It would simply be wrong to see the numerous ferries on the Rhine purely as a method of transport. They are a real institution and as much a part of life in the Rhine Valley as the castles and wine. They have a long tradition of their own, with ferrymen working on the Rhine as far back as the Middle Ages. The depths and rocky outcrops along the river were once treacherous and only someone who knew the river well could get his passengers to the other side safe and dry. Great skill and experience is still required today, as the ferries are lined up along one of Europe's busiest stretches of water. The Rhine is still an important waterway with an established reputation as a major transport route. Riverboats and ferries not only have nostalgic appeal, they are a part of everyday life on the Rhine. Bridges are few and far between here and most of them are in the region around Koblenz. Yet, up and down the river, you are guaranteed to find a ferry. Ferries are also the subject of the "Festival of the flying bridge" between the neighbouring towns of St. Goar and St. Goarshausen. The Easter tradition associated with the ferry known as the "Flying Bridge" goes back to the time when the first ferries were pulled across the Rhine on ropes between St. Goar and St. Goarshausen: at Easter the passengers gave the ferryman an egg for the crossing instead of a coin.