Mary Ann and Dave's Bike Trip out East...and Back!: 178. Europe Bicycle Trip--Burg Maus, Burg Sterrenberg, Burg Liebenstein and the Town of Boppard

What a beautiful day I have today for bicycling through this beautiful part of the Rhine. It is a section that most tourists pass through, including my sister, Josephine and her husband John, last year on their barge trip.

The Rhine River with Burg Maus up on the hill in the distance..

More of Burg Maus with Wellmich village in the foreground.

Burg Maus- Construction of the castle was begun in 1356 by Archbishop- Elector of Trier Bohemond II and was continued for the next 30 years by successive Electors of Trier. The construction of Burg Maus was to enforce Trier's recently acquired Rhine River toll rights and to secure Trier's borders against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (who had built Burg Katz and Burg Rheinfels just south of here) In the latter half of the 14th century Burg Maus was one of the residences of the Elector of Trier. Burg Maus was never destroyed though it fell into disrepair in the 16th and 17th centuries. Restoration of the castle was undertaken between 1900 and 1906 with attention to historical detail. The castle suffered further damage from shelling during World War II which has since been repaired. Today Burg Maus hosts an aviary that is home to falcons, owls and eagles and flight demonstrations are staged for visitors. Local folklore attributes the name Burg Maus (the Mouse) to the Counts of Katzenelnbogen's mocking of the Electors of Trier during the 30 years of construction saying that the castle was the "mouse" that would be eaten by the "cat" of Burg Katz.

Bicycling past Zu Fellen and Hirzenach on this side of the river and Ehrenthal and Kastert on the other side of the river and heading towards Bad Salzig on this side and Kamp Bornhofen on the other side.

The Rhine Gorge is a popular name for the Upper Middle Rhine Valley , a 65 km. section of the river Rhine between the cities of Bingen and Koblenz. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in June 2002 for a unique combination of geological, historical, cultural and industrial reasons. - Tour boat docks, barges and castles --Two more castles coming up on the other side of the river


On the left-Burg Sterrenberg und Streitmauer and on the right -Burg Liebenstein. Burg Sterrenberg (on the left) was mentioned as an imperial castle by 1034. It was a feudal system castle. The noble family of Bolanden stayed as lords of Sterrenberg Castle until the second half of the 13th century. From this early period, the bergfried (tall tower found in medieval castles) and the first , inner shield wall have survived. Today Burg Sterrenberg houses apartments and a restaurant.

Burg Liebenstein- It is thought that Liebenstein Castle was once part of Sterrenberg Castle, belonging to the feudal lords of Bolanden. The castles were expanded over the centuries, but in the 14th century, a 2.5 meter "conflict wall" was built-directed against Liebenstein castle-giving rise to the myth of the " enemy brothers". Sons of a count, the lords of Bolanden, brothers, cheated their blind sister out of her inheritance following the death of their father. They became bitter enemies and built a wall to divide the two castles. It didn't take long for them to lose their inheritance, and when they tried to reconcile, one accidentally killed the other. The surviving brother traveled to the Holy land and died there. In 1529, the castle was barely habitable and was abandoned by the end of the century. The property fell once again into inheritance disputes this time between Emperor Ferdinand II and the House of Nassau-Saarbrucken. Finally, in 1793, a Baron Preuschen acquired the castle and his descendants oversee it today. Today it is a hotel and restaurant.

Bad (Bath) Salzig is a spa town with springs that dispense slightly salty water. Captain Theodor Hoffman started the drillings for spa springs. Between 1902 and 1905, the "Barbara" and "Leonoren" Springs were found. The Leonoren Springs are 446 meters deep. Bad Salzig is also home to Sebamed, Germany's largest producer of soap-free toiletries and cosmetics. The mild climate and the long hours of sunshine are favorable for growing fruit, especially cherries. The castles, Sterrenberg and Liebenstein , popularly known as the "Hostile Brothers" are to be seen on the opposite side of the Rhine. Archeological finds show that Bad Salzig was situated on the historic Roman Road which went from Mainz to Cologne in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

Entering Boppard-Gemeindezentrum--A community meeting center for community gatherings of various ages , religious instruction, adult education, cultural events, seniors encounters, youth work, for meetings of groups and clubs such as church choirs and musical groups for parties and celebrations.

Old stone city wall

Boppard is a state-recognizesd tourism resort and is a wine growing center, attracting tourists with many lodging and dining businesses. Boppard is the biggest wine growing center in the Middle Rhine wine region. Grown here are Riesling, Muller-Thurgau and Pinot noir. From Boppard excursion ships sail on the Rhine to the Loreley and to Rudesheim along the loveliest stretch of the whole Rhine Valley with its many castles. . Directly north of Boppard, the Rhine takes its greatest bend. This bow in the river is called the Bopparder Hamm , the same name given to the wine growing area. Boppard's town forest is the second biggest in Rhineland-Palatinate. The big city of Koblenz is 22km. away.