I was in Switzerland and Germany a while back and it was very common from very early days to sail down the Rhine to Holland. We need to remember that most boats of that time were a LOT smaller. Often, people would walk around the falls or shoals and catch another boat on the other side. Before the famous Lorelei was dredged, sailors commonly gave offerings in what became St. Goar for safe passage. An Irish monk, St. Goar, in the 900's, I think - may be wrong thought it an ideal spot to set up a Christian mission. The wine industry along the Rhine commonly shipped their goods by boat and there are many towers on the river which where used for loading this cargo. There were also many lords to collect fees from travelers and merchants. We also need to remember that people were more used to walking - even if it took days to get somewhere. Before the trains were common, I imagine people used carts or horses or oxen to get wherever they needed to go. My grandfather lived in Darstetten, in Berne, way up in the mountains. They were quite poor when it was time for him to leave so he and his friend walked to Bern to catch a ride with a friend who took them halfway across France on the way to LeHavre. When he and another brother saved enough to bring the next child, they had enough for them to take the train into Bern and all the way to LeHavre. I guess they remembered their journey enough that they wanted to spare others. Hope this is helpful. marlena