莱茵河浪漫古堡之旅

都说莱茵河的浪漫，其浪漫之处在于醉人的风景，在于动人的传说，在于两岸出产的葡萄酒，更在于两岸山间点缀的那些中世纪古堡。德国因莱茵河在境内的流域最长，也是保留古堡最多的国家。每座古堡都有自己的名字。每座古堡都有一段古老的故事和传说，它记载着英雄们气吞山河的业绩及幽幽的儿女恋情。来和我们一起去参观七座莱茵古堡吧，让自己时时刻刻包裹在莱茵河的浪漫的气息之中！ A Romantic Tour: Castles along the Rhine River 浪漫莱茵河古堡之旅 By Christi Bowers and Lacie Schaeffer If you want a romantic getaway, there is one European country just as alluring in many ways. It would take weeks to see everything Germany has to offer, but perhaps the most beautiful portion of the country is the Rhine River. There is something about German architecture that is rough and yet elegant; travel the Rhine River and see why. The Rhine River, which runs through Germany, has been at the center of much of Europe's history. It once marked the border of Rome's empire, the easternmost edge of their domain. It was the famous Julius Caesar who brought the region on the western bank under Roman control. Beyond the river the Germanic peoples remained in control of their own lands. Around the beginning of the 5th century AD, these barbarian tribes challenged the failing Roman Empire and claimed large swathes of Europe for themselves, creating the state that would one day become Germany. What makes the Rhine River so romantic? This waterway is dotted here and there with old German castles. Castles make people think about a time when life was incredibly romantic. Visiting castles gives tourists hope that romanticism is still alive. Castles also give us a look into the past. We can see what people lived like in different periods of time. We can see how castles were built, and what type of lifestyle was enjoyed. The castles which are today such an unmistakable feature of the Rhine landscape date back to the Middle Ages. They may not be as popular as the chivalrous castles of England or the gilded Renaissance chateaux of France, but they are famous in their own right. These castles were built in dangerous times, by feudal lords, who, so far from cherishing any romantic notions, built them with one simple aim in mind: to protect their lands from marauders and predatory neighbors. They chose mountain-tops as strategically ideal situations, and we today, looking back through the haze of nineteenth-century medievalism, are still often prone to see them as objects of mystery and splendor, forgetting the warlike function for which they were built and the back-breaking labour of the feudal serfs, whom we must presume to have been forcibly employed in quarrying the huge stone blocks and dragging them up the mountain slopes. Some of these castles are now just dramatic ruins, while others can be toured or have even been developed into hotels. There are also many charming old towns and villages along the river that offer accommodation and facilities for tourists. A river cruise is the best way to see this part of the river, with many interesting sights and magnificent castles to look out for on either side of the river. Countless legends wrap themselves around these proud ruins and recount the adventures of an often violent past. The most popular stretch of the river for tourists lies between Koblenz and Bingen. The river here runs between the high cliffs of a spectacular gorge, where the greatest concentration of castles along its course- or on any river in the world- clusters high above the water. Today, we tend to visit the area for its beauty and for the romantic looks of these ancient castles as well as the stories behind them. Each is unique in its own way. Some are fascinating windows into the age of chivalry and the development of this fascinating form of military construction.  The castles stand like sentinels on the cliffs above both sides of the river creating the perfect environment for stunningly picturesque boat tours. And of course there are unlimited opportunities for sampling the German cuisine and exquisite Rhine wine during the journey. The fairytale castles combine with the breathtaking landscape of terraced vineyards and old-world towns will leave you awestruck. For hundreds of years the Rhine has ranked as one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. This region, truly one of the most beautiful in Germany, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002. Celebrate the Fairytale Beauty and Romantic Spirit of the Rhine Castles Here are the seven must-see castles in Europe. Enjoy and relax. Don't miss out on the opportunity to visit each one! 1. Castle Marksburg Marksburg Castle locates on the Rhine River in Germany above the town of Braubach. It is a unique castle in a spectacular setting.This castle is the only hill castle that has not been destroyed on the Rhine. It remains completely intact. It has been lived in for over 700 years and thus represents an ever-changing and developing building complex that has been growing into its present shape over the centuries. This castle's construction began in the 12th century, and was owned by six different families up to present day. You can tour this castle and visit rooms, such as the kitchen, the wine room, the sewing room, the bedroom for the royalty, and the dining hall. And the castle looks old but also captivating. It now enjoys a position as the quintessential symbol of the castle and defensive architecture of the region. Most of the exhibits are original, dating back to between the 15th and 17th centuries. The German Castles Association, which is still based in this impressive castle today, purchased it in 1900. Thanks to the careful preservation work that began in 1900, the Marksburg today offers its visitors a more authentic taste of medieval atmosphere than any other Rhine castles. 2. The Hostile Brothers The castles seem to be facing each other, ready for a fight, and were nicknamed the warring brother castles. The two castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein near Bornhofen are surrounded by myth: two hostile brothers supposedly fought against one another from their neighbouring castles. While the defensive wall between the two castles could be one piece of evidence for this myth, in reality it simply constitutes the second curtain wall of Sterrenberg Castle. In fact, there never seems to have been an armed conflict between the castles. Sterrenberg, the castle that is more to the north, was first mentioned in 1034 and is the oldest Rhine castle still preserved today. Built on top of a rock, the mighty, square keep stands as far as possible from the curtain wall. Liebenstein Castle only 150 metres further south was built in the 13th century, although it is not known whether it was meant to lay siege to or protect Sterrenberg Castle. The square-shaped keep stands on a base of rock and is almost entirely dilapidated today. Several residential towers were integrated into the ring wall, the oldest of which is still preserved. At the ditch, it is possible to see the remains of the castle gate, including the drawbridge. Castle Liebenstein is a fairytale castle. It is a castle that you can stay in overnight and enjoy dinner medieval style! 