October 13, 2022 Spent an afternoon in Remagen , famous for being the site of the Ludendorff Bridge.

Nothing better than a good German breakfast.

There were quite a few hotel boats on the Rhine.

Vineyards above Bacharach.

The old city wall near our hotel.

The Rhine flood waters have reached into the town many times over the years.

Called “Stolpersteine”, or in English, “stumbling stones” these brass blocks record what happened to person who lived here and was victim of the Nazi. These were a short distance from our hotel.

Some serious large heads of cabbage.

The walkway along the Rhine heading towards the site of the bridge.

The towers on the east bank.

The museum is the towers on west bank. We were here before about 10 years ago.

It was an important railroad bridge over the Rhine.

Aerial photo taken during WWII.

The museum is dedicate to peace. Not all allied bombs fell near the bridge as the scene above shows. A number of civilians in Remagen lost their lives. During the day which was when the planes would bomb the bridge, most of the women and children of the town would take shelter in nearby woods.

The rooms in the tower are small but the displays are very impactful.

The capture of the bridge by the Americans was a key to shortening the war which lasted only 2 more months after the bridge was captured on March 7, 1945.

Though some of the descriptions are only in German, many are also in English. Oftentimes the photos need no descriptions to understand what they show.

Ten days after being captured the bridge finally collapsed resulting in the death of 29 American soldiers. But by that time a major beach head had been established and several temporary bridges had been erected as Allied troops and armor poured across the Rhine.

Each room has a theme.

The view across the Rhine to the towers on the other bank.

Estimated number of dead during the war.

The only remain section of the approach to the tower.

How different is the scene on the Rhine these many decades later.

There also be dragons in Germany.

Coal barge. Contrast the size of ones on the Rhine with those on the Mississippi.

By the time we heading back to Bacharach someone was hungry.

And thirsty.

Bratwurst for both of us tonight.

That is not my dessert.