Hotel Schloss Rheinfels– This historic castle hotel offers spectacular views over the Rhine River, spacious rooms, an outdoor pool, and a spa. It had, by then, become largely Christian and from the end of the 3rd century constituted the Ancient Diocese of Orange. In the 12th century, Orange was raised to a minor principality as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire. This is the classic, yet you might be surprised to learn that the Great British public once voted the Thames their least favourite river. We disagree – it is a river you just have to visit. Finding the source of the River Eden is quite a challenge: it rises on the limestone fells high above Mallerstang Common.

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Further downstream Dartmouth Harbour is crammed with fishing boats, yachts and vessels of all kinds. The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta takes place annually in August. Halo: a Panopticon, by John Kennedy, in Haslingden, near Ramsbottom. Photograph: John Davidson Photos/Alamy If military history is your passion, it’s well worth paying a visit to the Blücher Museum in Kaub. Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher led the Prussian Army across the river in January 1814, and he would go on to fight alongside the British against Napoleon the following year. Fuling's position at the crossroads came into remarkably sharp focus when Peter Hessler arrived as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1996, marking the first time in more than half a century that the city had an American resident. He found himself teaching English and American literature at the local college, discovering how Shakespeare and other classics look when seen through the eyes of students who have been raised in the Sichuan countryside and educated in Communist Party doctrine. His students, though, are the ones who taught him about the ways of Fuling — and about the complex process of understanding that takes place when one is immersed in a radically different society. The goal of the book partly seems to be to recount the author's experience in Fuling, but mostly it seems to be aimed at telling the locals' stories inside the setting of the author's life in Fuling. Many stories are heavy with poignancy: for instance, the priest of the Fuling Catholic Church, 李海若 (Li Hǎiruò) has a beautiful innocence and a poignant past. [3] Moving stories are also those of some of his students, who came from deprived peasant homes in Sichuan countryside and tried to deal with a tough schooling system. Some of his students (mostly women) had abortions or committed suicide. [4] The author manages to go over the "unemotional veneer" that the Chinese presented to the outside world and discover real China.The town features several historic monuments including the 12th century priory and the church of St Peter. Although it was renovated in the 18th century, today it is in a prolonged state of disrepair. The building is no longer used and is unfortunately inaccessible to the public. The 15th century church of Saint-Saturin, however, is the current parish church. Its interior was completely restored in 2008-2009 and the entrance presents an interesting Gothic portal. The beautiful tall bell tower contains three bells, one of which weighs two tonnes! The church organ was made in 1863 by Cavaillé-Coll, a well-known family of organ makers. Fun fact: in 2012, Richmond was a winner of Outside’s Best River Towns in America contest, conducted via a partnership with American Rivers. Less than 30 minutes by rail from both Edinburgh and Glasgow, the small and picturesque town of Linlithgow is a winsome spot for exploring a side of Scotland away from the Highlands. Here hikes follow the Linlithgow Canal, the river Avon and circumnavigate the town loch, which only takes an hour. The River Severn is the longest river in the UK. It’s also the river that has the second highest tidal range in the world (beaten only by one in Canada) which leads to a curious phenomenon called the Severn Bore. This is a China where young people don’t plan their own futures and instead await job assignments from the central planning bureaucracy. The young people follow Communist Party teachings although they now question them, and Hessler describes how fascinating it is to see how this affects their interpretations of American and English writings. The students teach Hessler more about China and the realities of rural life than he can ever teach them about literature.

The Most Beautiful Small Towns in the U.K. - Condé Nast Traveler The Most Beautiful Small Towns in the U.K. - Condé Nast Traveler

