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We boarded the KD (Koln-Dusseldorfer) steamboat in the early hours of the morning and pulled our seats up to the very front of the upper deck. We sat back and watched the scenery go by. It felt like we were paddling into a postcard. The boat languidly made its way down the meandering turns of the lazy river. Steep hillsides filled with surreal angles of vineyard rows, and quaint little waterfront villages of picturesque Tudor-style houses slowly passed by.
Just about every one of these little towns was equipped with its own high-steepled church and hilltop castle. The castles ranged from two walled ruins to elaborate labyrinths spanning the entire hillside. We got a glimpse of every elegant angle as we floated by them.
I felt hundreds of years of culture seeping in through my skin like sunrays. My imagination got carried away with the currents as I dreamed up all the possible histories that each structure held. I could just see the faces of the Kings, Knights, Counts and Ladies peering down at me from their tower windows.
Although some of the castles are dilapidated and uninhabitable, many have been preserved or reconstructed and are in use today for various functions such as hotels, hostels, museums, pubs, restaurants, shops, and bases of operation for organizations, such as the German Castle Association in Marksburg Castle.
The cruise line’s system is brilliant, with a ferry timetable that enables you to conveniently traverse the length of the river at your own speed, stopping at whichever dock looks enticing and having time for shopping, eating, sight-seeing, and wine-tasting, then board the next boat onward. They come by frequently, but do check a schedule to decipher when the last boat of the day docks; For instance, if you are leaving from the Port of Cologne (or “Koln”), the last boat southbound leaves before 11am.
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