Playing Hide & Seek with Artistry II

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Last Seen in Mannheim, Germany

When we awoke, Avalon Artistry II was about to stop in Mannheim, Germany for what is known as a "technical stop".  That means, it wasn't going to stay there long.  The only reason for stopping was so that the motor coaches could meet the ship and pickup passengers for the morning excursion.

After touring Heidelberg Castle and the Old Town itself, it was time to re-board the motor coaches and seek out our ship.

Gernsheim, Germany

Since we last left her, she had moved to a different location:  Gernsheim, Germany.   Once again, this was to be another "technical stop", this time to pick up passengers from the tours.

Just Passing Through

You may have noticed that passengers are re-boarding Avalon Artistry II using a Viking River Cruise ramp.  Much like the Old West,  river cruise ships often tie up to the nearest dock while making their way along the river.   This is all planned out in advance, however, so don't worry about having some other ship kick you out for parking in their spot.

Lunch Menu

Today's buffet lunch included two soups: Cream of Broccoli and Cold Wine; Roast Leg of Suckling Pig; Braised Leg of Lamb; Steam Filet of Red Mullet; and Fettuccini Pasta.

Of course, there were various salad and vegetable fixings as well.   You could also order off the menu if you didn't like any of the above.

 Sailing for Mainz

While we dined in the main dining room, the Artistry II set sail for Mainz, Germany which would be our over-night stop.   We'd arrive around 4 PM or so, in time to do some sightseeing at our leisure before the evening program started.

After lunch, our Cruise Director had a briefing for travel agents.  It was our opportunity to get any questions answered and learn more about Avalon Waterways.  We were able to tour one of the Royal Suite cabins as well (since there had been a last minute cancellation).

 
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View from Heidelberg Castle

What a View !!

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Just as breath-taking as the castle is from the city, so too is the city from the castle. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, one has an amazing view of Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the Neckar valley far into the Rhine plain. On a clear day, Mannheim is even visible on the horizon.



Church of the Holy Spirit

The most prominent building in the image above is the Church of the Holy Spirit which served two congregations (Protestant and Catholic) for a time and was the reason why the court removed to Mannheim.


 
Did you know that the Catholic steeple had a cross while the Protestant one had a rooster?



Neckar River

The Neckar is a 367-kilometre-long (228 mi) river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine.

 
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Heidelberg - Castle Ruins

Heidelberg - Castle Courtyard

Heidelberg - Castle Barrel Building
Heidelberg - View from Castle

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Heidelberg Castle & Courtyard

Heidelberg Castle (Schloss Heidelberg)

Each year, Heidelberg Palace attracts around a million visitors from all over the world. Since the early 19th century, these impressive ruins have been synonymous with Romanticism.

Our ship docked in Mannheim, Germany to allow passengers to disembark for excursions.

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City Tour + Castle Ruins


Our morning excursion took us to Heidelberg, home to the oldest university in Germany, which was founded in 1386.   Here we visited the imposing ruins of HEIDELBERG CASTLE, towering magnificently over the city and among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps.


Elisabeth's Gate

The triumphal arch known as Elisabeth's Gate, is located near the entrance. Tradition says the gate was built in a single night by Prince Elector Friedrich V in 1615 as a birthday present for his English princess, Elisabeth Stuart.


The charming little gate was severely weather warn and was partly restored in 1949. The unique pillars are noteworthy with their leaf work and artistic flowered capitols.

Ottheinrich Building
  
The Ottheinrich Building in Heidelberg Palace counts as one of the most beautiful and earliest
palace buildings of the German Renaissance.

David, Hercules and Samson on the show façade of the Ottheinrich Building.

Ottheinrich Building

Figures on the Friedrich Building 

The ancestors of the palatine prince electors look down from the façade of Friedrichsbau. 

The façade of the Friedrich Building commands attention from the moment you enter the palace courtyard. It is richly decorated with figures. Commissioner of buildings Friedrich IV displays the perfect gallery of portraits from the royal line here and demonstrates his claim to power for all his contemporaries. Sculptor Sebastian Götz from Chur and master builder Johannes Schoch created the fantastic series of figures on the Friedrich Building in three to four years at the beginning of the 17th century.  More information about figures...

The Fassbau (Barrel Building)

We also saw the famed  Heidelberg Tun, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel.” At nearly 23 feet high and 28 feet wide, the cask holds about 58,000 gallons of wine and has a dance floor built on top of it! 

After visiting the wine barrel, we next spent some time on the Great Terrace.   We didn't have time to visit the interiors of any buildings or the gardens, so that will have to remain for a future visit.

Just as breath-taking as the castle is from the city, so too is the city from the castle. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, one has an amazing view of Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the Neckar valley far into the Rhine plain. On a clear day, Mannheim is even visible on the horizon.

The view from there was spectacular, so we'll cover that in a separate post.

 
^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:}

Heidelberg - Castle Ruins

Heidelberg - Castle Courtyard

Heidelberg - Castle Barrel Building

 

 

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