Standing in the city centre of Frankfurt, it would be hard to believe
that a UNESCO World Heritage Region, with stunning scenery, castles and
vineyards is not too far down the road.........
The Rhine is one of the longest, and most important rivers
in Europe. It runs from the Swiss Alps,
through Germany, to the Netherlands.
Our visit was based in a triangle of towns, Rudesheim,
Assmannshausen and Bingen – which, while being close neighbours, were very
individual.
The place we stayed in was Assmannshausen, which truly was
the Germany I had imagined in my head. I found the ‘gingerbread’ houses,
beautifully ornate half-timbered buildings and really friendly people. Our hotel, Zwei Mohren was very traditional,
but perfectly comfortable. The views from the rooms were stunning. We even found a local pub nearby were we were
treated like long lost friends and enjoyed great hospitality over a couple of
nights. The village had a real feeling of being undiscovered. Early on the Sunday morning, I was able to
wander the streets and didn’t see a soul.
There are a couple of ways to get to the nearby town of
Rudesheim. Of course, you can use the
road, and be there in a couple of minutes.
Alternatively, you may wish to use the chairlift and cable car. I will be honest here and say I didn’t even
attempt the chairlift, but I hear the view from it is stunning! The chairlift takes you from Assmannshausen
to the Niederwald mountain, where you can enjoy a 30 minute forest walk to the Niederwalddenkmal, which is a huge monument
to commemorate the foundation of the German Empire. There are breathtaking
views across the Rhine from the monument too.
The town of Rudesheim spreads out far beneath you, and the most
picturesque way down is by cable car…..which I did try… and can vouch for the
stunning views and scenery as you glide above vineyards and rooftops.
Rudesheim is a very
popular town, and its easy to see why. It’s famous for
its fiery Asbach brandy and fabulous white wines. I spent hours wandering round the traditional
restaurants, wine taverns and shops soaking up the atmosphere. The place to see
and be seen is the Drosselgrasse, a short narrow street which comes alive at
night. While we ate (an amazing) dinner
on the terrace of the Hotel Lindenwirt, a live band in the corner kept diners
entertained with some sing-along tunes, including the Birdie Song (which I
hadn’t heard performed ‘live’ since a school concert in 1985) and a line of
customers from a neighbouring restaurant performed an inpromtu conga up and
down the street. It was that kind of night! Lindenwirt is one of the many
taverns which own its own vineyard and produces its own wine, mainly Reisling
varieties. They have opened a brand new cellar experience where you learn about
the wines and taste what’s available. Nearby, we also visited the Hotel ZumGrunen Kranz, which has been owned by the same family since 1826. The hotel
also has its own vineyards and the food they produce is well worth a visit in
itself!
One of the quirkier
places we visited was “Siegfrieds Mechanical Musical Cabinet” which is home to dozens of self-playing
pianos and instruments. Some of these are nearly 200 years old and still in
full working order. Rudesheim is a
popular stop off for the many cruise boats which travel the Rhine in their
dozens. These boats are very well appointed, with sun decks, bars and
restaurants so visitors can enjoy the trip on the river, relax and enjoy the
scenery.
The nearest port,
Bingen, is directly opposite Rudesheim and only 10 minutes away by ferry.
We visited at the
time the Bingen Swingt Jazz Festival was in full flow, and it was great to walk
around the various stages in the town centre and on the river bank. Bingen itself is quite a compact town and is
not, as yet, on the tourist trail – so I found it quite refreshing that it had
that ‘undiscovered’ feel. The town has a
stunning “jardins surprise” on the riverfront which presents a number of
stunning garden designs and provide for a great area to relax.
If you have time to
travel further afield, you can visit the town of Lorsch, with its 9th
Century Abbey; the Bergastrasse wine region, where many of the vineyards offer
tastings and the city of Weinheim with its stunning town square and castles.
There’s lots more to
discover in the region, you can find further information, check out
www.frankfurt-rhine-main.com
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