Cruising the Rhine River is probably one of the best ways to relax as well as enjoy the bounty of nature, the thrill of architecture, the vibrancy of towns situated on its banks, and the company of people from across the world. There are several day cruises available that will take you close to the vivid culture and deep-rooted history of the towns built around the mighty Rhine – the 12th longest river in the world.
The Rhine River is one of our favourite river cruise destinations. Flowing all the way from the Swiss Alps to the Netherlands, there are a multitude of sights to see on the Rhine riverfront and beyond. River cruises will often take you through cities such as Heidelberg, Bonn, Strasbourg and Basel. Other possible sight-seeing locations include the striking Rhine Gorge (an UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the legendary Lorelei Rock. if you do decide to visit the Rhine Gorge area, be sure to pay Rudesheim am Rhein a visit, a famous winemaking town in Hesse, Germany. Join us as we take a look at a few places to check out as you cruise down the Rhine.
Rüdesheim
One of the starting points of Rhine River cruise, Rüdesheim is a perfect place for a quiet romantic holiday. This is the place where Rhine cruises to Cologne, Bingen, Fahrgastschiffahrt, assmannshausen, Burgenrundfahrt, and Burg Rheinstein start out. The day cruises along the Rhine are classified under wine tasting tours, romantic tours, and nature excursions. Rüdesheim is home to historical castles and monuments, including Boosenburg Castle, Burgruine Ehrenfels castle, and Niederwald Landscape Park with its famous monument.
Assmannshausen
A small village close to Rudesheim, it is most popular among tourists for the chair lift that connects assmannshausen to Niederwald. The chair lift offers a magnificent view of the Rhine valley as well as the town of assmannshausen. The village is famous for its Pinot noir red wine, lithium spring, and Kurhaus.
Romantic Lorelei Rock
The Lorelei rock comes with its bewitching local fable and is one of the most popular day cruise destinations on the River Rhine. it is situated deep in the Rhine valley, 25 km (16 miles) from Rudesheim and 80km (50 miles) from Frankfurt. Rising vertically up to almost 132m above the water level, it used to be one of the most difficult passages to navigate.
St. Goar
A UNESCO World Heritage site, St. Goar is a small town built on the ruins of Burg Rheinfels, one of the famous castles on the Middle Rhine. Situated close to the Lorelei rock, this is a hauntingly beautiful destination that seems to lie trapped in a narrow gap on the Rhine Gorge. The Burg Rheinfels monumental zone is the main attraction, and some of the fortifications can still be seen. The town architecture will take you back in time with buildings consisting of hipped roof, mansard roof, timber frames, and bright flowery gardens. The vineyards along the steep slopes of GrÃndelbach valley and the Wahrschauer-und Lotsenmuseum, a museum about boat signaling and pilotage are definitely high points of the cruise.
St.Goarshausen
Situated on the eastern shore of the Rhine and across St. Goar 30 km south of Koblenz, St.Goarshausen is famous for Lorelei rock and a view of the two enchanting castles of Burg Katz and Burg Maus. Situated on a hill top. Burg Maus offers spectacular view of the town, the Rhine, and the ruins of Burg Rheinfels.
Bacharach
A picture perfect medieval town in Germany, this 600-year old town is replete with nostalgia at every turn. Timber framed homes are a welcome sight for sore eyes while the cobblestone streets are reminiscent of 18th century europe. The town of Bacharach is the perfect starting point for hiking trails that lead through mountains and vineyards towards the Stahleck Castle and the Gothic Church of Warren Chapel. a stop at the local weinstube is a must for those who love the taste of the famous sparkling wine – Riesling.
Bingen
This is also one of the starting points of day cruises on the Rhine River and is renowned for the Mouse Tower. a small city nestled in the lap of the mountains and the Rhine Valley, it boasts several historical monuments including the Binger Mäuseturm, Burg Klopp castle, Rochuskapelle pilgrimage chapel, DrususbrÃcke bridge, a 1780 empire style building called Puricellipalais, Roman villa rustica and the Bingen Forest.
One of numerous Rhine cruises available will not only take you through these scintillating and virgin landscapes along a waterway surrounded by hills dotted with castles, but also offer up active adventures for the entire family at every turn of this meandering river.
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