Loreley
One of the Rhineland's most famous and beloved attractions lies 4 km (2½ miles) south of St. Goarshausen: the steep (430-foot-high) slate cliff named after the beautiful blonde nymph Loreley from the story written in 1801 by author Clemens Brentano. Brentano drew his inspiration from the sirens of Greek mythology, and his poetic creation describes her sitting on the ledge, singing songs so lovely that sailors and fishermen were lured to their demise in the treacherous rapids. The rapids really are treacherous; the Rhine is at its narrowest here and the current the swiftest. Her tale was later retold as a ballad by poet Heinrich Heine and set to music by Friedrich Silcher at the height of the Rhine Romanticism movement in the 19th century. The haunting melody is played on the PA systems of the Rhine boats whenever the Loreley is approached.
