Steep slopes, alternating between vineyards and dense forests, legendary castles perched on rocky outcrops and picturesque settlements huddled along the narrow banks of the Rhine: The Middle Rhine Valley between Bingen and Koblenz attracts tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. The uniqueness of this region steeped in history can be explored particularly well from the water. For over two thousand years, the Rhine has been one of the most important transport routes for cultural exchange between the Mediterranean region and northern Europe. Sometimes a border, sometimes a bridge between cultures, the valley reflects the history of Europe and is considered the epitome of Rhine Romanticism. German Romanticism made the Middle Rhine a destination of longing. And the region also has great appeal for inland skippers.
However, the notorious mountain section between the Bingener Loch and St. Goar is not only attractive, but from the skipper's point of view, it also commands respect. With its strong currents, navigational obstacles and heavy traffic, this 30-kilometre stretch of river is still one of the most challenging inland waterways in Germany. This section, past the Loreley, is therefore particularly instructive for practical training. For this reason Sarres-Schockemöhle Yachting organises weekend training courses on a motor yacht several times a year. At the centre of the training cruises is the area itself with its unique traffic control system, the so-called "Lichtwahrschau".
In the foreground: safe coexistence of recreational and commercial shipping
Grey clouds hang between the autumnal, colourful mountains around Lahnstein as the five participants of the trip arrive on board the motor yacht "Julia" on this Friday afternoon. During the preliminary meeting in the saloon of the Vacance 1200, the rain pelts against the window panes. However, the weather does nothing to dampen the anticipation of the upcoming trip. The possibility that the route might have to be changed at short notice is off the table. If the Rhine was too high, we would have had to take the Moselle route, which is not nearly as exciting as the planned mountain route. Instead, the opposite has been the case for days: the Rhine level is exceptionally low. Cruise leader Christian Zaloudek prepares the participants for the resulting challenges.
The Middle Rhine Valley is a particularly exciting journey at low water, when the Rhine reveals its rocks and shallows. The rocks are said to 'blow'.
The 57-year-old Rhine pilot is an inspector for all kinds of licences. He knows the area like the back of his hand. Today, he passes on his knowledge to interested skippers, and good preparation and area planning are essential: "The fact is, the Rhine doesn't forgive the slightest mistake. There are rocks and grounds everywhere. Damage to the ship is always equally massive." We want to use this weekend to familiarise ourselves with the most exciting part of the Rhine. It is important to know how commercial shipping operates. Upstream to St. Goar, we still have the blue sign, which means that the upstream boat can instruct the downstream boat where to pass. "Although this is not mandatory for pleasure boaters, it is still advisable to adhere to it in the narrow navigation area with low water levels and lots of traffic," explains Zaloudek. Up to St. Goar, the rule is "sailing according to professional practice". The upstream driver always tries to drive on the inside of the bend. If he changes sides of the fairway, he sets a blue sign. This is referred to as a "starboard to starboard" encounter, whereby the upstream driver must give the downstream driver sufficient space.
After an introduction to calculating the water level and meeting rules, the race begins. Johanna Brecklinghaus is the first to take the helm. Together with her husband Anton, she has spent years travelling the waters around Berlin. They have had a boat in Gelsenkirchen since last year and now want to explore the Rhine. Shortly after the Lahnstein lock, the boat leaves the Lahn and enters the Rhine. Directly opposite the mouth of the Lahn, on the left bank of the Rhine - i.e. on the right for those of us travelling "uphill" - sits Stolzenfels Castle, an impressive example of Rhine Romanticism and a first foretaste of the collection of picturesque views that lie ahead of us. The Middle Rhine Valley has the highest density of castles in the world.
The Braubacher Grund has already been the undoing of many a hobby skipper
We have 30 kilometres ahead of us to our destination for today, St. Goar. After almost an hour and a half, we recognise a red buoy with green ribbons and a red and green ball as a top sign in the fairway ahead of us - the fairway split in front of the Braubacher Grund. Every year, around ten pleasure craft get stuck here because they don't realise the significance of this rare navigational sign. The damage is always extensive due to the solid rocky ground. The boatmen may be distracted by the Marksburg Castle on the right bank, which stands here on a slate cone 160 metres above sea level. However, when the water level is low, as it is today, the rock is clearly visible. We pass the spot unscathed and set course for the first major bend in the Middle Rhine on the Schottel.
Instructor Christian Zaloudek reminds us how water behaves in bends and what consequences this has for navigation: "Water is sluggish and always takes the longest route. In the outer bend, the slope, the water is deeper because the current carries the debris with it. The deposits are usually found in the inner bend, i.e. in the town. That's why we have to make sure we don't get too far into the village, because that's where the water gets shallow and we also have a draught of 1.10 metres." One increasingly common problem for shipping as a result of climate change is low water levels, especially in summer. In 2023, the Middle Rhine had only half the usual water level for the first time at the beginning of March.
