Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

DRIVE 14: The Romantic Rhine 147

PLAN YOUR DRIVE

Start/finish: Koblenz to Mainz.

Number of days: 3–4 days, allowing

a day to explore Koblenz, Mainz, and

the major castles along the route.

Distance: 72 miles (116 km).

Road conditions: Well paved and

marked alongside the Rhine.

When to go: A good drive year round,

this route is particularly attractive in

August and September when wine

festivals abound.

Opening times: Most attractions open

daily; shops are open between 9am and

5pm, Monday to Friday, but close early

on Saturdays. Shops and services are

closed on Sundays. Most restaurants

close their kitchens by 10pm.

Main market days: Boppard: Fri;

Mainz: Tue, Fri & Sat.

Shopping: Pick up local wines, such

as Rieslings, in Bacharach or Rüdesheim.

In Mainz, browse the hand-printed post-

ers, cards, and flyers of the Druckladen

for gifts or souvenirs.

Major festivals: Koblenz: Rhein in

Flammen (Rhine in flames – a fireworks

spectacular), late Aug; Boppard:

Weinfestwochenende Boppard (week-

end wine festival), early Oct; Loreley:

Rhein in Flammen, late Sept;

Oberwesel: Weinmarkt Oberwesel

(wine market), late Sept; Rüdesheim:

Rhein in Flammen, early Jul; Mainz:

Mainzer Fastnacht (car nival), mid-Feb;

Mainzer Johannisnacht (mid summer

night), late Jun; Rüdesheimer Weinfest

(wine festival), late Aug.

KEY

Drive route

DAY TRIP OPTIONS

Wine lovers will appreciate not having

to drive after a visit to Bacharach for

wine-tasting. Visitors can explore

both banks of the Rhine separately,

avoiding the use of car ferries. The high-

lights on both banks are the chairlift-

assisted walks and castles. On the right

bank, the walk leads from Rüdesheim

to Assmannshausen after a visit to

the Marksburg. On the left bank,

the chairlift climbs to hikes around

Vierseenblick before a visit to Burg

Rheinstein. For full details, see p155.

0 kilometers

0 miles

5

5

Above left Pretty town center of Bacharach, see p152 Above right Pfalzgrafenstein, a toll castle

built on an island in the Rhine, see p152

HESSEN

Rh

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ga

ug

eb

ir

ge

Rhein

Walluf

RÜDESHEIM

KLOSTER

EBERBACH

ELTVILLE

MAINZ

Kalte Herberge

2031 ft

Budenheim

Walluf

Schlangenbad

Heidesheim

am Rhein

Gau-

Algesheim

Kiedrich

Rauenthal

Ingelheim

-Nord

Hallgarten

Wackernheim

Frauenstein

Biebrich

Mainz-

Amöneburg

Gonsenheim

Bretzenheim

Zorn

Nauroth Springen

Dickschied

Geroldstein

Fischbach

Hausen

vor der Höhe

Bärstadt

Erbach

Stephanshausen

Hattenheim

Georgenborn

Drais

Hettenhain

Seitzenhahn

Dotzheim

Langenseifen

Marienthal

Ockenheim

Schwabenheim

an der Selz

Ober-Olm

Appenheim

Lerchenberg

Oestrich

Winkel

Geisenheim

Bingen

am Rhein

Ingelheim

am Rhein

Bad

Schwalbach Taunusstein

Wiesbaden