WHY THERE ARE SO MANY CASTLES

From Bacharach we rode the tour bus to St. Goar to explore the ruins of Rheinfels Castle, said to have been built in 1245 and was once the biggest castle on the Rhine. It housed 300 – 600 people during peacetime and accommodated up to 4,000 during a siege, until the French Revolution in 1797 destroyed it. It also was said to be self-sufficient, even having a pharmacy within the walls. According to Rick Steves, it is the single best Rhineland ruin.

We reached the top of the hill and there lay before us was the massive and mighty Rheinfels Castle. There the local tour guide met us and gave us interesting information about it. The castle's original owner was a count. He supported his family and maintained the castle from the ships' toll on the Rhine River and from the products of the surrounding fields, which he owned. The peasants supplied the labor during the construction of the castle in exchange for protection when a siege would occur. During those times, they would all be taken in and protected within the castle walls.

All ships passing through the river had to pay a toll to the count. Those who refused were seized and taken to the castle's dungeon where they were fed with bread and water twice a day. The count kept them there until they paid the toll. Some died before being able to pay the toll due to illness or starvation.

Ron and the other tour members, including six-feet-plus tall Jason, dared to go into the dungeon and the place where ammunitions and food used to be stored. To get there they had to almost crawl or walk while squatting. Can you imagine Jason doing this through the tunnel-like passage?

Across the river Rhine and the Rheinfels Castle was another castle built by the count's cousin. After he realized his cousin's ingenuity, he decided to have his own tolling place and from the money, he built his own castle. Now the ships passing through had to pay twice. Although not all of the castles along the Rhine were built and maintained the way the cousins did, I now have an idea of why and how castles were built and how some of them were financed.

Going back to Bacharach, we took the ferry and in a relaxed way viewed the breathtaking scenery of the string of ruined and restored castles, the stone churches, the vineyards on the hills that rose from the shoreline, and the huge ancient houses along the river. Any romantic soul will never forget this awe-inspiring panorama.

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