Dominating the north and west of Germany, the river Rhein is a major transportation route and one of Europe's busiest waterways. Near St Goarshausen, a large rock 120m above the water level marks a very narrow part of the river where the currents are strong. Rocks below the water have caused many shipping accidents here. The rock itself is said to murmur because the sounds of the currents and a small waterfall are echoed against its craggy surfaces.
Some stories have sprung up around the rock, and the most famous is the tale of the Lorelei, the story of an enchanting female associated with the rock. In the poem, the beautiful Lorelei, betrayed by her sweetheart, is accused of bewitching men and causing their death. Rather than sentence her to death, the bishop orders her to go to a nunnery. On the way there, accompanied by three knights, she comes to the Lorelei rock. She asks permission to climb it and view the Rhine once again. She does so and falls to her death; the rock still retained an echo of her name afterwards. |
| The Lorelei rock on a bend in the Rhein |
Although shipping accidents are rare nowadays they do still happen and a barge carrying 2,400 tonnes of sulphuric acid capsized on January 13, 2011 near the town of St Goarshausen.
