The Bridge at Remagen

Very high on our to-do list since we moved here was the nearby Monument to Peace and Freedom, located in the pillars of the former Ludendorff Bridge, better known as: The Bridge at Remagen.

Built during WWI it stood strong until the end of WWII, achieving its fame in March 7th, 1945, when the US army captured the bridge, which had endured a previously planned destruction by the Germans, thus creating the "Miracle of Remagen" and helping end the war.

Bridge pillars and tunnel mouth

The museum is also very popular with American tourists probably due to the famous movie going by the same name. We had recently watched it and were surprised how similar the filming location in former Czechoslovakia looked compared to this area.

By the way, who needs the Italian Riviera if you can have dolce vita on the banks of the Rhine. A footpath along the river leads us to Remagen's old city core. Once founded by the Romans the town was part of the religious power play during the Middle Ages which lead to fame and wealth back then. 

Today the city is just a midsize suburbia with a somewhat nice medieval core, a Roman museum and several churches. 

Apollinaris Church

When the modern Romans a.k.a. Italians arrived in the 60s and 70s during the "German economic miracle", they brought along their excellent Italian cuisine, which we enjoyed right on the promenade by the river. Life is so good!

Ristorante Da Franco