Bingen am Rhein is a city known as the birthplace of St. Hildegard, mystic, religious reformer and composer revered both in the Catholic and Protestant churches. Many interesting monuments have been preserved here, including the Church of St. Martin and the Mouse Tower.
The first records of a settlement in the place of today's city come from the 4th century. Priest Aetherius founded the first Christian community here. Already in the 9th century, the first brick church was built here, the remains of which can now be seen as crypts under the 15th-century St. Martin. An equally valuable monument is the Gothic Chapel of St. Roch.
In the Middle Ages, Bingen was part of the church estate. There is a legend about the local Mouse Tower connected with the bishop of Mainz, Hatto. The bishop was said to have refused to give the local peasants the grain during the famine. This led to riots, and Hatto took refuge in the tower, his last escape. Here he was attacked by mice that ate him alive, proving that hiding the goods was useless.
The figure associated with the city is St. Hildegard of Bingen, for centuries one of the most significant women in the Catholic Church. A nun, mystic, scientist and, at the same time, a religious reformer, she made a permanent mark in the history of the church and Europe. The local museum has exhibitions dedicated to it.
Bingen's attractions include the Klopp Castle on the Rhine. Originally a gothic stronghold, it was rebuilt in the 19th century into a romantic residence, and now it houses municipal and cultural institutions. The city also has a marina for ships sailing from Cologne to Dusseldorf.
