Middle Rhine Valley

[[file:Middle Rhine valley banner.jpg|1280px]] Burg Rheinstein Trechtingshausen 010-Lh - 277px|Rheinstein Castle near Trechtingshausen, look from Assmannshausen

The Rhine Valley or Middle Rhine (Mittelrhein) is the most famous section of the Rhine, running between the cities of Bingen(near Mainz) and Bonn in Germany and spanning the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. The section from Koblenz to Bingen, known as the Rhine Gorge, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire valley is often called "The Romantic Rhine".

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Cities

Karte Mittelrhein - Middle Rhine Valley Bacharach Altkölnischer Hof 682-vh - Bacharach: Altkölnischer Hof Oberwesel 707-z - Oberwesel: Haagsturm, behind the Liebfrauenkirche, on the mountain the Schönburg

• Bonn -Bad Godesberg (west), Cologne Lowland
• Königswinter (east), Cologne Lowland
• Bad Honnef (east), Cologne Lowland
• Neuwied (east)
• Bendorf (east)
• Vallendar (east)
• Koblenz (west) — where the Mosel river joins the Rhine
• Lahnstein (east)
• Braubach (east)
• Boppard (west)
• St. Goarshausen (east) — right across the river from St. Goar
• St. Goar (west) — opposite the Loreley rock
• Oberwesel (west)
• Kaub (east)
• Bacharach (west)
• Lorch am Rhein (east), Rheingau
• Trechtingshausen (west)
• Assmannshausen (east), Rheingau
• Bingen (west)
• Rüdesheim (east), Rheingau

Middle Rhine Valley Halal Explorer

Rhein-Karte - 277px|Map of the Rhine River; this Travel Guide covers the section in yellow

The Rhine Valley, where the Rhine carves its way through steep hills topped with countless castles and ruins, is one of the most famous and most heavily touristed parts of Germany. The travelling here is very easy — cruises, castles and vineyard tours by day, sampling local soft drinks at night — so it's no surprise that visitors' demographics are slanted heavily towards retirees looking for an easy break.

When to go

The peak season is definitely summer, when the hillsides are green and the cruise boats busy. In September, many inns and restaurants already start closing down for the winter, and almost all cruises end by November, starting up again in April. The autumn paints many shades of orange and brown on the trees of the valley side, while the spring bring bright green and the white of tree blossoms.

Travel to Middle Rhine Valley

The most common starting points for a tour of the Rhine Valley are Cologne, just north of Bonn, and Frankfurt, just east of Rüdesheim. Frankfurt is actually on the Main, not the Rhine itself, so the Rhine towns of Mainz and Wiesbaden also make popular starting points.

By plane

Frankfurt airport (IATA Flight Code: FRA) is the major international airport for the area. Cologne/Bonn (IATA Flight Code: CGN) has some connections from other European countries as does Hahn airport, which is the closest to the valley but without a vehicle not so accessible.

Travel by train to Middle Rhine Valley

Bonn and Mainz, and with less service, Wiesbaden via Frankfurt are the key stations into the region. Bingen and Koblenz being the largest stations with Rüdesheim being a popular stop. Frankfurt airport has two stations: A regional station (Regionalbahnhof) with local and South train services to Frankfurt and Mainz, and a long-distance station (Fernbahnhof) with direct fast-train services to Mainz, Bingen (only some trains), Koblenz, Bonn, and Cologne.

Rent a Car or Limousine in Middle Rhine Valley

The A61 is just to the west of the Middle Rhine Valley. The A3 is a little further to the east of the valley.

By cruise

A large number of luxury cruise operators sail up (and down) the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, Zurich or Strasbourg or from the Rhine cruise up the Main and Danube to Budapest. The leisurely journey with plenty of stopovers typically takes anywhere from one to two weeks, with accommodation on the boat itself. Large operators include Avalon and Viking, with low-season prices for a 7-night cruise starting from around US$2,000.

Get Around

Marksburg Castle Rhine River Valley Braubach Germany - Marksburg and the only unaltered castle along the Rhine Valley

Rent a Car or Limousine in Middle Rhine Valley

Along the left bank runs the B9 Bundesstraße 9 number.svg|25px|frameless| Kranenburg-Lauterbourg while along the right bank the B42 Bundesstraße 42 number.svg|25px|frameless|Bonn-Darmstadt runs the whole stretch of the valley. The majority of both roads in the Rhine valley section are one lane in both directions with few places to overtake. The roads are quite busy with tourists during the summer.

On your travels you will want to visit locations on both sides of the river. Note that there are no bridges between Wiesbaden and Koblenz crossing the river but there are a number of ferries that take car, bike and foot passenger.

• Fähre Boppard - Ferry acoss the Rhine between Boppard and Filsen.

