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***image1***Saturday, for the 51st time, towns and villages along the Middle Rhine hold their annual event called “Rhine Aflame.”
Every year, this summer fest takes place the second weekend in August and lures about 500,000 visitors to the banks, and about 40,000 people can watch the spectacle from ships cruising up and down the Rhine River.
Between Spay and Koblenz, for a distance of 17 kilometers, there will be illuminations and fireworks displays. At 9:30 p.m., a convoy of about 80 ships starts traveling downstream from Spay to Koblenz. They pass river banks, romantic framework houses and castles plunged into Bengal lights.
Eight fireworks displays are lit between 9:30 and 11 p.m. from different locations to include Marksburg Castle near Braubach, the towns of Rhens and Lahnstein and Stolzenfels Palace near Koblenz.
The final fireworks display starts at around 11 p.m. from Ehrenbreitstein Fortress right across from the “Deutsche Eck,” German corner. The background music is presented under the event motto “Knights, Romans, Romanticists,” with melodies from “Ben Hur,” “Cleopatra” and “Gladiator.”
This biggest and oldest fireworks display has a long tradition in the garrison town of Koblenz. In 1776, a fireworks display honored Elector Johann Philip von Walderdorff, who lived in Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein. Light balls, musketeer shoots and air signals were part of the show, which was crowned with 12 cannon shots.
The participating towns of Koblenz, Lahnstein, Braubach, Rhens, Brey and Spay offer entertaining programs including music, dancing, wine fests, water ski performances and guided tours.
Musical performances on stage start at 7 p.m. today.
Saturday, food booths open at noon and the entertaining program starts at 2:30 p.m.
For details, call the Tourist Information in Koblenz at 0261-915200, visit www. rlp-info.de or www.koblenz-touristik.de.