Further upstream, the vine-covered slopes become increasingly steep. Thanks to the relatively long hours of sunshine, the region has a similar climate to Burgundy in France. The Romans already knew how to take advantage of this and started growing grapes here. At the end of the day, the cloud cover breaks for us too and we reach the Rheinfels harbour in St. Goar shortly before the sun sets behind the ruins of Rheinfels Castle above. At dusk, the lights of the two brightly lit Katz and Maus castles on the opposite bank are reflected in the Rhine.
Past the Loreley - the light show regulates shipping traffic for seven kilometres
The second day of training begins with a preliminary briefing. Zaloudek points out that driving on the right applies from this point onwards. The instructor also explains what the so-called "Lichtwahrschau" is all about. Five signalling systems inform and control shipping traffic over the next seven kilometres.
The most exciting part of the trip lies ahead of us at the famous Loreley: here, where the river winds its way through the rocky massif of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, it forms a particularly narrow section with confusing bends, shallows and strong currents. The shipping travelling downstream is literally pushed through the stretch by the current and has little chance of reacting quickly. The rock barriers just before the Loreley narrow the previously wide river bed to 145 metres. At the Loreley itself, the river is the narrowest and deepest point on its entire navigable section between Basel and Rotterdam, with a depth of up to 25 metres.
As early as the middle of the 19th century, the captains of Rhine ships were warned of dangers by means of flags. In the 1970s, light signalling systems were introduced. However, even though the most dangerous rocks were blown up decades ago and professional skippers now all use AIS, this section is still associated with a certain level of risk, especially at exceptional water levels - despite all the technology. The last major accident took place in 2011, when the motor tanker "Waldhof" capsized on the Loreley during the descent at high water. Two crew members lost their lives at the time. As a result, the Rhine was closed to shipping for days.
The insidious beauty of the river has inspired poets and historians to create legends and myths, such as that of Lore Lay, who drove skippers mad with her grace and dragged them to their deaths.
In bright sunshine, we approach the first signalling point E "An der Bank" at Rhine kilometre 555.4. The small house next to it houses a museum about the traffic light system. Of the three beams of the traffic light system, only the lower horizontal light lines are switched on. This means that there is no descent in the first section. Apart from small vehicles and passenger boats, no ships come towards us until we reach the Loreley. But as we approach the legendary rock, the bow of another long vehicle is already peeking around the bend. The signalling point D "Opposite the Loreley" indicates at least one boat in the valley for each of the next three sections. The group gathered at the steering position watches intently as the oncoming vehicle pushes its way round the corner. The campers at the campsite opposite the rock have the best view of the large convoys' manoeuvres around the bends.
You can explain a lot in theory, but when you see it with your own eyes, how such a convoy comes down to the valley and drifts around the bend, then you really understand why it is so important, even as a hobby skipper, to know in advance what is coming from the front.
Because long braces need a lot of space. And if you then decide in favour of the wrong side, it can get pretty tight, even as a small sports boat, says the instructor. Stefan Hebinger from Deidesheim in the Palatinate takes part in the training with his two sons Silas and Timon. The Rhine has always been their stomping ground, but they have not yet travelled this section. Because they want to take their own boat to the Netherlands next season, they wanted to have a professional show them the route beforehand. 16-year-old Silas steers the "Julia" calmly through the narrow passage, at least on the surface. After signal point C "Am Betteck" and signal point B "Am Kammereck", there is another channel split at Geisenrücken and then another narrow section at Jungferngrund. The route passes shallows with lyrical names such as Wispergrund (kilometre 540) and Pfalzgrafenstein Castle near Kaub, an old customs fortress built on a rocky island in the middle of the river at kilometre 546.
The control centre at signal point A "Am Ochsenturm" marks the end of the mountain section, or rather the beginning downstream. From now on, things become tranquil again. The river widens almost abruptly at the Mäuseturm near Bingen. The Rhine receives additional water from the Nahe, which flows into the river at this point, and after this funnel it throws itself with all its might into the narrow channel of the Binger Loch, which has been blasted out of the rock. It is correspondingly difficult here, especially for less motorised mountain bikers.
Above the mountain range, the water builds up into a wide river landscape with floodplains and shallow bays. In front of us lies a whole chain of islands. The buoyed fairway leads past them sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left, sometimes on both sides. Quiet areas invite you to fish and swim at anchor, but without precise local knowledge, caution is advised here. "If you want to be safe, it's better to stay in the fairway here too," says Zaloudek. It is a fitting conclusion to our training cruise - and to this extraordinary area.