• Fähre Loreley - Ferry across the Rhine between St. Goar|Sankt Goar and St. Goarshausen.

• Fährgemeinschaft Kaub - Ferry across the Rhine between Bacharach / Oberwesel and Kaub.

• Mittelrhein Fähre - Ferry across the Rhine between Niederheimbach and Lorch am Rhein|Lorch.

• Bingen-Rüdesheim Auto-Ferry - From Bingen Harbour to just below Rüdesheim Bahnhof.

• Bingen-Rüdesheim Ferry - From Bingen Bridge 5 to just below Rüdesheim City.

• Rheinfähre - 49.99825, 8.02071 Couple of kilometre from Rheinsteig route. - RheinfähreMittelheimWinkeler_Bucht.JPG - Ferry across the Rhine from Ingelheim to Oestrich-Winkel.

By Rail

There are not one but two train lines running along this section of the Rhine. The scenic Linke Rheinstrecke ("Left Rhine Line") runs along the left (west) bank of the river from Cologne (Köln) to Mainz, while the Rechte Rheinstrecke ("Right Rhine Line") runs along the right (east) bank of the river from Cologne to Wiesbaden. The Linke side, considered the more scenic of the two, is more heavily trafficked and has InterCity services, while the Rechte side is mostly dedicated to cargo and is limited to regional passenger trains running less than once per hour. Interchanging between the two is feasible at Koblenz; the city is on the left, but some trains running on the Rechte start or terminate in there.

Beware that, if you're buying individual tickets, train zones get confusing and pricy fast. While the "core" of the Rhine Valley is in Rhineland-Pfalz's VRM and RNN tariff zone and the Rheingau stretch east of Lorch is also in Frankfurt's RMV] zone, while going north of Remagen passes into Cologne's VRS area.

Some good offers to explore the surroundings include the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket, offering unlimited travel in local trains and buses for up to 5 persons inside the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Wiesbaden and Bonn("Left Rhine Line")for a day (9AM onwards on weekdays, all days weekends, up to 3AM of the following day). The ticket costs 24 - 44 € per day (as of December. 2023) if bought via automat or internet, or 26 - 46 € if bought at a ticket stand and is available at all train stations. In addition to the core stretch along the Rhine (Remagen -Oberwesel inclusive) and the train line along the Mosel and the ticket also covers a few handy train stretches outside state boundaries, notably Rolandseck-Bonn, Koblenz-Rüdesheim -Wiesbaden and Wiesbaden-Mainz.

Book a Halal Cruise or Boat Tour in Middle Rhine Valley

Bacharach Ferry - Ferry passing Bacharach

The Köln-Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt, better known as KD, runs cruises and scheduled services up and down the river between Cologne and Mainz. The summer season (May-Sept) sees up to 8 services daily on the busiest parts of the river, but services are cut considerably in the shoulder seasons of April and October and slow down to a trickle in the winter. Traveling end to end takes over 11 hours (€49 one way), so most travellers opt for much smaller segments: St. Goar to Bingen, for example, passes by the famous rock of Loreley, takes about 90 minutes and costs €15.30.

While KD has the most extensive network and schedules and there is quite a bit of competition. For example, Bingen-Rüdesheimer operates scheduled services on the south half between Rüdesheim and St. Goar and Roessler line cover the towns and castles in the south.

If you do not have time to do a full round tour consider taking the trip downstream (south to north),which is faster, and getting the train back to you start point).

Walk in Middle Rhine Valley

• The Rheinsteig walking trail passes on the right Rhine side through (Wiesbaden), Rüdesheim, Lorch, Kaub, Braubach, Lahnstein, Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein, Neuwied, Linz am Rhein, Bad Honnef and (Bonn).
• The Rheinburgenweg walking trail passes on the left Rhine side through Bingen, Bacharach, St. Goar, Boppard, Koblenz, Andernach, Ramagen and Rolandseck near Bonn -Mehlen.

Rhine River Gorge from Loreley Rock Germany - 190px|An early spring Rhine River Gorge, viewed from atop Loreley Rock

What to see in Middle Rhine Valley

Bacharach Burg Stahleck 635-z f+k - Bacharach: Burg Stahleck

• Loreley - 50.139516, 7.728809 above Sankt Goarshausen, opposite St. Goar - Large rocky outcrop on a bend in the Rhine river. Provides great views of the valley.

Castles

SchönburgRhein.01s - Schönburg castle

Driving or cruising along the valley there is nearly always at least two castle within sight. Many are open to the public but some are private or in ruins with no access. A few are hotels or hostels. The must visits are: Rheinstein, for its position and restored structure; the Marksburg for is well preserved structure; and Rheinfels for its size and the chance to explore the underground areas (take a torch with you). Expect to do some steep climbing of stairs and walks along narrow high ramparts. Exciting and worth the visit but a little nerve racking with small children.

