Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-15
EUROPEAN LETTER.
A RICHMOND NAN IN THE RHINE
COUNTRY.
A Famous Little watering-Place = The
Guests Beautiful Scenery
Ruins.
correspondence ofthe Richmond Dispatch

trip through the Rhine country has moi
| noticed so small . place as Kreuznach
| it may still be interesting to hear some
| thing Of this famous little watering.
place, ten miles from Bingen-on-the'
Rhine, and equally If not more inter
esting in situation and scenery thar
many of the better-known places on the
larger river.
Krsuznach itself, little town on the
Maize, Of about fifteen thousand inhabi.
tants, is of little interest, except for the
old stone bridge which connects the two
halves Of the town, and which is said
| to be of Roman origin. Much Of its
| picturesqueness is gotten from the Gu
rious little two-story frame houses built
otit on the piers on either side, and sup
ported above the water by pieces Of
timber projecting at considerable
angle from midway Of the pier between
the water and the level of the bridge.
From their very unsafe appearance one
would suppose they would fall into the
water below with the slightest puff oil
air. or be floated off with the least rise
of the water, but they have been stand
ing there as they are now for longer
time than one is able to state definitely.
Coming down from the bridge, at the
little island across which it passes we
reach the Curhausstrasse, broad,
shady street about half mile long and
the principal street Of Bad Kreuznach.
Bad Kreuznach is famous for its salt
springs, the waters Of which are pre-
scribed in nervous aud other diseases,
and is each year visited by from five to
seven thousand guests, composed Of all
nationalities, and among them often
many Americans. The predomi-
nant nationality, however, seems
to be French. The French come
in great numbers, and seem not to have
forgotten the virtues of the place, al
though it was taken from them so
roughly by people against whom
their actions now show so great bitter
ness of feeling. The English, also,
have quite a large representation, aud
they succeed in holding to their uni
yersal national reputation, for only
exceptionally will they board out
side of the hotel Oranienhof,"
whose lawn is profaned by the
step of one Of another nationality, al
though it is sometimes allowed an
American, who, in the course Of time,
has acquired tolerably good command
Of English, to be received among them.
They show much taste, however, in the
selection Of their boarding-place, for
the handsome building, with its beauti-
full park, is one Of the prettiest and
most attractive points at the bath.
Following the Curhausstrasse " we
pass the principal shops, restaurants,
hotels, and boarding houses, and reach
at the end the " Curgarten " or park,
which is the centre of all life and gaiety.
This beautifully laid-otf park of about
fifteen or twenty acres, occupying the
lower end of the island and containing
the Curhaus," a simple three.story
succeed brick building, with deep,
iron-covered terrace in front, and con-
tanning about sixty lodging-rooms,
besides the bather, aud, on the
first floor, the large dining-hall
and restaurant, which is also used
for balls, concerts, and other entertain.
ments. On the terrace, where refresh
ments are served, and before it, the
guests sit or promenade during the
concerts which are given twice day
from a splendid music-stand about
twenty yards off, From the space be-
tween the music-stand and the Coz
haus" one enters the " Wandelbahn,"
or recovered walkway which leads through
the park to the extreme end, where
is situated the Elizabeth Spring,
the waters of which are drank
twice o day as part Of the cure. The
water rises very curiously from large
porphyry rock which itself comes d.
rectly up from the river. The river
here divides. From this point is
view CT the Maize, for a mile or more
completely shut in by steep and rocky
mountains covered with the vineyards,
which yield the best Maize wines.
There are few points on the Rhine
that equal this view, and it is
not easy to recall more than one
that excels 1.-THE Lurle" between
Biugen and Coblentz. The rocky cliffs
rise hundreds of feet perpendiculsrly
from the river, and, in many places, the
solid stone had to be cut away for the
carriage road, which is sometimes al
most entirely covered by the overhang-
ing rocks. Following the river through
this narrow gorge, we reach in about
half an hour the similar little bathing
place Of Munster am Stein, opposite
which rises the "Rheingrafenstein per-
pendicularly from the river four hum
bred and fifty feet, having on the top
the ruins of the old castle of the
Rhenish counts, which was blown up
by the French. Towering above this
two hundred and fifty feet higher is
the 4" Cans mountain, from which one
has a view from the National monu-
ment, opposite BingeD, to an equal
distance up the Maize Valley, which
begins to broaden here. The three
old ruins of Rheingrafensteiu,"
"Altenbaumberg," and "Ehernberg"
are all in full view, and one can
count as many as twenty-five peasant
villages. A little up the river and OPP
posite is the Rothenfels, a perpendicu-
lar cliff nine hundred feet high, from
which there is also magnificent view.
The walks from Kreuznach over the
mountain paths and through the forest
are nowhere to be surpassed for beau.
ty, and a lover Of grand scenery will
here find granduer and views as mag
nifcent as any out of Switzerland.
JACK HoRNER.