The answer is plain to see on this stretch of the river between Bingen in the south and Remagen in the north, which has lost none of the romance that so captivated the travellers of more than 200 years ago. It is a river valley straight out of a picture book, with precipitous cliffs, steep vineyards, a castle perched on virtually every hilltop and pretty villages lining the river banks on either side.
Myths and legends abound here, such as the story of Loreley, the beautiful siren of the rocks, the feuding brothers, the Mouse Tower at Bingen or the seven proud maidens of Oberwesel. The scenery is the stuff of dreams and villages and towns like Bacharach, Boppard, St. Goar and Linz epitomise the charm of this remarkable area with its rich cultural heritage. UNESCO has recognised the importance of the region by designating the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, the home of Loreley, a World Heritage area.
Koblenz has two dominant features - the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle and imposing Ehrenbreitstein fortress. Between the two lies Deutsches Eck (German Corner) from where it is only a stone's throw to the beautiful old quarter with its narrow winding streets.
A riverboat cruise along the Middle Rhine makes a lasting impression. Sipping a glass of wine from the vineyards you are passing, enjoying the sunshine on the boat's upper deck and admiring Pfalzgrafenstein Castle on an island in the river, you'll know what is special about the Rhine.
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Sorry for not having answered earlier. Yes, it seems to me that your plans are too ambitious especially as Mehring is far down the Mosel valley. I would suggest you either decide for a boat trip and skip at least one of the castle visits, or to make the three castles by car:
Drive from the airport to Reichenstein castle where you have your first stop and visit. Then drive along the Rhine to Bacharach with an optional stop and further on the St. Goar where you have lunch at Rheinfels castle which is also a hotel/restaurant with a great view to the Loreley rock. Drive on the Boppard, where you take the ferry to the other side of the river. Drive to Braubach and visit Marksburg castle. Check with the country inn “Zum Weissen Schwanen” at Braubach, www.zum-weissen-schwanen.de if they have a room available. The hotel is beautiful!
The next day, take the ferry again to cross the river, then cross the Hunsrück hills to drive down to the Mosel valley afterwards. Follow the Mosel to Mehring. Please keep in mind that it takes a lot of time to drive next to the Mosel due to its numerous slopes. But the tour is great, you will discover the landscape perfectly. You could stop at Bernkastel-Kues for lunchtime for example.
Have a great trip,
Ute
I wrote you yesterday but forgot to leave my email address.
My wife and I will make a trip to Germany in late Sept. We will fly in Frankfurt around 7AM and pick up a rental car, drive directly towards the Rhine Valley.
We plan to spend two days visiting the Rhine Valley and Mosel Valley. On the first day, we would like to take a round trip boat tour between Bacharach and St. Goar, visit Reichenstein, Rheinfels, and Marksburg castles. Is it too much for our first day, with possible jet lag symptoms?
We originally planned to stay two nights in a vineyard guest house in Mehring, but wonder now if we should find a place (recommendation appreciated) to stay after the first day in the Rhine Valley and drive south visiting Mosel Valley next day ending in Mehring?
Driving up Rhine Valley, which side of the river has better photo opportunities?
Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
yuan
We will arrive in Frankfurt at 7 AM, pick up a rental car, and drive directly towards the Rhine Valley. We plan to take a boat ride between Bacharach and St. Goar, visit Reichenstein, Rheinfels, and Marksburg castls, then head to a vineyard guesthouse in Mehring. Next day, we will drive downstream visiting the Mosel Valley and back to Mehring for another night. Do you think our first day plan is too ambitious? Should we spent the first night somewhere (recommendation appreciated) before Mehring and drive upstream next day?
Thank you for your comment. For giving you detailed advice it would be good to know if you are going to rent a car or if you would like to travel by public transport? Probably you could also give me your ages and special interests so that I can search the most interesting attractions for you.
Best regards,
Ute
My boyfriend and I are planning on spending 7 days in Germany. We fly into Frankfurt Hahn and then fly back out of Cologne. What would you recommend as the must sees and how long should we spend in each area? We would also consider heading to Amsterdam for an overnight stay.
Any tips are greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.
Have a great trip! Ute
cheers,ahmer
Thank you for visiting our website! The Rhine and Moselle valleys are not far from Frankfurt-Hahn airport. I would suggest you to hire a car and to either drive to Bacharach and Oberwesel in the Rhine valley (40 min. drive) or to Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach in the Moselle valley (30 min. drive). Have a good time!
Ute
Thank you for getting in contact. Places that you shouldn't miss during your tour are - on the left side of the Rhine - Boppard, with its impressive Rhine promenade, Oberwesel, with its town hall and medieval market place and Bacharach. For your hiking tour, you will probably try the Rheinsteig which is very spectacular but also challenging. You could start with a shorter daytrip from Rüdesheim (take the cable car up to the Niederwald monument) and start your walking tour from there to Assmannshausen. Take the boat back to Rüdesheim. This is a nice round trip which is not too difficult and a great combination with the boat trip. For your overnight stays I would recommend you the Hotel Zum Grünen Kranz at Rüdesheim (number 17 on our "Accommodation" map) or the Weinhaus Weiler at Oberwesel (number 14). I will send you the links also via email.
Have a nice planning time and a great trip.
Ute