Rudesheim - Day10
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| The Ama Prima tied up to the pier in the little German town of Rudesheim which is the halfway point on the Rhine River. Rudesheim is a scenic, touristy little town. There are a bunch of things you can do; we had our choice of excursions. Lynnette went on the vineyard tour and I went on a tram up to the Niederwalddenkmal monument. I always go for the high ground. |
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The gondola went up to the monument that looks out over the river, town and vineyards.
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| Looking back at the picturesque town of Rudesheim. |
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Crusing over the vineyard.
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| An old stone tower. |
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| A cruise boat very similar to the Ama Prima cruises down river towards Amsterdam. |
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| Now I can see the entire town. You can see the Ama Prima docked in the center of the picture. |
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In 1877, the first foundation stone was laid for the Niederwalddenkmal, a patriotic monument above the vineyards which would be finished in 1883. It attracted many tourists who could reach it on a cog railway. Of course today, I rode up in a gondola. I could have walked also. |
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| The monument was constructed to commemorate the founding of the German Empire in 1871 after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. The first stone was laid on 16 September 1871, by Kaiser Wilhelm I. The sculptor was Johannes Schilling, and the architect was Karl Weißbach. The monument was inaugurated on 28 September 1883. The 125 ft tall monument represents the union of all Germans. |
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| From the town, the monument is tiny, barely visible. But up close it is massive. |
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| The central figure is the 34 foot tall Germania, holding the recovered crown of the emperor in the right hand and in the left the Imperial Sword. |
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| A clearer view of Germania. |
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Beneath Germania is a large relief that shows emperor William I riding a horse with nobility, the army commanders and soldiers. The relief has the lyrics of "Die Wacht am Rhein" (Watch on the Rhine) engraved.
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| On the right side of the monument is the "peace statue". The "war statue" is located on the left. |
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A close look at the Peace Statue.
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| And the War Statue. |
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| Translated into English: In memory of the unanimous victorious uprising of the German People and of the reinstitution of the German Empire 1870–1871. |
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| Heading downhill on the gondola, one last look back at Germania. |
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Coming off the gondola, I quickly found Lynnette and we walked through the little town.
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| Rudesheim was a popular place with the tourists. |
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After a nice lunch, and some more walking around, we walked back to the ship.
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