Most interesting of all is the way in which Hessler and his friends gradually infiltrated the local traditions and way of life. It took time and patience but a polite determination to learn the language and self depreciating humour allowed him a view point that few other short term visitors would get. Kaub is one of the smaller Rhine River towns. It’s basically one long street with a Castle at either end – Schloss Pfalzgrafenstein on an island in the river, and Burg Gutenfels on a hill above. The view across the river to St Goarshausen and Burg Katz is fantastic. It’s one of the best bars on the Rhine that we found, well worth a stop. Visit the Stiftskirche The medieval Stiftskirche 15th century frescoes in a ceiling vault in the StiftskircheI also recommend a wander up the hill to the Gunderodehaus, a winery and restaurant with an outstanding view over the river Rhine and the town. The house was used for part of the Heimat 3 German TV series, and has subsequently been moved to this amazing hilltop location. Pfalzgrafenstein Castle, the white Baroque island fortress, is one of the most famous landmarks in Germany. It looks fantastic from either bank of the river, one of the most picturesque castles along the River Rhine. This river is the third longest river in the UK. Rising on Biddulph Moor in Staffordshire, it meanders through the Midlands before emptying out between Hull and Immingham on the North Sea coast. Good to know – Boppard is one of the livelier Rhine river towns, with plenty of restaurants around the Altstadt and along the riverside promenade. Located on the banks of the Ocmulgee River, one of the most fascinating parts of Macon is the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Here you can learn about thousands of years of human life in the area, and the important role that the Ocmulgee River has played in history. The park and the river serve as wonderful learning opportunities for residents and visitors alike. As a bonus, the area is also home to beautiful walking trails, and recreation like kayaking or wildlife spotting is popular on the river.

River Town by Peter Hessler: Summary and reviews - BookBrowse

Marksburg Castle is one of the outstanding castles in Germany, and one of the best three castles on the Rhine (along with Rheinfels and Rheinstein) to visit. Time Needed– A few hours, perhaps half a day, is ample. 5. Oberwesel The Liebfrauenkirche is one of the main landmarks of OberweselOne of Scotland’s oldest towns, Forres, 25 miles north-east of Inverness and almost on the Moray Firth, is as lovely and off-radar as they come. A creative streak runs through it, with galleries and craft shops adding interest to the centre, and a little way north you can walk around the bay of Findhorn to the splendid fishing village of the same name for seafood, a long sandy beach and handmade ceramics at the Findhorn Pottery. There is also a large park at the top of the cliff, which you can access by car by following g the L338 from St Goarshausen. There’s a large music and performance area, a culture park, several superb viewpoints and trails to explore. Take The Ferry to St Goarshausen The ferry to St Goarshausen Cyclists on board the ferry There’s no need to go all the way up to Kerkertser Platte – the best views of the Castle and Braubach are around ¾ of the way up.

Rivers: The 20 Most Breathtakingly Gorgeous England Rivers: The 20 Most Breathtakingly Gorgeous

By 725, the Saracens had conquered the whole of the Visigothic territory including Nîmes. The Muslim government lasted until 752, when the Frankish king Pepin the Short captured the city, but by then, Nîmes was only a shadow of the opulent Roman city it had been. In addition to this legacy of conservation, the Cuyahoga River offers recreation such as paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Neither is open for guided visits, but you can stay at either, and both also have cafes where you can enjoy a drink or meal. They are above the village of Kamp-Bornhofen, but the best view of them is from across the river in the village of Bad Salzig. 9. Braubach The view of Marksburg from below the Kerkertser Platte Its story revolves around the transportation of goods on the river, and barging is a tradition which continues to this day in the village. People from St-Étienne-des-Sorts are known as Stephanois, and built traditional boats called “sapines”, which only needed three or four crew. The villagers made use of the natural resources found in and around the town, transporting the trunks of poplars and other trees up to the sawmills of Avignon, as well as stones taken from quarries, which were used to reinforce the riverbanks. This commerce reached its peak in the early 1880s, when up to 20 boats a day would leave for Avignon, crewed by the men and boys from the village.

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Fuling, Sichuan, is part of the Chongqing municipality. Hessler first visits Fuling on a Peace Corps teaching assignment in 1996, and it’s during this time that he journals what life in Fuling is like. Fuling is a small city close to the Yangtze River and is known for a quiet, rural way of life. Like the rest of China, Fuling is undergoing many changes, and Hessler’s book explores the tensions between remaining true to the past and fear for the future. Further along its course, it’s a completely different scenario as the river hugs the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway on its way to Carlisle and the Solway Firth. Interestingly, the Eden is one of the few large rivers in England that flows northwards. The East Lyn River rises inland on Exmoor before winding its way towards the coast at pretty Lynmouth. This is undoubtedly one of the best rivers anywhere in the West Country. Hotel an der Fähre–Great location on the river, excellent value for money St Goar – Final Thoughts Sankt Goar from the river Admire the superb medieval architecture throughout the town. There are some extraordinary half-timbered buildings, including the Klunkhardshof and Brömserhof.