SECTION III. THE RHINE FROM MAYENCE TO STRASBURG AND BASLE. FRANKFURT. HESSE - DARMSTADT. NASSAU. BAVARIA. BADEN. ROUTE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION.-54. Moncy.—55. Posting. PAGE ROUTE RHENISH 223 226 Mayence to 226 227 108. 100. Vale of the Nahe-Bingen to Kreuznach and Saarbrück 100a. Saarbrück to Treves 101. Mayence to Metz 107. To Strasburg, from the Baden- Offenburg to Schaffhausen and PAGE 231 240 267 270 § 54. MONEY. In Nassau, Baden, Darmstadt, Frankfurt, &c., accounts are kept in Florins or Gulden. 1 Florin (=1s. 8d.), contains 60 kreutzers. 3 kr. The States of Southern and Western Germany, including Bavaria, Würtemberg, Baden, Hesse, and Frankfurt, have recently combined to issue a uniform coinage. (See § 32.) Formerly the florin was an imaginary coin, and did not exist as a piece of money. The name zwanziger properly applies to Austria alone, where this coin goes for 20 kreutzers, and bears upon it the figure 20, the zwanziger or zehner passes for 10, and the for 5 kreutzers; while in Bavaria and Würtemberg the same coins pass respectively for 24, 12, and 6 kr. Value of foreign coins in florins and kreutzers : Brabant dollars (originally struck by the Emperor of Austria in the Low Countries) are a very common coin, current without loss throughout S. Germany. The table (A) at the beginning of this volume for reducing them into florins and kreutzers may be found useful. The postmaster in Mayence is authorised to charge 52 kr. for each horse per post. Baden 1 30 36 45 1 10 The charges for horses vary from time to time with the price of forage. The charge for barriers ceases on entering this duchy. The usual rate of travelling is a post in 1 to 1 h. when the road is not very hilly. The distances to all the adjoining post stations are hung up in front of every posthouse. [B. & R.] M Travellers usually pay the postilion 1 fl. for 2 horses per post, which is quite enough. On some roads 1 fl. 12 kr. (3 zwanzigers) is given, which is high pay. N.B. An extra charge of 30 kr. per post is made by the postmaster when a postboy, driving only 2 horses, is obliged to ride, and cannot sit on the box of the carriage. A light open carriage, holding 4 without heavy baggage, may be drawn by 2 horses a heavy trunk counts as one person. A postchaise or calèche costs from 50 kr. to 1 fl. a post. The Wagenmeister, when entitled to be paid separately, usually receives 12 kr., and 12 more when he greases the wheels. Charges at Inns:-Rooms on 1st floor, 1 fl. to 1 fl. 12 kr.; 2nd or 3rd floor, 36 kr.; table-d'hôte, 48 kr. to 1 fl. 12 kr.; bottle of wine, 18 kr.; breakfast (coffee or tea, with bread and butter), 20 kr. ROUTE 95. ROUTES. THE BATHS AND BRUNNEN OF NASSAU. 14 Germ. m. 64 Eng. m. Schnellpost, as far as Wiesbaden (whence a railroad runs to Frankfurt), every day, in 8 hrs. To Ems, omnibus 4 or 5 times a-day in the season. The new road from Coblenz to Ems avoids the high hills, laboriously surmounted by the old road, and follows the rt. bank of the Rhine, passing orchards and vineyards, to NiederLahnstein (p. 157), at the mouth of the Lahn; and thence up its rt. bank through the village of Nievern, Ahl, and the iron-works of Hohenrain. The distance is nearly 12 m., a most agreeable drive of 2 hrs. through varied and beautiful scenery. There is a footpath over the hills by Arxheim and Fachbach, a walk of 2 hrs. -difficult to find without a guide. 8 fl. a day. A good room may be had for 1 f. 30 kr.: the price of every room is painted on the door. There is a restaurateur attached to the house, and a daily table-d'hôte at 1, which, however, is not so good as that at some other inns. Those who intend to take up their lodgings in the Bath-house apply on their arrival to the Bad-, or Hausmeister, a species of steward, who has the charge of the establishment, and of the letting of the rooms, and who gives every information respecting vacancies and prices. The rent of the rooms returns a considerable annual revenue to the Duke of Nassau.-H. d'Angleterre, a very comfortable house for families, but dear; table-d'hôte at 1, 54 kr.; at 3, 1 fl. 30 kr. H. de Russie; good. Darmstädter Hof (Post). Fürstenhof. - Baierischer Hof, in the Obere Allée, remote from the bustle, and recommended as a lodging-house.