Number 1 city to see in Rhineland the region. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, and it was the largest city in medieval Germany. It combines rich cultural traditions with the vibrant life of the metropolis.

The city was founded by the Romans in 50 AD and still impresses with its unique charm. The striking landmark of Cologne is the magnificent Cathedral – Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus.

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that Cologne Cathedral is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day? At 157 m (515 ft), the cathedral is currently the tallest twin-spired church in the world.

Did you know that Eau de Cologne has its origin from… Cologne?

The Italian perfumer Johann Maria Farina developed a recipe at the beginning of the 18th century. He wrote: “My scent is reminiscent of an Italian spring morning after rain; oranges, lemons, grapefruits, bergamot, citron as well as flowers and herbs growing in my homeland”.

Eau de Cologne Farina is currently produced according to a modified recipe by the eighth generation of the Farina family.

Did you know that Electronic music was born on the Cologne radio in 1951? It was the first of its kind in the world, and its history reflects the development of electronic music in the second half of the twentieth century.

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Cologne old town-fish market- oneimageoneworld.com

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Love-loks-hanging-on-the-Hohenzollern-Bridge-in-Cologne-oneimageoneworld.com

What to see in Cologne?

Cologne Cathedral

The iconic Kölner Dom is an architectural piece of work. This magnificent Cathedral impresses with size and beautiful Ghothical elements inside and on external facades. Twelve bells hang on the towers of the cathedral, including the largest tolling bell in Europe!
In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites.

Cologne old town

Kölner Altstadt is a mixture of historical stacking houses, narrow alleys, squares, and various restaurants, shops, and breweries. This makes it easy to combine a shopping spree with strolling in the old town. The old town is located directly on the Rhine. The location of the Colognes old town gives the whole thing a relaxed holiday flair.

Book a Cologne old town guided tour.

Hohenzollern Bridge and Love locks

Just a few steps from the Cologne Cathedral is the Hohenzollern Bridge. The bridge is crossing the river Rhine and is accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic. It is the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany with more than 1,200 trains daily. But the bridge is also known for its Love locks.

There has been a custom in Cologne for several years: couples in love attach a small padlock to the railing of the Hohenzollern Bridge to swear – in a very romantic way – eternal love.

Cologne from the waterside

Along the riverbank near the old town, several fleets invite visitors to take short panorama tours or day trips around Cologne.
Such a tour allows you to see the town from another perspective.
It is worth trying! Especially on hot sunny days. Check a tour and book a trip with Weisse Flotte Rhein.

Once the capital of Charlemagne’s empire, today a modern city with a historical twist. Aachen is the westernmost city in Germany, located on the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands.

It’s well-known for its architecture, markets, and spas. Aachen has been known as a health resort since ancient times. The symbol of the spa city is the Elisenbrunnen fountain, located in the heart of the town. Local sulfate springs reach the temperature of 75 degrees Celsius.

One of Germany’s leading institutes of higher education, RWTH Aachen University, in technology is located in the city. Its university hospital is Europe’s largest single-building hospital.

What to see in Aachen?

The Cathedral

An impressive piece of architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. Erected on the orders of Charlemagne, it was the largest cathedral north of the Alps at that time. It is also his resting place.

Aachen Cathedral Treasury

Treasury houses a collection of liturgical objects.

Rathaus

The City Hall was built in 1330. It is also a station on Route Charlemagne.

Elisenbrunnen & Ancient Hot Springs.

The heart of the spa city. The building consists of an open foyer and two pavilions. Is well-known for its unpleasant-smelling thermal water.

Medieval Aachen

The medieval Aachen quarter with the “Fountain of Puppets”, Market squar e, and The Katschhof courtyard

Dreiländerpunkt

The Three-Country-Point is a meeting point of the German, Belgian, and Dutch borders located on Vaalserberg.

And many more other attractions of Aachen

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that one of the best Christmas markets in Europe is held in Aachen? Around 1.5 million people visit this market every year!

Did you know that the famous Achener Printen is produced only here? 4,500 tonnes of Printen dough is used every year. Gingerbread-like cookies are very popular. Nobis Printen has about 40 bakeries and Cafés in the Aachen. Well, if you would like to try, order online!

Did you know that there are several other food specialties in Aachen worth trying? E.g the “Öcher Puttes” – a blood sausage specialty, is a real Aachen original.

Interesting footage from II World War.

credit to Aachen Tourismus ©, see more at Youtube channel

The land of a low volcanic mountain range, vast forests, quiet valleys, and picturesque lakes! A wonderful place recently discovered by me. The outdoors is just gorgeous.

Where to find it?

