2. International Travel

Amsterdam to Bucharest & Transylvania

We explored Amsterdam’s streets, shopping districts and cruised in it's interior canals. We visited the oldest windmill in Kinderdijk the magnificent Cologne Cathedral, castles along the middle Rhine both in ruins and those converted to hotels, toured Miltenberg, Wurzberg and Bamberg, before continuing down the Rhine to Regensberg and Passau. We toured the war time underground art storage facilities in Nuremberg and continued our journey to Melk, Krems and Vienna, Austria before scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley. From there we continued on to Budapest, Hungary where we changed ships to venture further into Eastern Europe. We stopped in Kalocsa, Hungary before continuing to Osijek, Croatia and then Belgrade, Serbia. Continuing East we passed the Iron Gates and cruised magnificent gorges on the way to Vidin and Russe, Bulgaria. Continuing, we went to Bucharest and Brassov, Romania and then to Transylvania to enter the legendary home of Count Dracula, Bran Castle. We enjoyed a lifetime’s worth of experiences on a single four week voyage, June of 2019. Hope you enjoy the images as much as we enjoyed being there and taking them.
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Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (German: Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near Kaub, Germany. Known as "the Pfalz," this former stronghold is famous for its picturesque and unique setting. The history of this island castle, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected 1326 to 1327 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 to 1340. In 1477 Pfalzgrafenstein was passed as deposit to the Count of Katzenelnbogen.[1] Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic baroque tower cap. The castle functioned as a toll-collecting station that was not to be ignored. It worked in concert with Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. Uncooperative traders could be kept in the dungeon until a ransom was delivered. The dungeon was a wooden float in the well.
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Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (German: Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near Kaub, Germany. Known as "the Pfalz," this former stronghold is famous for its picturesque and unique setting. The history of this island castle, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected 1326 to 1327 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 to 1340. In 1477 Pfalzgrafenstein was passed as deposit to the Count of Katzenelnbogen.[1] Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic baroque tower cap. The castle functioned as a toll-collecting station that was not to be ignored. It worked in concert with Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. Uncooperative traders could be kept in the dungeon until a ransom was delivered. The dungeon was a wooden float in the well.

DS602839LuminarFlex

  • Entering the narrowest and deepest portion of the Rhine past Lorelei rock. Rhine Valley, Germany.
  • Schönburg Castle was first mentioned in history between the years 911 and 1166. From the 12th century, the Dukes of Schönburg ruled over the town of Oberwesel and had also the right to levy customs on the Rhine river. The most famous was Friedrich von Schönburg - a much-feared man known as “Marshall Schomberg” - who in the 17th century served as a colonel and as a general under the King of France in France and Portugal and later also for the Prussians and for William Prince of Orange in England. The castle was burned down in 1689 by French soldiers during the Palatinate wars. Schönburg castle remained in ruins for 200 years until it was acquired by the German-American Rhinelander family who bought the castle from the town of Oberwesel in the late 19th century, and restored it. It is in the middle Rhine.<br /> <br /> The town council of Oberwesel acquired the castle back from the Rhinelander family in 1950.<br /> <br /> Since 1957 the Hüttl family have been living at the castle on a long-term lease; they operate a successful hotel and restaurant there. Hotel on the middle Rhine.
  • Oberwesel's Our Lady Church with Burghotel Auf Schönburg Oberwesel (Kaub) Castle Hotel on the middle Rhine on the mountain top.
  • Liebfrauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, Oberwesel, Upper Middle Rhine Valley, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Kaub Castle Hotel in the middle Rhine, Germany.
  • Kaub Castle Hotel in the middle Rhine, Germany.
  • Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (German: Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the Rhine river near Kaub, Germany. Known as "the Pfalz," this former stronghold is famous for its picturesque and unique setting. The history of this island castle, a pentagonal tower with its point upstream, was erected 1326 to 1327 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was built between 1338 to 1340. In 1477 Pfalzgrafenstein was passed as deposit to the Count of Katzenelnbogen.[1] Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream, and the characteristic baroque tower cap. The castle functioned as a toll-collecting station that was not to be ignored. It worked in concert with Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. Uncooperative traders could be kept in the dungeon until a ransom was delivered. The dungeon was a wooden float in the well.
  • Ehrenfels Castle. Bavaria, middle Rhine, Germany.
  • Wildlife along the Rhine outside Miltenberg, Germany.
  • Wild flowers along the Rhine outside Miltenberg, Germany.
  • Klingenberg with Clingenburg castle ruins, Mainfranken, Lower Franconia, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany
  • Docked in Miltenberg.
  • St. Jakobuskirche, the town chuch in Miltenberg, Germany.
  • The Miltenberg Castle ruins above Miltenberg, Germany.
  • The Miltenberg Castle ruins above Miltenberg, Germany.
  • Streets of Miltenberg, Germany.
  • The Evangelische Johanniskirche Church at the end of the street in Miltenberg, Germany.
  • Streets of Miltenberg, Germany.
  • Shopping district for tourists in Miltenberg, Germany.
  • Shopping district for tourists in Miltenberg, Germany.
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