-H. T. There is a table-d'hôte at 1 in all the hotels, in the Kurhaus and Kursaal, and also one at 4 P.M. at the Kursaal and H. d'Angleterre and de Russie, chiefly for the English, and more expensive in consequence. -Britannia, formerly Mainzer Haus, on the 1. bank of the Lahn, a quiet lodging house. - Die Vier Thürme (Four Towers); same landlord as H. d'Angleterre. Die Vier Jahrszeiten- Panorama, new - and good, on the S. side of the river, and therefore preferable in hot weather. The Burg Nassau, next door to the H. d'Angleterre, is recommended as a lodging-house. The houses on the 1. bank of the Lahn are cheaper and quieter than those on the rt. The watering-place (§ 41) Ems is very prettily situated on the rt. bank of the Lahn, hemmed in between it and the cliffs of the Bäderlei, which recede from the water's edge only far enough to allow room for a row of houses. It is neither town nor village, but a collection of lodging-houses, with the Kurhaus in the midst. In front of them runs the high road, and between it and the river a long narrow strip of garden, forming a sort of terrace by the river-side, and serving as a promenade for the guests. A band of Bohemian musicians, who repair hither every year, plays here during the season from 7 to 8 A.M., and from 6 to 8 P.M., to the tune of whose instruments the guests digest their potations of spawater. Six o'clock in the afternoon is the hour at which Ems appears in full glory all the world is then abroad, the promenade is crowded with visitors of all nations, and some of the highest rank, in the gayest costume. Those who are ambitious to extend their walks beyond this, unless they confine themselves to the borders of the beautiful Lahn, must begin immediately to ascend, so near at hand are the hills. Close to the little bridge of boats, and along both sides of the river, squadrons of donkeys are posted with their drivers, ever on the alert for employers. By their assistance every visitor, male or female, however feeble and lazy, has the means of scaling the wooded and vine-clad heights, and of exploring the really beautiful scenery with which the neighbourhood abounds. Every donkey is numbered; and on fine afternoons the asses of reputation, strength, and beauty, being in great request, are usually engaged beforehand, and quickly marched off the field. Many persons, therefore, retain a particular number, which they know to be good, for the period of their stay at the baths. The hire of a donkey is 40 kr. an hour; but it is better to engage the animal for the excursion according to the terms of a printed tariff hung up in the lower hall of the Alte Kurhaus, which fixes the charges for all the usual excursions around Ems, whether made on horses or asses, or in carriages. Ems is hot in summer, from being so shut in with hills; but the woods around afford shade, and in a quarter of an hour the tops of the hills may be scaled, whence the rambler may enjoy the purest breezes and the most expanded views over the Rheinland. The rich woods which cover the sides of the vale of the Lahn, and the verdant pastures which form its banks, give Ems a more pleasing aspect than Schwalbach, which is surrounded by naked round-backed hills, with few trees upon them. Ems, it is true, cannot compete with Wiesbaden in gaiety, in the splendour of its assemblyrooms, and the extent of its public walks; but the very splendid New Kursaal, built by the Grand Duke, at the side of the Lahn, contains a café; gambling-rooms, provided with hazardtables, open from 11 to 1, and 3 to 10; and a ball-room, supported on marble columns, in which weekly balls are given. It is open at all times, gratuitously to strangers, and 75,000 fl. are lost here annually by play! The interior, though gorgeous, is in very bad taste. Immediately under the Old Kurhaus rise 2 of the principal Springs, the waters of which are used for drinking, and likewise supply the baths. The ground-floor of the building is a large vaulted gloomy hall, which serves at the same time as pump-room and place of promenade for the guests in wet weather. The chief source is the Kesselbrunnen (116° Fahr.), and within a space railed off around it stand young girls (Brunnen Mädchen) to distribute the water to the drinkers, giving to each one his or her own peculiar