Eifel is situated between the Belgian border, the Rhine, and the Moselle. It is a paradise not only for the active tourist, nature lover but also for the medieval treasure seeker.

Lovely historic towns, hidden between a thicket of trees and hills, add to the charm of the landscape.

Part of the Eifel area has been designated as the Eifel National Park since 2004. I call it the European Jungle.

Watching sunset at Rursee lake in Eifel.

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Germany-A nice view of Hengebach Castle in Heimbach, Eifel.

What to see?

Rursee lake

In the northern part of the Nationalpark, in a unique scenic setting, the Rursee is located, framed by pristine nature. It’s the second-largest dam lake in terms of volume in Germany.

Monschau

In the narrow rocky valley of the Rur River lies Monschau, a picturesque medieval town of clothiers. A real gem! A must-see place.

Bad Neuenahr

“Are you looking for bubbling spring water, natural health remedies, and sheer relaxation?”

You found it! In the deeply cut valley of the Ahr River south of Bonn, between the unique richness of the landscape lies the spa town of Bad Neuenahr. Its alkaline baths, surrounded by vineyards and lush deciduous forests, make a perfect place to relax.

Nurburgring

At the highest mountain in the Eifel, Hoche Acht (747m) is the world-famous Nurburgring motor racing circuit.

Daun and Laacher See

In the south, near the small spa town of Daun, beautiful forms of Maar have been preserved. These are craters of extinct volcanoes, often filled with lakes. The most interesting maar is Laacher See with a diameter of 2 km, above which rises a magnificent Romanesque Basilica.

Romanesque Basilica. The 900 years old monastery. The heart of the complex is the six-tower basilica. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful Romanesque monuments in Germany.

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that the Eifel National Park region is one of the few locations in Germany where it is possible to see the Milky Way with the naked eye?

Did you know that the Eifel National Park gives shelter to more than 2.000 endangered plant and animal species?

Did you know that the largest population of wildcats live in the Eifel-Ardennes region nationwide? The rare wildcat almost exterminated during the 19th century finds shelter here too. Approximately 1000 wildcats live in the area.

It’s named: “Jewel Bonn – The cradle of Rhine Romanticism – many poets, painters, and musicians have been inspired by the beauty of the landscape with its rocks, forested slopes, and vineyard terraces. The term “Rhine Romanticism” originates here.”

Situated in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region, not far from Cologne. A city with a long history, magnificent buildings, and the sign of greatness surrounded by natural beauty. It’s worth a look here.

What to see in Bonn?

Poppelsdorfer Schloss

A baroque castle with the Mineralogical-Petrological Museum and one of the oldest Botanical Garden in the world. The annual Poppelsdorfer palace concerts of classical music are held here.

The Altes Rathaus (old town hall)

A masterpiece in Rococo style from 1737. A beautiful architectural building with lots of rich history.

Beethoven Haus

Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthplace and museum.

Bonner Münster

A Roman Catholic church, the oldest building in Bonn, and one of Germany’s oldest churches. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries.

The Zoological museum

One of the most interesting in Europe!

See the list of the other museum in Bonn.

The Siebengebirge

Seven Mountains – a hill range of the German Central Uplands and a popular hiking destination southeast of Bonn.

Schloss Drachenburg

The castle is one of the landmarks of Seven Hills.

Other interesting sights of Bonn and its surroundings

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that eleven Nobel prizes and four Fields Medals have been awarded to faculty and alumni of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn? Among gratuates at the Bonn university are Pope Benedikt XVI., Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, Konrad Adenauer, Robert Schuman.

Did you know that the Haribo gummi bear originates from Bonn? It’s Europe’s largest confectionery producer. The company was founded in 1920.

Did you know that Ludwig von Beethoven was born here? He lived for the first 22 years in Bonn, after which he moved to Vienna in 1792 and began musical studies with Joseph Haydn.

credit to germanytourism ©, see more at Youtube channel

Rhine river runs through the wide zone of the German Highlands. At a distance of 130 km, its central part forms one of the most beautiful river valleys in Europe.

The banks of the river are decorated with dozens of mighty castles overlooking charming medieval towns and villages.

Vineyards cover the steep slopes of the Rhine valley and the valleys of the adjoining tributaries, including the Moselle valley creating a beautiful landscape. Germany’s best vineyards are located here.

View on Rhine valley from the boat. — Beautiful landscapes of Rhine valley.

What to see?

Castles:

Schloss Engers, Neuwied

The Engers castle is located near Koblenz on the banks of the Rhine. It is a jewel of late baroque architecture. The complex runs a 3 and 4 stars hotel, restaurant with a splendid terrace, and various cultural activities. (website only in German)

Book a room

Kulturpark Sayn, Bendorf-Sayn

You can easily spend a whole day here. CULTURE, NATURE, ADVENTURE all in one. A castle and ruins, a park with a butterfly garden, a forest with robes, an abbey, and much more. Kulturpark Sayn.

