With plunging hills, adorable hamlets, and a surfeit of worn castle ruins, Rheinland-Pfalz is speckled with historically rich remnants of the Middle Ages. The fatal call of Lorelei sirens and the fireside folklore of Nibelung treasure echo across the dramatic landscape. The region is not without actual nourishment—the vineyards of the Rhein and Mosel valleys produce world-famous wines. The Rheinland electors once chose the kings of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Saarland’s minerals have been coveted by Germany and France for centuries.
☎ 0261 Koblenz Beautiful, quiet Koblenz (pop. 105,900) sits at the point where the Rhein and Mosel rivers meet, an occasion which led the Romans to name the city confluentes (confluence) or Deutsches ...more
Though the Rhein River runs from Switzerland all the way up to the North Sea, the Rhein of the poetic imagination exists in the 80km gorge from Bonn to just north of Mainz. Here, 12th- and 16th-century ...more
Before joining the Rhein at Koblenz, the Mosel River meanders slowly past sun-drenched hills, scenic towns, and ancient castles. The slopes don’t compare to the Rhein’s narrow gorge, but the less-touristed ...more
Stretching 85km through Germany’s most productive grape-growing region, the Weinstrasse (Wine Road) runs through to vineyards and small villages. With Palatinate vineyards producing more wine than any ...more
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