Out of the Jurisdiction: Kölner Dom

 The Kölner Dom (or Cologne Cathedral) is a wow.

Begun in 1248, the cathedral took 600 years to complete.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Koblenz

 (Come close so I can whisper.)  Koblenz was disappointing.

A horseback statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I holds a prominent location in German Corner, the point of land where the Moselle River joins the Rhine.  The statue is overdue for a good cleaning.

There is a tall, complex statue with rowers at the base.

There is a boy who spits water every now and then.

Koblenz does have excellent manhole covers.

I was cold and uninterested, so I went back to the ship.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Romantic Rhine

 The stretch of the Rhine between Rudesheim and Koblenz is called Middle Rhine or the Romantic Rhine.  

There are 30 castles on that stretch of the Rhine.

The Romantic Rhine has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Miltenberg

 There was only time for a brief stop in the small, medieval, half-timbered town of Miltenberg.

Miltenberg is in Bavaria, but residents get testy if you don't specify that it is the Lower Franconia region.

Town hall is the white building in the center.

Miltenberg wasn't a World War II bombing target so many 14th century half-timbered buildings remain.

A brief visit was OK, since it was raining and there was a long walk back to the ship.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Along the Main

We had some quiet time sailing the Main, which has 34 locks between Bamberg and the Rhine.

Ever seen a more orderly vineyard?

 Arrived in Miltenberg.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Rothenburg

 Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a charming walled medieval town with many half-timbered buildings.

We visited on a gray overcast day with occasional light rain.  Did not darken the spirits.  The Marktplatz or market square was my favorite location.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Bamberg

 Bamberg is a pretty Medieval town in Upper Franconia, on the river Regnitz where it joins the Main.

There are nice views of old buildings on the Regnitz.

The bishops didn't give the people of the town any land to construct a town hall, so it was built on a bridge across the Regnitz.   Colorful frescoes enliven the town hall walls.

A brewery for rauchbier, a smoky beer popular among some folks in Bavaria.

Alte Hofhaltung was the residence of the bishops in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Neue Residenz, across the cobblestone roadway from Alte Hofhaltung and the cathedral, was the residence of the bishops after the 17th century.

On the way out of Bamberg on the Main River, we passed many pretty sights.

Out of the Jurisdiction: Nürnberg

 

In Nürnberg's Hauptmarkt (the site of the city's big Christmas Market), a main attraction is the Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) which was erected around 1385 but subsequently replaced with a replica (the original fountain is kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum).