Lorelei Loreley: The Murmuring Rock
The Lorelei (or Loreley, as it is called in German) is a is a large rock situated on the bank of the Rhine River close to Sankt Goarshausen in Germany. It is located less than 16 miles from the tourist town of Rüdesheim and Wiesbaden. This natural structure, celebrated by many stories and poems attracts throngs of tourists much like the mythical golden-haired maiden who is said to attract sailors by her beauty leading many seafarers to their death. The name ‘Loreley’ means ‘murmuring’ in Rhine dialect. The Celtic term ‘ley’ translates to ‘rock’. The rock produces a unique echo. The waterfall and strong currents give rise to the murmuring sound which imparted the rock its name. The rock measures 132 meters in height. It rises steeply on the right side of the river in the Rhine Gorge. The outlook point of Loreley has a picturesque view of the town St. Goar and its Fortress Rheinfels. Sweeping hillside vineyards, riverside towns, castle ruins and the water make this sight worth seeing.
The Lorelei statue sits on a narrow stretch of land on the Rhine between St. Goar and St. Goarshausen where the river is at its most treacherous point. Natascha Alexandrova created the statue out of bronze in 1983. The 16 feet high statue brings to life the fable of the water-sprite of Rhine Valley lore. Across the free parking underneath the Lorelei rock, the pavilion is lined with seats which form the entrance to the footpath leading to the statue.
History:
Over 600,000 years ago the Loreley Plateau was in level with the Rhine. The cultural and political evolution of Western Europe conditioned the geomorphology of the valley. The rock is situated in the narrowest part of the river between the Northern Sea and Switzerland. The Rhine at the location is close to 82 feet deep and only 371 feet wide. Because of the depth and size, it was one of the most dangerous places in the Rhine Valley in the Middle Ages. The 65 kilometers stretch owing to its strong currents, and underground rocks have sunk innumerable ships. The Saint Goar is said to have nursed many shipwrecked sailors back to health. Hence the landmark has been selected by many poets to compose tragic ballads immortalizing the many legends that mark the Lorelei. However, in the present day, the river is convenient for easy sailing. The ships passing through this section are guided by light signals called “Wahrschau.” The landscape has achieved its present form over many centuries of human interventions.
Legend:
The legendary tales associated with the Lorelei Loreley gives it a mystical air. It is said that a beautiful woman ended her life by drowning in the Rhine in sorrow over a faithless lover. She transformed into a siren that lured fishermen to the rock and wrecked their boats. The legend of Loreley first appeared in 1801 in a Romantic ballad written by Clemens Brentano. The poem is a continuation of his novel ‘Godwi’. It tells the story of an extraordinary beauty Lore Lay who is distraught over the infidelity of her beloved and wants to take her life. A bishop enchanted by her loveliness saves her. On the way to the convent, she is accompanied by three knights who stop at the rock to look back at her palace for the last time. When she sees her true love riding away, she throws herself off the rocks into the dreary watery depths below. In the Rhine fairytale, Brentano alters his story. Here Loreley is a mourning woman sitting on the rock and bewitching Mariners into their doom. The renowned German poet Heinrich Heine’s poem ‘Die Lorelei’ relates the tale of the old fable of Lorelei. A fair maiden sitting on the rock combs her golden hair and sings a song. A passing boatman is enthralled by her. Distracted by the damsel’s voice, he is unaware of the treacherous cliffs that lie before him and meets his end. Heine’s lyrics were adapted to music by German composer Friedrich Silcher, and it remains popular to this day. The Legend of Lore Lay entered popular folklore of Germany. Other artists to have produced variations of the story include French writer Guillaume Apollinaire in his poem ‘La Loreley’, Dmitri Shostakovich and Heine–Silcher.
Tour:
The Loreley Visitors’ Center was established on 26th May 2000 in the Middle Rhine Valley. It is a landscaped park on the Loreley Plateau. It offers a charming experience of the Rhine and its surrounding tourist spots. Tourists can enjoy the magnificent scenic beauty of the Lorelei from onboard a cruise ship. Luxurious, multi-day boat excursions can also be undertaken. The cruise takes tourists all over the Rhine River, which holds the testimony of many crucial events of history. The stretch of the Middle Rhine Valley from Bingen and Koblenz offer exquisite scenery that is a treat to the eyes. The lovely tune of ‘Die Lorelei’ is often played in the boats. The best season for a cruise is from May to September. The traffic on the Rhine is frequent so unplanned rides are also possible. The rush is high in July and August as the school vacation fall in these months. The Loreley Valley is busy with cruise boats from late March until October. The winter season sees fewer crowds except during the Christmas holidays. The longest day cruise used to be from Mainz to Köln in a Köln-Düsseldorfer boat. The eleven-hour trip is not offered currently on a single day. A small number of boats are available from Frankfurt am Main to the Rhine River. However, transportation from Frankfurt to the Rhine Valley is available via trains. There are several boating services available from the Middle Rhine. A number of day cruises are available from Cologne and Bonn. The cruise from Rüdesheim or Bingen which takes 90 minutes downstream is another favorable option for a day trip. Downstream cruises are much faster than upstream. Mainz to Koblenz takes about 5 hours 30 minutes while the upstream cruise takes three hours more.
The incredible beauty of the Lorelei and the Rhine has significantly influenced poets, artists, and writers. The Lorelei was marked as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002.