Walking Around Bacharach
"Bacharach, a sort of a wonderland forgotten on the banks of the Rhine by the good taste of Voltaire, by the French revolution, by the battles of Louis XVI, by the artillery shellings of 1797 and 1805 and by the elegant and wise architects who construct houses in the form of desks and chests of drawers. Bacharach is surely the oldest heap of human habitations that I have seen in my life. " This is what the famous author Victor Hugo had written about the small town of Bacharach in his 19th century travelogue "Le Rhin".
Nowadays, by virtue of the Internet and modern transportation, Bacharach has become a popular destination and is no longer a town where "a traveller is a strange phenomenon". But due to the present world situation, it has gone back somewhat to its forgotten days described by Hugo. The streets are completely empty, the churches bare, the shops closed and the inhabitants relishing in the resulting peace and quiet.
I visited this small idyllic town on a rare sunny day in the middle of an otherwise cold January. As the train rounded a bend alongside the Rhine river and the town came into view, my eyes fell on the gothic spire of the St. Peters Church lit up by the bright sunrays and the Burg Stahleck standing tall over a nearby hillock. Walking around the town on the cobblestoned streets and being enthralled by the numerous half-timber houses, I remember cursing myself for not visiting this place before in the last two years. Aimlessly wandering this town with a subtle fragrance of the rows of vineyards surrounding the town, I made a promise to myself to visit more of these small towns situated on the Rhine and Moselle valleys instead of planning for trips far away. Like a wise friend once advised me, a person does not need to travel far and wide in search for adventure. Sometimes, adventure finds you in the nearest of corners.
The following are some of the many pictures I have captured from my day trip to this town aptly named after the Roman God of Wine.
Sun streaks on the Rhine Valley
The town of Bacharach with the Rhine Valley lit up by sun streaks
The Church of St. Peter
Easily the most photographed monument in the town
Half Timber Restaurant
Half-timber Pizzeria
Cookie House
Vistas
Different compositions of the St. Peters Church taken from various vantage points
Altes Haus
The oldest house in the town square transformed into a restaurant, captured at different times of the day.
Towering Over Bacharach
Burg Stahleck looking over the town of Bacharach and the Rhine Valley. Once a fort, it has been transformed into a Youth Hostel and a museum.
Snaking past Vineyards
A hiking trail going snaking alongside vineyards towards an old fort
The Majestic Rhine
A hiking trail going down to Bacharach with a view of the Rhine Valley
Postenturm and Light Trails
A long exposure capture of one of the many towers looking over the town with light trails going past
Liebesturm and Light Trails
A long exposure of another tower with light trails
Lit Up
A minimalist capture of the Liebesturm
God's Grace
A lamp at the Ruine Wernerkapelle shining as bright as the sun lighting up the town and the church
Streaks over Bacharach
Sun streaks over the Rhine valley with the town of Bacharach and the adjoining vineyards in the foreground
Using another view of the Rhine Valley as a closing note to this photoblog dedicated to Bacharach, an idyllic town that rekindled my love for day-trips.
