Castles in the air

The Upper Middle Rhine Gorge is a place seemingly out of a fantasy film, where medieval Counts built their fortresses high on the crags above the river, picking the best spots to command a view of those passing below or to take the occasional shot at the enemy. Mythical creatures lurk round each bend, and vineyards cling to the precipitous slopes.

This stunning landscape, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, makes for a fabulous walking holiday. Climb the valley sides through woodland to the rural peace above, where you can look down on the barges plying their trade on the river that has long been a vital connection between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Drop back down to the historic villages and towns for your overnight stops, each with ample opportunities to sample the local Riesling wine or a refreshing Bier. Better still, stay in one of the castles that were the source of endless inspiration for the Romantic poets and painters.

Here’s a brief selection of those you’ll see along the way, from the grandest to one of the smallest – Burg Pfalzgrafenstein (above), built as a tollhouse on a tiny island.

Schloss Rheinfels at St Goar is one of the largest on the Rhine, built by Count Diether V von Katzenelnbogen in 1245 for the collecting of tolls on the river, later enlarged, and subject to a French siege in the 17th century. Explore the ruins and museum, and stay in the hotel that has been created in part of the complex.

On the next bend of the river is Burg Maus, built in the 14th century for the Archbishop of Trier. Legend has it that the owners of Neukatzenelnbogen Castle to the south (abbreviated to ‘Katz’, meaning ‘cat’), gave the smaller castle of the bishop the name ‘Maus’ (mouse). Maus Castle was very up-to-date in its time, and stands squarely above the river, protected by a round tower. It was given a contemporary restoration in the early 20th century, and many of the castle’s interiors are still furnished in this ‘Gründerzeit’ style. It is not open to the public.

The twin castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein near Bornhofen are surrounded by myth, and are known as the ‘hostile brothers’ after the two siblings who supposedly fought over their inheritance from their neighbouring castles. Sterrenberg, to the north, was first mentioned in 1034 and is the oldest Rhine castle still preserved today. You can stay at Burg Liebenstein – perfect for dinner on the terrace overlooking the river.

Schloss Stolzenfels is a massive ‘wedding cake’ of a castle to the south of Koblenz, which you can visit on our Rhine Valley Route. Dating from the 13th century, it was ruined during the Palatinate War of Succession, and substantially rebuilt in the Gothic Revival style in the mid-19th century by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia as his summer residence. Most remarkable is the vaulted knights’ hall, with its important collection of historic armour and weapons as well as one of the earliest collections of old German ceramics. The small knights’ hall contains wall paintings depicting knightly virtues.

See all our walking holidays on the Rhine here

Celebrating around Europe

We’ve been chatting with some of our local contacts around Europe to find out about Christmas tradition around Europe.

The Twelve Grapes of Luck

Aznar (our local contact in northern Spain) tells us of a Spanish tradition for New Year: On 31st December people join together to celebrate the end of one year and start of the next. When the clock of the Puerta del Sol in Madrid rings out at midnight, people at home eat one grape for each strike of the bells and wish for a year of luck and prosperity, followed by a toast with champagne or cava. It’s a tradition dating to the late 19th century, and popularised by grape growers following a bumper harvest in 1909!

Gifts are traditionally given at Epiphany on 6th January, but the appearance of “Papa Noel” on 24th or 25th December has become common. In the Basque region it is often “Olentzero” who brings the gifts. There are many legends around this ancient character, who may have been a giant, or a charcoal burner or an old blind man, and is often recreated in the clothing of a Basque farmer. The one element of the Olentzero story that is common to celebrations in many cultures is the giving of presents and consumption of lots of good food.

The Sibil-la concert in Mallorca

Our local contact in Mallorca, Jesca, tells us about one of the most beautiful traditions on the island:

“On 24th December many attend the Midnight Mass, which includes the ‘Sibil·la concert’, a tradition dating to the 10th century and brought to Mallorca by King Jaime I the “Conquistador” in the 13th century. It is a magical moment where the arrival of the ‘Final Judgement’ is announced: in Palma’s cathedral (La Seu) and in every church on the island a child dressed in medieval clothes carrying a sword recites a song. So ancient is the song, which has a Gregorian melody and is sung without instrumental accompaniment, that in 2010 it was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Afterwards, it is a must to go with your family and enjoy a cup of steaming hot chocolate with an ensaïmada, a traditional Mallorquin pastry – equally delicious at the end of a winter hike along On Foot’s Mallorca hiking trail!”

Get a sneak preview in the video below from an earlier Christmas Eve in Palma cathedral.

