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Der Begleittext von George Plate VII 1873 lautet:

Plate VII Berncastel - The Church and the School.
Descending the river from Trier, we find the scenery pleasing and the country hilly, compared with the Upper Mosel; hut as the famous smelling furnaces of Quint come in view, tall chimneys and much smoke make an unpleasant interruption. The much esteemed iron which is so abundant in the surrounding country, has given a rich red colour to the Mosel banks throughout this district. As we reach Neumagen, Pisport, and Mulheim, we begin to realise the beauty of the river; but, with our penchant for old buildings, we are not tempted to disembark till Berncastel comes in sight. Here the Hundsrück mountain rises abruptly from the river; a shattered Schloss with its one remaining tower crowning the height. Vineyards climb to the very castle, and contend for foothold with the big boulders and crags of the precipitous rock. Where the mountain has yielded a little space between itself and the river, is placed the picturesque town of Berncastel.
The tower shown in our sketch is all that remains of a grand church and convent, which, but a few years since, were swept away by fire, together with many old houses. This tower, which is built of rough slag of the dark iron stone, has acquired, through age, a charming variety of colour. It rises square and straight till at its four corners it breaks out into bartizans, which are roofed with the small rounded slates that form a characteristic feature of the Rhine country. These slates, which appear in many of our etchings, are rounded and laid diagonally, thus suggesting the scales of a fish or the plumage of a bird. They are seen not only on the roofs, but over the walls, and with their varying colour and broken texture, look silver-grey in the sunlight, and of a rich deep tone in the shade.

The old building beneath the tower with a huge glare roof and angle turrets, is the parish-school; and during school-time not a child is seen in the streets. Often did we bless the Prussian system that secured to us certain hours of unmolested sketching. But when school was over, the little town swarmed with children. In answer to our expression of astonishment at the prolific population, our host said, "That is how we conquered the French." Berncastel possesses a little square, delightful in its quaint completeness. Every house round it is an old house, and each has some distinctive feature. One has an oriel window, another a curious angle turret; all have the upper storeys overhanging, with richly-carved timbers, and are finished with steep gables, and rare old finials of iron or lead. These wooden houses lean to the right and to the left, but they hold each other up, and if spared by fire will outlast most of our modern brick walls. In one corner of the square is a fountain with a curious figure of Justice at the top, and round it is some interesting metal-work.
Never, even in Nuremburg, have we seemed so to live in the past, as during our stay in this little town. No new buildings or modern costumes disturb the antique impression. Once entering the square at twilight when the gables rose dark against the sky, and lamps flickered here and there through the lattice panes, as we peeped through a tavern window some burghers were singing over their wine, and we could fancy we had before us a living Teniers or Ostade.
The steamer which left us at Berncastel was the last of the season, for in the hot weather the Mosel (above Cochem) becomes too dry for navigation. These steamers have no resemblance to those of the Rhine, but are dirty, busy, little boats, carrying the necessaries of life to the small towns that are yet spared the railway whistle. To illustrate the importance of these boats, we may mention that during our stay at Berncastel there was no beer in the place, a concert having been given at which it had all been consumed. The steamer to which the town trusted for a supply had been untimely stopped. There was yet the Mosel wine to fall back upon.

[George]

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