3. Castle Maus. You won't find mice here, at least not on purpose, but you will find the falcon show. The bad news is that you have to climb up the side of the mountain on trails to get to this castle. The good news is that once you arrive, you will see what all the fuss is about. Every day, at 11 am and 3 pm, there is a falcon show. It's spectacular, and something not to miss. In 1356, the archbishop of Treves received permission from the emperor to build a castle in order to protect his estate on the Rhine against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen further upstream. Completed in 1388, Peterseck Castle was built within sight of Rheinfels Castle, which belonged to the Katzenelnbogen family. Legend has it that the owners of Neukatzenelnbogen Castle, which was abbreviated to ‘Katz’ (cat), gave the smaller castle of the bishop the name ‘Maus’ (mouse). In the 14th and at the start of the 15th century, it was the residence of the Electors of Treves. Maus Castle was never destroyed but probably began to fall into disrepair in the 18th century. In 1844, an archivist from Wiesbaden bought the ruins in order to preserve them. Around the turn of the century, Wilhelm Gärtner, a Cologne architect, took charge of the castle’s restoration in the contemporary style of that period. 4. Pfalzgrafenstein Castle Shaped like a boat, with its rich variety of roof and oriel structures, Pfalzgrafenstein possesses a picturesque charm, while its position on the river and its carefully planned design make the well-preserved castle even more unique. In 1326 or 1327, this toll castle was built because of the dispute over the Rhine toll between the Pope and King Ludwig of Bavaria. The King, who belonged to the Wittelsbach family of Counts Palatine, had made some dangerous enemies by raising the toll in Kaub. Three times, Pope John XXII called upon the archbishops of Cologne, Treves, and Mainz to excommunicate Ludwig and take action against the Kaub toll, but his calls were ignored. Instead, King Ludwig ordered that a tower be built on the rocky island of Falkenau in the middle of the Rhine, a construction that would enable him to control the waterway on the right side of the river. Between approximately 1338 and 1342, a defensive wall was built around the tower. 5. Rheinstein Castle Built on the ruins of the earlier Vautsberg or Fatzberg Castle, Rheinstein was the first castle to be ‘resurrected’ by Rhine Romanticism. The Hohenzollern Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Prussia acquired the castle in 1823 and changed its name to Rheinstein. Tradition says that Rheinstein was begun over 1,100 years ago, and it's easy to tell its age just by looking at it. Rheinstein seems to be built directly into the rock on which it stands. The original residential tower, dating back to the 13th or 14th century, was characterised by a u-shaped ring wall which opened onto the Rhine. To the south and west, a moat and a strong curtain wall protected the approach from the mountain slope. 6. Lahneck Castle “Highup on the ancient tower stands the noble hero’s ghost”. Inspired by the sight of the ruins of Lahneck Castle, Goethe penned the poem that marked the literary beginning of Rhine Romanticism. The castle was constructed between 1240 and 1245 by Archbishop Siegfried III to provide protection for the Mainz estates. The English railway entrepreneur Edward Moriarty began remodelling of the castle in English neo-Gothic style in 1852, and this was continued by Gustav Göde in the 1860s. The battlemented parapets and flat roofs added at that time were removed between 1936 and 1938 in order to restore something of the original medieval appearance of the castle. Today, the castle grounds and some of the richly furnished historical rooms are open to visitors. 7. Stolzenfels Castle Archbishop Arnold II von Isenburg of Treves founded the castle of Stolzenfels in the mid-13th century. It is here, to the south of Coblence opposite the mouth of the River Lahn, that the archbishoprics of Treves, Mainz and Cologne and the Palatinate met. The castles of Stolzenfels and Lahneck are visible reminders of this confluence of rivalries.  Stolzenfels was extended during the second half of the 14th century by the Archbishops Kuno and Werner von Falkenstein. It was destroyed in 1689 during the Palatinate War of Succession.  The city of Coblence, which, thanks to Napoleon, became the owner of Stolzenfels, presented the ruin to the Prussian crown prince and later king, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, in 1823. At the express wish of the prince, the castle was rebuilt from 1835 on the foundations of the earlier castle utilising what remained of the ruin.  Architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel designed a palace in the English Tudor style with the roof almost entirely replaced by crenellations running all the way around the building. The palace was nevertheless equipped with all the household comforts of the 19th century. The oldest part of the medieval castle was the pentagonal keep, built around 1250, with its protective curtain wall. The interiors are beautifully decorated with furnishings from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Most remarkable is the double-naved, vaulted knights’ hall, with its important collection of historic armour and weapons as well as one of the earliest collections of old German ceramics. in its own right swathe 长条形地区（尤指土地） in their own right 凭借自身，靠自己 haze 懵懂，迷糊，迷惑 medievalism 对中世纪精神的偏好；多对中世纪的学术研究 wrap around 围住 keep （城堡的）主楼 elector 选帝侯：有权参加选举神圣罗马帝国皇帝的日耳曼王侯 oriel [建]凸出壁外的窗, 凸肚窗 Hohenzollern 霍亨索伦王室（德国普鲁士王室, 1701-1918） Prussia 普鲁士王国 （1701年起成为王国, 1871年建立了统一的德意志帝国） Goethe 歌德（1749-1832,德国诗人、作家) Gothic style 哥特式建筑风格，特点是尖塔高耸、尖形拱门、大窗户及绘有圣经故事的花窗玻璃 grounds （大型建筑物周围的）场地，庭园 River Lahn 兰河，莱茵河右岸支流，在科布伦茨汇入莱茵河。 confluence 交汇处 succession 继承，继任 crenellation 开垛口，可供抛打砖石、放发矢弹，阻止敌人进攻