Rheintal (Rhine Valley) Overview

Two different train lines (one on each bank) plod along this stretch of the Rhein. The line on the west bank runs between Koblenz and Mainz and hugs the water’s edge, providing superior views. Many choose to skip the large tourist crowds and experience the landscape by boat. The Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) Line and Bingen Rüdesheim Line cover the stretch up to five times per day.

St. Goarhausen And The Loreley Cliffs

The St. Goarshausen tourist office, Bahnhofstr. 8, hands out free maps and local listings. (☎06771 91 00; www.loreley-touristik.de. Open M-F 9am-1pm and 2-5pm, Sa 10am-noon.) The police station, Bahnhofstr. 12 (☎06771 932 70), is a few doors down. Thirty minutes up the Lorelei Cliffs, the hostel Jugendheim Loreley 1 lures travelers with its spectacular location, only to drown them in crashing waves of schoolchildren. From Rheinstr., make a left at the Marktpl. and head under the bridge. Follow the signs for the Jugendheim up into the hills. (☎06771 26 19; www.loreley-herberge.de. Sheets included. Breakfast buffet €4.50. Curfew 10pm. €12 per person for the first night, subsequent nights €9. Tent space €4.50. Singles add €5 and doubles add €3 per person; call ahead to reserve. Cash only.) To overnight close to the famed cliffs, try Campingplatz Auf der Loreley 1 . Follow signs from the Lorelei statue. (☎06771 430; www.loreley-camping.de. Warm showers included. €5 per person, €5 per tent. €3 per car, €5 per RV. Cash only.) Directly above St. Goarshausen, the dark Burg Katz (Cat Castle) stands just a few kilometers downstream from its nephew Burg Maus (Mouse Castle). Though all of Burg Katz is privately-owned and closed to sightseers, Burg Maus, at the end of a very strenuous 1hr. hike, contains an eagle and falcon court with demonstrations daily at 11am and 2:30pm (also at 4:30pm on public holidays and Su) from May to the beginning of October. If you’re lucky, you can watch falcons snatch rats off the heads of small children. (☎06771 76 69; www.burg-maus.de. €8, children €6.)

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