I now understand when people say, "you're on the road to Stahleck" as you literally begin the…read moreascent hiking up the mountain (literally) to get to Stahleck Castle. We happened to be in Bacharach for the Game of Thrones Tourney, so we decided to make the journey to see the castle for ourselves.
The castle is truly the focal point of the whole town; even upon arrival from the train station, Stahleck is standing proudly to greet you. Looking at the signs pointing to the stairs, I thought, how hard could this really be? We're two average fit Americans; we'll be fine! Well! We were!
Make to bring some good hiking shoes with some good traction, and a good camera to take in some of the amazing scenery! The first initial steps up the mountain have a sturdy railing and sturdy wooden steps - nice and easy. But, as you go higher, the steps go away, and you're walking on a dirt path that I wouldn't dare walk on if it was covered in snow.
Making it to the top is definitely worth it, and the view is really impressive of all of Bacharach. We should've gotten a beer or something to celebrate making it to the top, but it was getting dark rather quickly, so we had to make our way back down again.
Go inside and get a coffee or hot chocolate before heading back to town!