a statue to a pilgrim had been erected to guide travellers - including Mrs B.
Finally we walked across an ancient covered wooden bridge that is around 300 year old and provided safe passage (for a toll) for travellers in times past.
It was time to leave Beuron and continue our journey. We had seen two great European rivers in less than a day but were now going to reacquaint ourselves with the Rhine as it leaves Bodinsee, Germany' largest lake, at the university city of Konstanz (or Constance) that sits on its southern shore.
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