Schloss Stolzenfels, Koblenz

You can’t miss it. The light color of the Stolzenfels castle is clearly visible from far. A former medieval fortress castle turned into a palace is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The castle is open to the public.

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that the Jewish culture shaped the cities of Mainz, Worms, and Speyer for more than 900 years? Among Jews all over the world, they are known as Shum cities. They were the center of Jewish scholarship and later were of similar importance as Jerusalem.

Did you know that there are more than 500 castles and palaces to discover in Rhineland-Palatinate?

Did you know that the Lorelei, a famous 132-meter-high, steep slate rock on the right bank of the River Rhine, has its own legend?

The Legend

Once upon a time, a beautiful girl named Lorelei waited for her lover on the rock at the narrowest and shallowest point of the Rhine, but he never returned. Out of despair, the girl jumped from the rock to death.

Now her ghost is sitting on a rock, brushing long hair and singing softly. Her beautiful voice charms sailors that they deviate from their course and smash ships against the rock or run aground in shallow water.

Do not be deceived by her singing while sailing around 😉

Remains of old castles rise above the picturesque meanders of the lazy flowing river. Terraced vineyards cover the slopes of the hills. The white facades of the cozy medieval villages and small-towns mirroring in river surface. It’s beautiful vistas. You feel welcome here.

The Moselle Valley is an important wine region. It’s known for the famous Riesling white wines, which are produced here. The second most renowned wine variety is Müller-Thurgau, also called Rivaner.

Tourism and wine production have been closely linked since the end of the 19th century. Romantic landscapes, charming towns, and villages make the Moselle region a popular tourist destination.

You may wonder how to best experience the Moselle valley from the boat or car – try both, then you will find out.

credit to Move on Simpler – Production ©, see more at Youtube channel

What to see?

From Trier to Koblenz

• Experience a river cruise. The route from Koblenz to Trier, an extremely picturesque tourist route, is noteworthy. Pick a trip and book. Didn’t you find what you look for try to book a tour here; Still isn’t what you wish, try looking at these river cruises
• Take a bike and stop wherever you want – see the bike map
• Experience the region by car – see the routes and plan your stay.

See the valley from Moselsteig Trail

365 kilometers long hiking trail. Fresh air, fantastic views, and freedom of hiking! The Moselsteig Trial in detail.

Visit the cities

Trier – Wine tasting city and more.

The charming town of Trier with Roman heritage. The Hauptmarkt (Main market) is called the living room of the city. At this place, different winegrowers present their products. It’s a meeting spot for winemakers and wine lovers.

Cochem – town of old half-timbered houses and medieval idyll.

Cochem has several interesting sights, but the biggest attraction is the impressive Cochem Castle (Reichsburg). It is one of the most beautiful castles in the region. The extraordinary experience is to try a real medieval dinner while visiting the castle.

Near Cochem, you will find a fine Family park.

Burg Eltz – castle of the castles.

With Tudor-style buildings and conical roofs, surrounded by the forest, erected on a cliff stands one of the most beautiful and best-preserved castles in Germany. Burg Eltz exudes romance and exciting history.

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that the Moselle is the second most important waterway in Germany after the Rhine? The Moselle rises in the Vosges Mountains and flows through northeastern France, Luxembourg, and western Germany, and after 545 km (339 mi) it joins the Rhine at Koblenz.

Did you know that Mosel is Germany’s third-largest region in terms of wine production? In 2020, 810,000 hectoliters of wine were produced, of which over 90 percent of the total harvest is white.

Insider tip – the 2020 vintage is classified as good to very good, so have this in mind next time you go for Riesling.

Weingut Selbach-Oster, Weingut Witwe Dr. H. Thanisch, Erben Müller-Burggraef, Weingut Breit, and Weingut Melsheimer are the best wine producers in the Mosel wine region.

In the southwest part of Rhineland, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, you will find wild nature at its best. Unique and beautiful UNESCO-designated Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve low-mountain region.

Source of raw materials in the past today well-kept biosphere reserve and recreational place for nature lovers.

An amazing nature park offering diverse landscapes with dense, deeply incised valleys and a wide variety of hill shapes. Up to 90% of woodland with impressive fauna and flora covers this area. A pine stands at almost 200 years old, and beech stands resemble an ancient forest.

Bizarre rock formations, caves, natural arches, rock tables together with a system of streams, rivers, and wetlands decorate this wonderful landscape.

