Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

150 BACK ROADS GERMANY

4 Burg Rheinfels

Rhineland-Palatinate; 56329

The Rhine’s largest castle, Burg

Rheinfels (Mar–Oct: open daily;

Nov–Feb: open Sat & Sun) is a maze

of sprawling passages, trenches, and

tunnels and ruined battlements (a

torch is handy for explo ration).

Equally incredible is the fact that the

castle was once five times its present

size and mighty enough to survive a

14-month siege by 9,000 troops in

1255 and repel an army of 28,000

in 1692. It would never be taken by

force, for in 1794 it was handed

over without a shot to the French

Above The Rhine meandering between

forested hillsides Below Sculpture of the

mythical siren beside the Rhine, Loreley

WHERE TO STAY

BOPPARD

Weinhaus Heilig Grab inexpensive

This 200-year-old historic wine tavern

in the town center has been

converted into a hotel with few basic

rooms and a lovely garden.

Zelkesgasse 12, 56154; 06742 23 71;

http://www.heiliggrab.de

AROUND BURG RHEINFELS

Berghotel auf der Loreley

inexpensive

A modern hotel with small, basic

rooms enjoying a great setting at the

tip of the Loreley Rock. The Loreley

visitors’ center is a short walk away.

Auf der Loreley, Sankt Goarhausen,

56436 (1 mile/2 km west of Burg

Rheinfels); 06771 809 20;

http://www.berghotel-loreley.de

OBERWESEL

Burghotel Auf Schönburg expensive

An unusual opportunity to stay in a

castle overlooking the Rhine. A castle

has stood here since the 10th century,

though this is a 1914 rebuild of the

one burned down by French troops

in 1689. Rooms have a glamorous,

turn-of-the-20th-century feel.

Auf Schönburg, 55430; 06744 939 30;

http://www.burghotel-schoenburg.de;

closed in Feb

Where to Stay: inexpensive, under €70; moderate, €70–€150; expensive, over €150

3 Boppard

Rhineland-Palatinate; 56154

Just two horseshoe bends upstream

from Braubach and on the opposite

bank of the Rhine, the atmospheric

town of Boppard gathers around a

riverfront promenade. Located beside

the ferry terminal, the Alte Burg is

the most impressive building on the

waterfront. Built as a strong hold and

tollhouse in 1340, it now houses the

Museum der Stadt Boppard (Apr–Oct:

closed Mon), which celebrates local

cabinet-maker Michael Thonet

(1796–1871), who invented bent-

wood furniture. By soaking layered

strips of wood veneer in hot glue

and then bending them into shape

in metal molds, he created

elegantly curved furniture

that became hugely popular

in the mid-19th century.

A block southeast lies

Boppard’s market place and

the tourist office (May–Sept:

closed Sun; Oct–Apr: open Mon–

Fri), which organizes wine

tastings (open Apr–Oct; http://www.

boppard-tourismus.de) at local

vineyards. Just beyond,

crossing Oberstrasse, the

town’s main shopping street,

a short walk down Kirchgasse

leads to the Römer-Kastell,

where four of Boppard’s 4th-

century Roman watchtowers

are preserved.

Back on Oberstrasse, a few

minutes’ walk west leads to

the Karmeliterstrasse and its

church, Karmelitenkirche.

Local farmers place the

season’s first ripe grapes in a niche

outside the church, beside the

Traubenmadonna, or Grape Madonna,

to gain her blessing. At the northern

end of Boppard – a 20-minute walk

along the prome nade – a chairlift

(Apr–Oct: open daily) ascends to a fine

lookout known as the Vierseenblick,

or Four Lakes View, because the four

sections of the Rhine visible from

here look uncon nected. Several

hiking trails fan out from here, and

bus No. 34 takes an easy one-hour

route back into Boppard.

ª Turn right from the parking lot and

right again to turn left onto Mainzer

Strasse and on to B9 to Sankt Goar,

then follow signs up Schlossberg

to the Burg Rheinfels parking lot.