The first half of this portion of the river from Bingen to Bonn is the
Rhine of song and legend, the Rhine of romance, the Rhine of German
patriotism. Its banks are clothed with vineyards that yield wine
esteemed the world over; the rugged and fantastic crags that hem in its
channel are crowned by ruined castles; the treasure of the Nibelungs
rests at the bottom of the river (higher up, at Worms); the Bingerloch
and the Mouse Tower of Bishop Hatto, the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein,
the rock of the siren Lorelei, the commanding statue of Germania (the
trophy of German victory in 1870), and innumerable other features lend
interest to this, the middle course of “Father Rhine.” Between Bingen
and Bonn the steep rocky walls that fence in the river approach so close
that road and railway have to find their way through tunnels. The Nahe
enters the Rhine at Bingen, the Moselle at Coblenz; from the right side
the Lahn enters above Coblenz. Gigantic rafts are floated down from the
Black Forest to Dordrecht in Holland. Below Bonn the Rhine is joined by
the Sieg, Wupper, Ruhr, and Lippe from the right.
[Illustration: =PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE RIVER RHINE, THE MOST HISTORIC
RIVER IN THE WORLD=
Starting from the important city of Cologne and ascending the river.
These pages and those immediately following give an almost photographic
panorama of the entire Rhine valley as far as Mainz--the course of the
river, its confluents, bridges, cities, villages, castles, fortresses,
historic ruins and museums, and the general topography of the region
through which river flows.
COLOGNE CATHEDRAL, the grandest Gothic church in the world. Begun in
1248, consecrated 1880. It has seven wonderful chapels.
University Bldgs.
KÖLN, OR COLOGNE, sixth city in size in the German Empire, was
originally an ancient Teutonic town and later an important Roman
garrison. Its greatest ornament is the Cathedral. The city is encircled
by a boulevard of great beauty. The Hahnentor Museum contains a famous
collection of armor and weapon.