Rhine Valley

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. Click Rhine cruise

Other popular Rhine Valley attractions
The well-known must-see Rhine castles include:

• Burg Rheinfels
  
• Burg Katz
  
• Marksburg
• Schloss Stolzenfels

Popular villages along the Rhine River include:

• Bacharach
• St. Goar

Rheingau
Just upriver from Rudesheim is the Rheingau, home of many celebrated sun-kissed vineyards

Location in Germany