Germany – First Two Days Hiking – Koblenz 9.26.21

Saturday, September 25th – After our 2 days on the Moselle River, we meet the other 12 members of our hiking group at our hotel in Koblenz (Diehls Hotel on the Rhein) for dinner and a trip briefing on Saturday evening. This is the same group that hiked the Camino two years earlier – but missing our dear friends Paul and Bernadette Johnson.   

Sunday, September 26th – The next morning we take a 20 mile train ride from Koblenz to Moselkern along the Moselle River and begin a 3-mile hike up to Eltz Castle. Owned by the same family for 33 generations over a 850 year period, the castle is one of Germany’s most popular sights and is breathtaking when the castle comes into view.  The castle is huge with 80 rooms and 40 bathrooms. Originally owned by three brothers in the 1100’s, each brother and his family had three distinct living quarters with separate kitchens, etc. 

After a tour of the castle, we hike back to Moselkern and take the train back to Koblenz, where we relax in our rooms before gathering for a happy hour at the hotel, followed by a fabulous wine tasting and dinner at a local restaurant that is rarely visited by tourists. In fact, the proprietor told one of our friend Rolf, who is German, that he had never had Americans in his restaurant before. It was truly a locals hangout.

Monday, September 27th – The next morning, we start the Rhinesteig part of our hiking trip.  During the next 5 days we will be hiking the Rheinsteig part of the trail located between Koblenz and Ruedesheim along the upper mid-Rhine in the Rhine Gorg. The Rheinsteig Trail follows the mighty Rhine on its right bank. Carving its way through the Middle Rhine Valley in spectacular fashion, this trail is in a class of its own. Rocks (e.g. the Lorelei), castles (e.g. the Marksburg) and romantic towns (e.g. Rüdesheim) complement the diverse vegetation and landscape. Granted UNESCO World Heritage Site Status, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and The Rheinsteig Trail is one of the most popular tours in Germany. This hike is truly a five-star experience of the great outdoors. Nevertheless, our hike along the Rheinsteig will be a physical challenge. We will cross a number of tributary valleys carved deep into the landscape, thus creating daily elevation changes averaging 3,000 feet.

The first day we leave Koblenz and hike over 15 miles upriver to Braubach with over a 2,600 vertical. We then take a 10 minute train ride further upriver from Braubach to Kamp-Bornhofen, and taxi up to our lodging for the next two nights – the Liebenstein Castle (Burg Leibenstein). With only nine guest rooms, our group has the entire castle for the next two nights! 

At dinner, one of our fellow hikers, John, who is an American Expatriate who now lives in Switzerland – and a professional opera singer – leads our group with his guitar in singing folk songs. It was so much fun.