After a very long travel day that included on-time trains… delayed trains… trains that terminated before they were supposed to and left us having to use local buses… grumpy people not helping us with the trains and lovely people helping us with the trains… more delayed trains… and Rhine River castles and vineyards out the windows of trains… we finally navigated our way successfully to Königswinter to meet up with Anne’s family for pre- wedding celebrations. Better late than never.

The charming wine-growing town of Königswinter is known for its picturesque scenery along the Rhine river and its rich cultural and historical heritage. Today we had the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of the Rhine river on a half day cruise organised by Ina’s family who live in the town. Despite waking to a very dull and cool day, we were confident it would improve as the day went on. After boarding our boat, we relaxed together chatting… drinking a cocktail…

… and taking in the scenic panorama of the majestic castles, churches, and vineyards along the shores of the Rhine.

We then explored a few of the towns charming cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses and quaint shops…

… as we walked to the station to ride the oldest cog railway in Germany…

… up to the Drachenfels (Dragon’s Rock), featuring the ancient ruins of Drachenfels Castle on the cliff…

…overlooking the Rhine Valley’s magnificent views. On a clear day, apparently you can see all the way to the towers of Cologne’s Cathedral but it was still quite hazy so that wasn’t possible. We sat and had a drink and bite to eat admiring the panorama.

Afterwards we walked down to the Schloss Drachenburg… a modern and impressive interpretation of a castle three-quarters of the way up the slope.

This ‘Fairytale castle’ is in a stunning location with amazing views, with beautifully tended gardens…

…and tastefully decorated interiors.

During WWII the castle was damaged by allied bombing but was eventually restored and listed as a monument. Apparently It has had numerous private owners, each leaving an eccentric twist on the castle (think potential Zeppelin landing pad, amusement park, and 1970s disco parties).

A lovely dinner followed at a local restaurant as more travelling friends and family arrived for the coming celebrations. Tomorrow we head to Bad Ems… the location for the wedding.