Explore Western Germany

Your exploration of western Germany will start with an hour's scenic drive from Frankfurt to Rüdesheim, the gateway to the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

Upon arrival in Rüdesheim, you will enjoy a delicious typical lunch and then spend the rest of the day exploring this region on your own.

Located near the banks of the Rhine, the Brömserburg housing as the Rheingau Wine Museum since 1950, is a great place to get to know the wine culture of this region from antiquity to the present day. A few hundred meters away is the famous Drosselgasse, one of the most popular streets in Germany that is lined with restaurants and pubs with German characteristics.

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, starting from Rüdesheim and ending in Koblenz, is registered in UNESCO in 2002 for a unique combination of geological, historical, cultural, and industrial reasons.

Today you will take a boat to experience the unique charm of the above area. As the boat sails from Rüdesheim to Koblenz, you will be amazed by the breathtaking landscapes combined with the long history and culture of Germany. The vines growing on the slopes of the Rhine and medieval towns with ancient forts and castles will surely catch your eyes. As well as the rocks dating back to the Devonian period, especially the Loreley on the bank of the Rhine in the part of Sankt Goar.

On arrival in Koblenz, take a cable car to Ehrenbreitstein and enjoy the view of the Rhine from a unique angle.

The River Moselle is a tributary of the Rhine on the left and meets at Koblenz. Its valley has a reputation as a rural idyll and is world-renowned as one of 13 German wine regions for quality wines.

First of all, you will soak in the beautiful countryside scenes by a walking tour through the villages along the valley of the Moselle. Next, visit the Eltz Castle, which is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the River Moselle that has never been destroyed. Finally, take a boat tour on the Moselle from Traben to Bernkastel-Kues to discover why it is one of Germany's most beautiful river valleys.

When the tour ends, proceed to Trier, an old Roman village with a history of more than 2,000 years. There is nothing better than ending the day with a wine tasting.

Take some free time strolling around the city to discover the various old buildings before heading to Bockenheim an der Weinstrasse, the starting point of the famous German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße in German).

This route is the oldest of Germany's tourist wine routes, stretching from the town of Bockenheim and snaking through 85 kilometers of gorgeous wine country until the German Wine Gate in Schweigen-Rechtenbach on the French border.

Following the yellow signposts that say Deutsche Weinstraße, you will reach Bad Dürkheim for the night. Upon arrival, you will have a chance to visit the world's biggest wine barrel with a total volume of 44 million gallons of wine.

Continue your exploration of the German Wine Route from Bad Dürkheim to Schweigen-Rechtenbach close to the French border. Pass through the towns of Wachenheim, Neustadt, Edenkoben, and many quaint old villages. Take your pick and stop where looks interesting, maybe historic market squares, narrow cobblestone streets, or small local wineries for a wine tasting.

When the tour ends at Schweigen-Rechtenbach, return to the hotel in Bad Dürkheim for rest.

After breakfast, less than an hour's drive will take you to Heidelberg on the Neckar River, which is known as the university town since it is the location of the oldest Heidelberg University. Besides, it is also famous for its castle ruins. Perching 80 meters up the northern part of the Königstuhl hillside, the Heidelberg Castle took 400 years to complete, was constantly changing in style. When visiting here, you will find its architecture in a wonderful mixture of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance. Don't forget to go down to the Vinoteca for a wine tasting before leaving the castle to visit the charming old town of Heidelberg.

This morning, you will return to Frankfurt with a stopover at Worms, which is one of the oldest cities in northern Europe. Here you can take a panoramic tour of the city, during which the 12^th-century Worms Cathedral in the highest point of the inner city will surprise you with its architecture in Romanesque style.

Your exploration of western Germany comes to the end as you reach Frankfurt.