The Rhine Valley, Germany 72-Hour Vacation

Burg Katz in St. Goar

It lives in songs, poems and paintings of haunting and mystical beauty. Few rivers of the world have captured the imagination of artists and travelers as much as the Rhine, an 825-mile ribbon rushing northward from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea. Nature, history and humankind have collaborated here to create a delightful landscape of great beauty and complexity. Nowhere is this more apparent than along the aptly named Romantic Rhine, the river's most picturesque stretch between Bingen, near Mainz, and Koblenz, about 50 miles further north at the confluence with the Moselle. The region's considerable charms were not lost on UNESCO, which declared it a World Heritage Site in 2002.

The Romantic Rhine is a magical land where dreamy wine villages with dainty half-timbered houses are lorded over by legend-shrouded medieval castles. Some restored, others collapsed into ruins, the castles almost seem carved from the rugged cliffs. In the villages below, cozy wine taverns alternate with souvenir shops and cafés along bustling riverwalks. These are often set against the backdrop of steeply terraced vineyards surging skyward in golden, columned symmetry.

This is the Middle Rhine wine region which, despite its northern location, produces some of Germany's finest vintages, thanks to a unique microclimate. Nearly perpendicular hillsides hem the river, sheltering the vines from fierce winds, while the slate-rich soil stores up the energy of the sun. Such growing conditions are particularly suited for the noble Riesling grape, the "queen of the vines," which produces sophisticated and typically dry wines with a rich bouquet, crisp flavor and notable acidity.

Few people realize that German Riesling has little in common with Riesling wines from other countries, which are often unpolished and cloyingly sweet. Taking up more than three quarters of the growing area, Riesling is clearly the favored varietal around here. Others include Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and, among the reds, Spätburger (late-harvest Burgundy). This is not a large region, though, which is why the best bottles never even make it out of the valley. So you have to come here to sample them!

Exploring by bicycle

Just like a good wine, the Romantic Rhine needs to be savored, celebrated and remembered. It can be explored by car, boat, train or bicycle, or on foot. There are no bridges between Koblenz and Mainz, so you need to rely on ferries or keep to one bank. Our itinerary below travels north to south, but you can just as easily reverse it.

Summer, when the weather is at its most reliable and the festival season is in full swing, is the best time to come to the Rhine. If you can, schedule a visit during the “Rhine in Flames,” a series of firework extravaganzas held monthly in different locations between July and September. Boats lit up like Christmas trees and castles swathed in eerie “flames” are sights that will burn bright in your memory for years to come. But at almost any time of the year there's a good chance you'll be bumping into a festival celebrating wine, music—or nothing particular at all! The cheerful locals definitely like to party, and their energy is contagious.

Booking accommodations is recommended, especially in summer, and there's no shortage of comfortable and ambience-laden options. The Bellevue Rheinhotel is the belle of Boppard, a princely property right on the river promenade. Or you might fancy yourselves “knight and damsel” in one of the cozy rooms at the Burghotel Auf Schönburg, a medieval castle perched high above Oberwesel. If you're more the modern-design type, you'll feel right at home at Breuers Rüdesheimer Schloss in the heart of Rüdesheim. All of these hotels have superb restaurants as well.

DAY 1

Deutsches Eck

Your journey begins in Koblenz, whose name quite fittingly derives from the Latin word for confluence. Its strategic position, governing the spot where the Moselle mingles with the Rhine, has made this a coveted spot since the days when Romans occupied the land. Spend the morning wandering among the cobweb-like lanes of the old town to the Deutsches Eck, a triangular promontory jutting into the water where the two famed rivers meet. It's dominated by a huge statue of Emperor Wilhelm I, perched pompously astride a stallion, seemingly surveying his domain. High above on the right bank looms Ehrenbreitstein, a humongous fortress, reached on foot or by chairlift. The regional museum within its thick stone walls is worth a visit for those with an interest in local industries and people. Most visitors, though, are awestruck when they glimpse the stunning panorama of the town, both rivers and the surrounding rolling hills.

At one point about 40 castles crowned the hilltops along the Rhine. Most were ruined either by the passage of time or by French troops led by 17th-century King Louis XIV. Prussian kings restored several in the 19th century, but they didn't have to bother with one castle that had survived almost entirely intact: the Marksburg in Braubach. It's on the right (eastern) river bank, not far south of the Lahn River, and yet another Rhine tributary. Here you'll discover a true medieval classic, complete with crenelated walls, a soaring “keep” and various defensive installations and gates. A guided tour takes in the citadel, the Gothic hall, a large kitchen that still functions and a grisly torture chamber that—fortunately—does not.

Idealized in the 19th century during the Romantic Age, the original purpose of these stone bastions was actually anything but romantic. In fact, many were built by a medieval mafia of robber barons—knights, princes, bishops—who extorted huge tolls from merchant ships by blocking their passage along the river with iron chains. With castles come legends, of course, such as the saga of the Angry Brothers who dwelled in adjacent fortresses called Sterrenberg and Liebenstein above Kamp-Bornhofen, the next village south of Braubach. Their love-triangle with a beautiful girl ended mortally for all three.

Marksburg in Braubach

From Kamp-Bornhofen, catch the ferry across to Boppard, just in time for a well-earned lunch. A good choice would be the Landgasthof Eiserner Ritter, which serves inspired German specialties using mostly regional products, including fresh venison and organically-fed veal, artisanal cheeses and, of course, delicious wine. A novel way to spend the afternoon is by catching a ride aboard the Hunsrückbahn, a little train that chugs through five tunnels and over two viaducts on its steep journey to Buchholz, five miles away. You can come back the same way or burn off that lunch by hitting the trail which threads its way through fragrant forest and vineyards. Another popular excursion is to the Vierseenblick (Four Lakes View), reached by chairlift.

Back in town, take a gander at the Roman wall and the inside of the twin-towered Church of St. Severus with its colorful murals. The nearby local museum is dedicated to famous native son Michael Thonet, who invented bentwood furniture (think Viennese coffeehouse chairs). Boppard is also home to the Bopparder Hamm, one of the most famous vineyards in the Middle Rhine growing region. Be sure to order a bottle of the local product over dinner at your hotel, the Art Nouveau-era Bellevue Rheinhotel, which just happens to have the best restaurant in town. Continue to Day 2

(Updated: 04/16/10 NW)