Rhine On Flame

Copied From The US Overseas Military Portal

"During the summer months, Germany offers a fascinating, unforgettable display of fire, water and light, all set in the majestic landscapes of the Rhine River. The Rhine, Europe`s busiest waterway, flows 820 miles from its source high in the Swiss Alps through Germany and northward to its North Sea outlet in The Netherlands. The Rhine has carved a beautiful 90-mile gorge from the German villages of Bingen to Bonn. This area is popular because of its splendid castles on the rocky heights of the river and its superb vineyards. Throughout the spring and summer months, villages in these areas host many wine festivals and Rhine A Flame events. During the Rhine A Flames, villages, parading ships, spectators and the river are illuminated by dramatic pyrotechnic shows. Under the colorful explosions sparkling in the sky, the towns, fortresses, palaces, and castles glow in the red light of Bengal lights (a type of firework that burns with a brilliant, sustained light) creating a ‘ burning’ effect. The Rhine A Flame festivities begin in May and last through September.

The Night of Bengal Lights at Bonn is on the first Saturday in May (5th for 2001). From Linz to Bonn, the Rhine`s historic buildings are illuminated with 2,000 red Bengal lights as a fleet of 60 ships sails along the 16-mile stretch of the river. During the weekend, each town along the way hosts celebrations from festivals on the riverbanks to music and dance programs. The Night of Magic Fire at Bingen / Rüdeshem is on the first Saturday in July (7th for 2001). Bingen, Trechtingshausen, Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen light up their castles and churches with Bengal fire. The Mouse Tower on its island in the river is illuminated, as is the Niederwald Monument and its vineyards high over Rüdesheim. Spectacular fireworks displays are launched from the castles Reichenstein and Rheinstein and the cities of Assmanshausen, Bingen and Ruesdesheim as a light parade of 50 ships sails past. Information can be obtained at Binger Loch, between Trechtingshausen, Assmannshausen, Bingen and Rudesheim.

The Rhine in Flames in Koblenz, the “Mega Night,” is on the second Saturday in August (11th for 2001). Koblenz currently claims the largest and the very first "Rhine in Flames" which took place in 1766. A fireworks show was put on in honor of the prince elector Johann Phillip von Walderdorff. The name of the show was coined in the 1920s by tourist promoters and revived after World War II. The current spectacle dates from 1956 when the Rheinland-Pfalz Tourist Office undertook the promotion. From Spay / Braubach to Koblenz, six towns along the Rhine "burn" as a flotilla of 80 ships sails past. The convoy sails 10 miles down the Rhine, past the "burning" buildings while multi-colored rockets from eight fireworks shows light up the sky. Around 30,000 people watch from the ships and another 500,000 line the shores. The high point of the evening comes when the fleet reaches the German Corner in Koblenz. Ehrenbreitstein, the enormous fortress above the convergence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers, is "set afire" with Bengal lights as a huge fireworks presentation sparkles overhead. Information can be obtained at Koblenz, Coblence.

The Night of 1,000 Fires is on the second Saturday in September (8th for 2001). Festivities are centered on Oberwesel, a town noted for its wine, and the Lorelei cliffs. Forty Rhine steamers will sail from St. Goar along the 4-mile stretch to Oberwesel. The “Symphony of Fire,” a pyrotechnic display synchronized to music, greets the flotilla as it sails past the Lorelei, the legendary rock at the deepest and narrowest point on the Rhine. The procession continues to Oberwesel, where the medieval town with its 16 towers on its ramparts will be bathed in light. Information can be obtained at Boat parade and the Oberwesel am Main website.

Lorelei Night is on the third Saturday in September (15th for 2001). The festivities focus around the sister towns of St. Goar and St. Goarshausen that face each other across the river. This is the last Rhine in Flames of the season. The "fires" illuminate their three castles, the Rheinfels, Katz and Maus. Seventy ships filled with visitors witness five big fireworks displays from the St. Goar harbor, from the Katz and Rheinfels castles and from the middle of the Rhine at each end of the convoy of ships. Information can be obtained at the St. Goar website.

Information, schedules, and maps about all of the fireworks displays on the Rhine River can be obtained by visiting the Fireworks on the Rhine River website. The exploding firecrackers and brilliant cascades of light on the Rhine River create unforgettable impressions of the most beautiful spectacle offered during Germany`s summer nights, the Rhine A Flame.