Rhine Valley

Travel tips you can trust

Why the
Rhine Valley
in Germany is special

The upper-middle Rhine Valley is dotted with medieval castles and villages - and its tall, steep hillsides are blanketed with forests and vineyards. It's a romantic landscape.

Rhine Valley
tips and insights

Best section

The Rhine River is quite long, but the 65 kilometer (40 mile) stretch between the towns of Rudesheim (or Bingen) and Koblenz is its sightseeing splendor. This section boasts the world's densest concentration of medieval castles.

Castles

Dozens of castles were built because the Rhine River was (and continues to be) a major Central European trade route. Feudal rulers needed castles to protect their territory.

Rhine's most
famous landmark

It's the 130 meter (430 foot) high Lorelei rock. Legend tells us that a beautiful siren sat on top and sang. When sailors riveted their eyes on her rather than on the treacherous current and rocks below, they shipwrecked their boats and drowned.

Rhine cruise tips

Learn valuable cruising advice in my website's river cruise section. Rhine cruise