A modern tradition in Slovenia

As in many places around the world, Christmas traditions in Slovenia are focused on religious ceremonies, spending time with family, and lots of food and drink. Miha (our man in Slovenia) says that Potica makes any celebration special – this delicious treat is baked in a ring-shaped mould and filled with something tasty such as walnut, hazelnut, chocolate, or even tarragon. Here’s the recipe – why not give it a try?!

At Postojna, very close to the start of our Slovenian walking route, a modern tradition has developed in the last 30 years. Visitors to the cave can walk the 5km path through ‘The Living Nativity‘, an illuminated wonderland in the magnificent cave complex, with scenes from the nativity story depicted along the way. 150 local people join professional musicians to enact the story. There’s stiff competition for the roles of the angels.

St Nikolaus spotted near the Rhine!

One of the favourite places of Bea, who looks after our walkers in Germany, is the section of On Foot’s Castles of the Rhine holiday between St Goarshausen and Kamp-Bornhofen. She recently spotted St Nikolaus there, and also told us how families will be celebrating at home this year.

“On Christmas Eve families come together to wait for the Christkind (a girl with long hair who is, crucially, invisible), while eating Weihnachtsstollen and Weihnachtsplätzchen. The room with the Christmas tree is locked and when it gets dark, suddenly you can hear a bell ring – the sign that the Christkind has passed. Everyone rushes into the room where the tree is decorated with balls and lighted candles. Under the tree are many, many presents, but before opening them we sing Christmas carols like “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” and we are listening to the Christmas Story. Christmas is very traditional in Germany. We usually go to mass at midnight and celebrate Christmas with our family.”

Nociata – a sweet treat from Umbria

Elisabeth has sent us this recipe from her home in the Umbrian hills. It’s a walnut honey brittle which is eaten by peeling back the bay leaves slightly, allowing their aroma to mingle with the sweetness of the walnuts. Afterwards, the leaves are thrown in the fire for a tiny firework display.

Nociata (50 pieces)
2/3 cup honey
225g finely chopped walnuts
100 fresh bay leaves

Put the honey in a pan over medium heat and cook until it’s very runny. Stir in the walnuts and cook until the walnuts are toasted, the honey begins to caramelize and the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep on stirring the whole time!

Lightly dampen a baking sheet with water and pour the walnut mixture onto it. Dampen a spatula with water and spread the mixture out. Lightly push down on the mixture to flatten it evenly into a rectangle, 0.5 cm thick.

With a sharp knife, cut into diamonds (4 cm long x 2 cm wide). Using the offset spatula, lift up one of the diamonds and put it on the inner side of a bay leaf, so the points of the diamond are facing the points of the leaf. Top with the inner side of another bay leaf and press the leaves together to adhere to the walnut brittle. Continue with the remaining pieces.

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to overnight. These keep well in the fridge, but rarely last long in our house.

Wherever you are, and however you celebrate at this time of year, we wish you joy, peace and health. Keep walking!
From all of us at On Foot Holidays

Visitors to Vienna can hardly fail to notice the presence of one of the greatest and most influential of classical composers – Ludwig van Beethoven – who spent much of his life in the city. But what of his birthplace in Germany? Is it possible to escape the city crowds by remembering the great man in his homeland?

Born in Bonn on the banks of the Rhine in 1770, young Ludwig grew up in a musical household, and was Deputy Organist in the court of the Elector of Cologne by the tender age of 14. In 1791 came an invitation to travel as viola player with the court orchestra on a trip along the Rhine, Main and Tauber rivers, a voyage that was remembered with fondness by Beethoven in later years as “a fruitful source of loveliest visions”. The relaxed and jolly mood on board was epitomised by the handing out of supposed positions in the ship’s ‘court’, where Beethoven as the youngest of the party was nominally demoted to Kitchen Scullion.

The Rhine was narrower and more treacherous in those days, and the travellers had to disembark before Rüdesheim and walk over the hill to board another ship. Stopping on the slopes overlooking Bingen, Beethoven was presented with an elaborate certificate promoting him to less menial duties, which he kept with him for many years as a reminder of happy times.

You can walk the most spectacular section of Beethoven’s journey with On Foot Holidays, travelling northwards towards Koblenz. Our two self-guided routes through this World Heritage Site will take you along the wooded slopes, to castles towering over the gorge, and back down to the pretty medieval villages at the water’s edge for a well-deserved bier or glass of local Riesling.

Visit the birthplace of Beethoven’s mother in Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein at the end of your walk, and make time as you pass through Bonn before or after your holiday to see the Beethoven-Haus museum in the house where he was born. And if you listen carefully, you may just hear the Ode to Joy resounding from the cliff-faces as you pass along the gorge.

Read more about the Rhine Romantics here

See our Rhine walking holidays here