glass. During the season both sides are occupied by itinerant shopkeepers from all parts of the Continent, who here display their wares in a sort of bazaar. There are hardly any other shops in the place. In the lower story of this building are also situated the Baths--price 18 kr. for the common (Rondel), 36 kr., 1 fl., to 1 fl. 30 kr. for the better class. Douche Baths (i. e. a stream of water descending from a height upon some part of the body), 48 kr. The attendants are entitled by the tariff to 6 kr. trinkgeld for each bath, but this sum is now added on to the price of the bath. The Douchemeister gets 12 kr. Tickets for a certain number of baths are purchased beforehand from the Badmeister, who fixes the hour for taking them, which should be punctually kept, or the bather may lose his turn. (H. T.) The attendants are not permitted to receive the money for the bath, nor to allow any one to bathe without a ticket. There are other baths in the Steinerne Haus and Vier Thürme. The waters of Ems were known as early as the time of the Romans, who called the place Embasis. They are warm, and are furnished by 2 springs, having respectively a temperature of 23 and 37° Réaumur. They are agreeable to the palate and easy of digestion. The springs rise out of the grauwacke rock, which forms the substratum of the surrounding hill. There are many other springs here besides those which supply the baths; some on the 1. bank of the Lahn, and others rising up in the middle of the Lahn itself, which at these places is used as a horse-bath. Many jets of gas also emanate out of the bed of the stream; and one of them is so copious in carbonic vapours as to destroy life in animals held over it, in the same manner as the famous Grotto del Cane in Italy. The waters are taken in the morning before breakfast, and after dinner. From 3 to 6 goblets in the early part of the day, and 1 or 2 in the afternoon, are the usual allowance. Nearly everybody, high or low, dines here at the table-d'hôte; the dinner hour is 1 o'clock; after which the company adjourn and take coffee on the walks, listening to the music, or amusing themselves in walking or riding. There is music for 1 h. morning and evening-the time varies according to the season. Ems seems essentially a ladies' watering-place it is much frequented by the fair sex, and its waters are considered peculiarly efficacious in the complaints of females. It is on the whole a quiet place; little or no raking goes on here; but dear. The public gaming-tables are not much frequented. Another of the amusements which this place affords is the sport of roebuck-shooting in the Duke's preserves; it is easy to purchase a permission from parties who rent a portion of them. The society at Ems is usually considered more select than that at Schwalbach, Wiesbaden, or even Baden-Baden. The season begins in May, and is generally over by the middle of September. There were 4500 visitors here in 1845, while 17 years before there were but 1560. Dr. Vogler is highly spoken of by those whom he has attended. Dr. Soest, a physician of considerable practice at Coblenz, who speaks English, comes over to Ems 2 days in every week to see patients. (§ 41.) The English Ch. Service is performed on Sunday mornings at the Lutheran Ch. The walks over and among the hills near Ems, for instance, up the Bäderlei, to the Forsthaus, to the Lindenbach Valley, by the silver-smelting furnace, to the ruined castle of Sporkenburg, to Balduinstein, and in general up and down the Lahn, are very agreeable, and afford many unrivalled prospects. For short walks, you may choose the Marien- Weg, on the further side of the Lahn, or the Henrietten- Weg, and Mooshut, overlooking Ems, whence there is a fine view. Kemmenau is a fine point of view at the top of the mountain behind Ems. The Roman rampart called Pfahlgraben (described at p. 213) passes along the crest of the hills above Kemmenau, and, descending into the valley of the Lahn, crosses that river near Ems, and proceeds towards Heinrichshof. Braubach, and the Castle of Marksburg, on the Rhine, distant about 7 m., will form a pleasant day's excursion. (See p. 157. The carriage-road runs past the Forsthaus; a footpath at the back of Heinrichsbad leads through the wood to Becheln. The return to Ems |