Visions of Germany Along the Rhine

it is always something of a mystery

trying to discover the various sources

of the world's great rivers and so it is

with a Rhine which runs through five

different countries on its journey to

the North Sea more than 800 miles away

most of the river sources are in the

high alts many of them in Switzerland

where in the spring melting snow and ice

rushed down the mountainside and fill

the Upper Rhine tributaries to

overflowing

but by summer the river usually becomes

one of the most Placid and navigable

waterways in the world on this

particularly rural section of the Upper

Rhine there is not usually a great deal

of commercial activity

here in the region of baden-württemberg

where the Rhine makes a sweeping turn

northward through one of the most

beautiful and beguiling parts of Germany

it might be interesting to leave the

river briefly and visit the Schwarz

vault or Black Forest the vast and

densely wooded forest covers most of the

images of Hansel and Gretel and a

frightful which it should the Brothers

Grimm had it in mind when they compose

their fairy tales

passage through the mountainous forest

is certainly neither fast nor easy it

isn't supposed to be this is a place for

tourists and vacationers a place

intended for visitors to savor and take

their time

among the special charms of Rybak were

Freetown are the bubbling Brooks that

constantly sing their way through the

old town

this fortified town gate was built in

the 13th century when you walk through

it the past seems to follow you like a

shadow

not all of the Schwarzwald region is

forest the high plateaus are fertile and

small farming communities abound

it's hard to tell which is more

impressive the natural site itself or

the magnificent fortress that was built

here the horn salon family dynasty which

ultimately ruled Prussia and later the

German Empire had its beginnings here a

good deal of the castle was remodeled in

the 19th century but much of the 15th

century Saint Michael's Chapel still

survives from the original

they say that rather than having a

university Tuebingen 'is a university so

important have students been to the life

of this attractive town in the nikah

river for over 500 years

the town is also justly famous for its

classic half-timbered house design

naturally the wood for them comes from

the Black Forest

the old palace fort which once protected

the town now houses several university

institutes as well as a cellar with the

largest colony of bats in germany

and yes the fame gone Dallas of Tubingen

still ply the river in this black forest

version of Venice Italy

Orem on the danube at the forest eastern

limits boasts the church tower that

measures 530 feet

reputed to be the tallest in the world

although these days Orem has a more

contemporary look as a modern scientific

research center which is only fitting

because Albert Einstein was born here in

Orem in 1879

most German autobahns are speedy and

efficient

there are however a few that require

just a bit more care

fortunately there are lots of other ways

to get around

situated on a plateau in the midst of

the forest esslingen is also in the

middle of a rich wine region the local

specialty is sparkling white wine best

served chilled after a nice evening walk

through the town

the traditional houses of esslingen have

been rigorously kept in their original

state

not an easy task built as they are on a

bridge right above the river itself

of course the motorcycle races here can

be exciting but there are some other

unexpected thrills as well

after Gutteridge damla and karl benz

began making an automobile named after

friend's daughter Mercedes they chose

Stuttgart as the site of one of the

largest plants the famed company logo

towers above the city and makes quite an

impression when illuminated at night the

industrial city one of the largest in

the Federal Republic is the capital of

Baden Wurttemberg thus to change

Stuttgart is the German word for

broodmare for originally this place was

the site of a royal horse breeding farm

what is left of the wonderful old town

is most visible around the Shilla plots

which is flanked by the shift scale here

were Collegiate Church

and the artists show us the old palace

the neues lusts a huge baroque palace

complex built in the ground style

occupies the open spaces of the city's

vast central parks

situated in nearby Ludwig's book is an

even more impressive Palace the splendor

of its formal gardens has earned it the

name the Versailles of Swabia

this elegant little pocket palace was

once the hunting lodge for the entire

state

the renounce city of Heidelberg a man

neckar river has attracted university

students since the 14th century but it

is the heidelberg castle and it's

remarkable view of the entire valley

that draws the tourists these days

University buildings around this church

built for the Jesuits in the 18th

century

a very highly respected University

Heidelberg is still remembered a bit too

much for its portrayal in the operetta

the student Prince for its rowdy

drinking bouts and dueling scars

the NECA River eventually joins the

Rhine well below where we had departed

it to visit the Black Forest

and it is the quiet flowing Rhine River

we will rediscover and follow once again

on its lyrical passage northward to the

sea

on peaceful days the Upper Rhine is as

much a watery Playland as it is a

commercial passageway

but commerce there is on this placid

section of the river is usually

relatively modest watersports have a

very different look at this popular

rhyme Playland only a few kilometers

from the river itself

north of Catherine the Rhine becomes a

much busier waterway tug boats and

barges sometimes convoys of them

container ships and tourist boats

freighters fishing boats and ferries

plied a narrow river continuously making

the Rhine one of the busiest shipping

lanes in the world

this is one of the youngest towns in

Germany built in the 18th century when

prince Colville hem decided to retire

here hence the name cows whore or calls

rest this palace was calls not so modest

retreat from the cares of life

in nearby Milan is one of the

best-preserved medieval monasteries in

Europe but restoration unfortunately

means that we're also bound to see lots

of scaffolding

the 12th century abbey and its

surrounding buildings have been a highly

recommended site on UNESCO's World

Heritage List since 1993

if there is room for just one more

eighteenth-century palace in our

itinerary it should be this one not only

for its neoclassical design but for its

unusual name Chevette singin

Manheim and its sister city Ludwigshafen

are primarily bustling hard-working

industrial cities and ports

today in Mannheim is an exception

because the populace has come to the

fairgrounds for a well-earned day of

food and fun

the Friedreich's plots garden and it's

ancient Vasa tome or water tower are

located in one of Manheim's finest and

usually busiest of neighborhoods but