Trechtingshausen has turned out to be a great place for experiencing the Rhine River Valley which is now a UNESCO heritage site because of the many castles found along its banks. One of them (Rheinenstein, currently being restored and filled with 1600 hunting trophies) is a three minute walk down the street from our house here. One of the best (Rheinstein, fully restored and filled with artefacts from the generations of Wiltbergs who lived in the castle from its construction before 1190 until the mid 1800s) is a five minute drive toward Bingen (of Hildegard von…).  In fact we’ve been up and down the Rhine in our car, on bikes, and on one of the many cruise ships that share the river with even more barges. And if the barges weren’t enough, there are train tracks as well as highways on both sides of the river.