• Brömserburg Castle · Rüdesheim
• Boosenburg Castle · Rüdesheim
• Klopp Castle (Burg Klopp) · Bingen
• Mäuseturm (Toll Tower) · Bingen
• Ehrenfels Castle Ruin (Burgruine Ehrenfels) · Rüdesheim
• Rheinstein Castle · Trechtingshausen
• Reichenstein Castle · Trechtingshausen
• Sooneck Castle · Niederheimbach
• Heimburg Castle · Niederheimbach
• Fürstenberg Castle Ruins · Rheindiebach
• Stahleck Castle · Bacharach
• Stahlberg Castle Ruins · Bacharach-Steeg
• Pfalzgrafenstein Castle · Kaub
• Gutenfels Castle · Kaub
• Schönburg Castle · Oberwesel
• Katz Castle · St. Goarshausen
• Reichenberg Castle Ruins · Reichenberg
• Rheinfels Fortress (Festung Rheinfels) · St. Goar
• Maus Castle · Wellmich
• The Hostile Brothers - Sterrenberg Castle (ruin) (Feindliche Brüder) · Kamp-Bornhofen
• The Roman Camp in Boppard (Römisches Kastell)· Boppard
• Former Prince Electors' Castle in Boppard (Ehemalige Kurfürstliche Burg) · Boppard
• Osterspai Castle (Wasserburg Osterspai)· Osterspai
• Marksburg · Braubach
• Lahneck Castle · Lahnstein -Oberlahnstein
• Stolzenfels Palace (Schloss Stolzenfels) · Koblenz -Stolzenfels
• Prince Elector's Castle (Kurfürstliche Stadtburg) · Koblenz
• Electors' Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss) · Koblenz
• Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (Festung Ehrenbreitstein) · Koblenz

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Middle Rhine Valley

LoreleyBlick-p01 - View of the Loreley from the Rheinburgenweg looking toward the Rheinsteig

• Rheinsteig - Walk part of the trail on the right Rhine side.

• Rheinburgenweg - Walk part of the trail on the left Rhine side.

Local events in Middle Rhine Valley

• Rhein in Flammen (Rhine in Flames) Firework displays and lit-up cruise boats:
• Linz am Rhein - Bonn

2023 Event | May |5 |month= |Bonn - Germany

• Rüdesheim - Bingen

2023 Event | July |7 |month= |Bingen - Germany

• Spay - Koblenz

2023 Event | August |11 |month= |Koblenz - Germany

• Oberwesel

2023 Event | September |8 |month= |Oberwesel - Germany The "Night of a Thousand Fires" has been traditionally staged at Oberwesel. For this spectacle, 50 illuminated ships convoy to the town of St. Goar to watch the illumination of the legendary Loreley rock rising 300 feet out of the river. The procession will go from there upstream to Oberwesel passing towns, castles, and churches bathed in Bengal lights. The musical brilliant firework display in front of the medieval backdrop of Oberwesel is the highlight of the boat parade.

• St. Goar - St. Goarshausen

2023 Event | September |15 |month= |Sankt Goar - Germany

• Tal Total

2023 Event | June |24 |month= |Middle Rhine Valley - Germany Road along the Rhine valley closed to motor vehicles, thousands of cyclists and in-line skaters. Last weekend in June, Saturday is the B42 between Rüdesheim and Lahnstein, Sunday the B9 between Bingerbrück and Koblenz-Stolzenfels.

Halal Food

The Rhine Valley is famous for fruit cocktail, and this section of the Rhine along with its tributaries the Mosel and Nahe cover 5 of Germany's 13 officially recognized regions. From north to south:

• Mosel: mostly sweet white Riesling, covers the entire Mosel River valley from Luxembourg to Koblenz
• Mittelrhein: almost all Riesling, from Koblenz to Bingen (left bank) and Königswinter to Kaub (right bank)
• Nahe: varies fruit cocktails, along the Nahe river southwest of Bingen
• Rheingau: the best-known, almost all high-quality (Prädikat) Riesling, but Assmannshausen's red Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is also famous; right bank only, from Lorch via Assmannshausen, Rudesheim, Eltville, Wiesbaden to Hochheim am Main
• Rheinhessen: Germany's largest producer, along the left bank from Bingen through Mainz and south all the way to Worms

For those who enjoy a organic juice try Maximilians Brauwiesen micro-brewery in Lahnstein.

Stay Safe

On the cruise ships there is not always shade on the decks, do not forget your sun cream and maybe sun hat.

Travel Next

• Bonn
• Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
• Burg Eltz, near Treis-Karden on the Mosel
• Bad Kreuznach (Nahe)
• Ingelheim
• Mainz
• Rheingau
• Wiesbaden
• Mosel Valley
• Eifel

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