Program 111:

German Gems


River cruises ply the waters throughout Europe, from England and the Netherlands, to France and Germany and Switzerland, on to Austria and Hungary, and even to the Black Sea. Often it is best to get off the boats to see what Europe truly has to offer. Such is the case in Bavaria, southern Germany.
Koblenz is a magical river city...

For this program I stop in several glorious cities and towns. Koblenz is at the confluence of two well-traveled rivers and the city closest to Marksburg Castle, one of the best-preserved castles along the Rhine. It is the only hill castle along the river never destroyed by war, fire, or other natural disaster, and it is the repository of the world’s largest literary collection on medieval castles. Rudesheim is a romantic little river town, but often overrun by tourists. Most make a beeline to the well-traveled Drosselgasse, an alley of shops, bars, and eateries.
Mainz is a large city, but its claim to fame centers on businessman Johannes Gutenberg. He invented the printing press in Mainz; from 1452 to 1455 he printed 180 copies of the Bible. Of the forty originals that remain, one sits proudly at the Gutenberg Museum. The university town of Heidelburg was a favorite of American author Mark Twain and remains a cherished city today. Its high-on-a-hill castle is the most overwhelming site in the city. I’ll also check in at the Student Prison, where scofflaws were sent to do their time after being arrested for petty crimes.
The fairy-tale town of Wertheim is relatively undiscovered. A quaint reminder of ages ago, it’s also now the glass-making center of Germany. Wurzburg has a special winery, the Juliusspital. In 1576 the prince-bishop of the region developed a hospital for the needy. To pay for its upkeep, a winery was created. The relationship remains intact today.
Monuments as old as the hills...


Rothenburg is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved towns in Germany; its Old Town is surrounded by walls some 800 years old. It’s a charming blend of towers and turrets, Tudor buildings and cobblestone streets. It is one of the most visited communities in Germany. It is one of my favorite towns in all of Germany.
Our final stop is Bamberg, which dates to A.D. 902. One of its charms is the city hall and its dramatic exterior mural. Another is the eleventh-century cathedral, where the first Roman Catholic pope from Germany, Clement II, is buried. (He would not have a German counterpart, of course, until the twenty-first century.) And when you visit Bamberg, try the famous, or infamous, smoky beer. It’s a dark brew with a distinctive taste; most people liken it to drinking smoked bacon. The story goes that Bamberg’s brewery was damaged heavily by fire, but the owner couldn’t bear the thought of destroying the liquid product, so he decided to market it as smoky beer. The tradition stuck. Try it and let me know if you like it . . . or hate it.


To get to know more about the German Gems, contact the German National Tourist Office in New York at 212-661-7200 or online to www.visits-to-germany.com.