Bacharach

Bacharach is one of many little towns with castle on dotting the banks of the Rhine River in Germany.  We stay here because the castle is not a ruin, and we can actually sleep in it!  Burg Stahleck (means impenetrable castle on the crag) sits majestically on a rock outcrop over the town.  It has been around since about 1135, but much of the castle today is rebuilt after the French blew some of the walls apart in the 18th century.  The castle has an interesting modern history - turned into a youth hostel in the 1920s, it became an indoctrination camp for the Hitler Youth in the 1930s, then a military hospital from 1940-42, then an internment camp for Catholic German youth who were not loyal to the Nazi party in 1943, then, as the war turned bad for the Germans, a military training camp..... for boys aged 14 - 18, who would be sent to the front once training was completed.
It is probably the most popular castle youth hostel in Europe, and certainly the most difficult one for me to book - we were very fortunate to get rooms here this year!

Beside the Rhine River, with the town of Bacharach and our home for the night - the castle on the hill, behind us.  It was a huge effort to get our suitcases up the stairs to the castle from here.  Most people made it, though there seemed to be a few missing at dinner...

A rare sight - German war memorial.  Germany does not have a Remembrance Day like we do in Canada.

Grant and Keegan enjoying high speed German rail on the walls of the town

Breanna, Taylor, and some medieval girl in her cloak stand with the guardian of Bacharch.

The tower of the castle from the courtyard

The castle courtyard

In the morning fog

In front of the Altes Haus 0- the old house.  Look up near the top - 1368 was when this crooked masterpiece was constructed

All smiles

Above the castle, looking down to the Rhine as the sun rises through the fog