Although the Palatinate forest has many unspoiled areas and is sparsely populated, surprisingly, it also has a rich historical and cultural heritage.

What to see?

The German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße)

Along the East side of the Palatinate Forest runs Germany’s oldest tourist wine route. The route starts at the Wine Gate (Deutsches Weintor) in Schweigen-Rechtenbach on the French border and runs northward, beside the path of Bundesstraßen B 38 and B 271 for 85 km. It ends at the House of the German Wine Route in Bockenheim an der Weinstraße.

Good wine, delicious food, romantic wine-growing villages, and castles it is the right mixture for a relaxing autumn vacation.

Castles in the Palatinate

Nanstein Castle

The red sandstone rock castle ruins date from the 12th century and is placed in Landstuhl.

Trifels Castle

Reichsburg Trifels is a medieval castle near the small town of Annweiler. Trifels Castle is located on the peak of the Sonnenberg high above the Queich valley. It is together with Hambach Castle, one of the most popular tourist destinations.

Fleckenstein Castle

This ruined castle, fortress, built in the shape of a 52 m long boat, has a long history. The castle was built on a sandstone summit in the Middle Ages. It is placed in Lembach.

Berwartstein Castle

The legendary robber baron castle in Erlenbach bei Dahn.
Hans Trapp, the famous marshal and military leader of the entire Electoral Palatinate armed forces, once lived on the impregnable rock castle Berwartstein. His raids and misdeeds are just as legendary as his castle, which has been preserved to this day.

Castle with accommodation option, restaurant, terrace, and attractions.
Download the brochure.

Hiking in Palatinate Forest.

If you want to hike in the Palatinate Forest, you can expect a wide range of attractive, well-signposted hiking trails that lead to charming hiking destinations such as castles or imposing sandstone cliffs.

Two main hiking trails:

1. The 142-kilometer-long Palatinate Forest Path, which crosses the Palatinate Forest from Kaiserslautern to Schweigen-Rechtenbach.

2. 170-kilometer-long Palatinate Weinsteig, which leads along the Haardt Mountains from Bockenheim to Schweigen-Rechtenbach.

More information about hiking in Palatinate Forest.

Cycling in the Palatinate Forest

In the center of the Palatinate Forest, you can find everything from leisurely family tours to challenging racing bike tours.

Best mountain biking trails in Palatinate Forest.

Climbing around Dahn.

Palatinate Forest is filled with cliffs and rocks. The southern rock land around the town of Dahn has made it very popular with climbers. Many climbers come here and test their abilities on more than 80 free-standing sandstone rocks.

Interesting tidbits

Did you know that there are currently 701 biosphere reserves in 124 countries around the world (as of October 2019), 16 of which are in Germany and one of them is in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate?

Did you know that with the “Pfalzcard” (guest card), which is issued free of charge by the Pfalzcard hosts to all holidaymakers in around 120 hotels, holiday apartments, and youth hostels, all buses and regional trains in the entire Palatinate can be used free of charge?

Did you know that Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald) i is the largest cohesive forest area in Germany? The area is 1,771 km² (177,100 ha). The Palatinate Forest makes up just over a third of the total area of the Palatinate region.

Panoramic view from the Rehbergturm to Trifels in the north direction.

By homerj87 – Own work (Original text: eigene Fotografie), CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15187156

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Must see in Rhineland

ultimate must-see places in the Rhineland.

1. Cologne

Interesting tidbits

What to see in Cologne?

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne old town

Hohenzollern Bridge and Love locks

Cologne from the waterside

2. Aachen

What to see in Aachen?

Elisenbrunnen & Ancient Hot Springs.

Medieval Aachen

Interesting tidbits

3. Eifel - European jungle?

What to see?

Rursee lake

Monschau

Bad Neuenahr

Nurburgring

Daun and Laacher See

Interesting tidbits

Tempt someone to travel by sending a virtual postcard from Germany!

4. Bonn

What to see in Bonn?

Interesting tidbits

5. The Rhine valley

What to see?

Castles:

Schloss Engers, Neuwied

Kulturpark Sayn, Bendorf-Sayn

Schloss Stolzenfels, Koblenz

Interesting tidbits

The Legend

6. The Mosel valley

What to see?

From Trier to Koblenz

See the valley from Moselsteig Trail

Visit the cities

Burg Eltz – castle of the castles.

Interesting tidbits

Stay tuned!

7. Palatinate forest

What to see?

The German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße)

Castles in the Palatinate

Hiking in Palatinate Forest.

Cycling in the Palatinate Forest

Climbing around Dahn.

Interesting tidbits

Visit Rhineland!

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