Itinerary followed during this Interrail throughout Germany, Denmark and Switzerland

Cologne - Koblenz - Copenhagen - Helsingor - Hillerod - Roskilde - Berlin - Potsdam - Rhine cruise - Freiburg - Strasbourg - Black Forest - Rhine Waterfalls - Schaffhausen - Stein am Rhein - Konstanz - Zurich - Basel - Interlaken - Luzern - Zermatt - Brig - Bern - Geneva - Heidelberg - Munich - Dachau - Fussen - Nuremberg - Rothenburg (ODT) - Wurzburg - Jungfrau and Lauterbrunnen - Brienz - Geneva

We took a train from Berlin to Cologne , and the other till Boppard that stopped at Koblenz . We wanted to reach Switzerland through the Black Forest . In Boppard we bought a cruise along the Rhine until Binghen, situated to the south. The best landscapes that the river offers correspond to the Koblenz-Mainz itinerary. You can take a cruise in many villages along the river and with the selected duration. Our cruise lasted 3-4 h. and crossed the most interesting places. These cruises are not expensive, and budget travellers could afford it.
The while that we were waiting for the boat in Boppard we could appreciate its tranquillity and the charm of the walk near the river and crammed with terraces.

You will find a delicious and romantic trip riddled with villages near the river, castles on the hills, endless vineyards and narrow passes. There is a huge amount of defensive castles erected to protect from the other bank or to protect the river travellers, although these people were obliged to pay tolls. During the 16 th century the castles started to deteriorate because they were not useful anymore. They have attractive names and stories, like the mice castles, the enemy brothers castles, etc.

It is worth mentioning the Lorelei, a rock 132 m. high impregnated with legends and popular fables. Lorelei approximately means "wicked rock". At this point, the river narrows and navigators fear it, because dangerous whirlpools are formed. According to the legend, the songs and the beauty of a siren at the Lorelei made the navigators forget the danger and they sank near the rock. After the shipwreck a count sent soldiers to capture the witch. The siren left and never came back. When passing in front of the rock they put the music loud through the loudspeakers.

When we talk about narrow passes, you don't have to imagine Colorado´s canyon. Don't expect something spectacular and surprising. Only let you flow with the charming river and relax.
In addition, it is possible to know the region with a car, visiting the slopes, hills, castles and palaces, enjoying the landscapes on both sides.
When arriving to Bingen we took a train to Mainz, where we slept because it had got dark, although our desire would have been to reach Freiburg this night. As always that you arrive late to a city, if you have to search for accommodation for the same day you can be in trouble, and it is difficult to find something cheap (except for hostels, but they don't use to allow reservations), and Mainz wasn't a exception.