Planning a Rhine River cruise and want to see the most castles and medieval villages along the Rhine in two or three days?

Take a Rhine cruise south from Bacharach to Assmannshausen and Rudesheim past picturesque villages, romantic castles and medieval ruins rich in history and german culture. Planning a Rhine River cruise and want to see the most castles along the Rhine in one, two or three days? vacation-package.net - Rhine River cruise questions and answers

The small town of Bacharach is surrounded by vineyards and is easily accessible by boat, train or car.

If you're from Bacharach on the Rhine heading south for Assmannshausen, Bingen or Rudesheim – here we go!

As in all these delightful Rhine Valley towns, the cruise boat landing stages of the Bingen-Ruedesheimer in Bacharach are just a short walk from the center of the old town and the train station. Set your cameras before boarding, the scenery is as photogenic as any you will come across in Continental Europe. One splendid castle follows the next, often perched precariously on steep rock-faces and all surrounded by the romantic rolling hills of the Rhine Valley.

Almost immediately opposite Bacharach the cruise boat passes Lorchhausen, Lorch and Fortress Nollig (now a ruin) on the left-hand side. If you stop by Fortress Nollig, you need to climb the "Devil's Ladder" to get into the ruin grounds – but don't worry, it's quite safe. The name stems from an old legend telling of a young knight who made his way up to the fortress on horseback to collect his bride-to-be.

On the opposite side of the Rhine, the ruins of Fortress Furstenberg rise above Rheindiebach followed by the castle Heimburg on the hills up to Niederheimbach.
The castle Heimburg was built after 1290 from the archbishop of Mainz on the same place of a former roman fort.

Niederheimbach is surrounded from 3 castles and ruins: to the north from the ruins of Fortress Furstenberg and to the south from castle Sooneck. Castle Sooneck has a small but highly recommendable museum with an interesting collection of medieval armor and weapons. From the southern end of Niederheimbach there is a comfortable road which you can drive or walk to castle Sooneck (about 1 km). If you happen to be travelling by car, you can take your car right up to castle Sooneck and park about 250 m before it. (Not for big busses of 50 people).

Towards the southern end of Trechtingshausen and just 8 km north of Bingen is Fortress Reichenstein. If you want to visit this castle with its commendable museum, leave and later rejoin the cruise boat at Trechtingshausen. From the southern end of Trechtingshausen there is also a very comfortable road which you can drive or walk to castle Reichenstein (about 500 m). If you happen to be travelling by car, you can take your car right up to castle Reichenstein and park inside the castle walls. (Not for big busses of 50 people).

Fortress Reichenstein has some masterpiece of new-gothic architecture, its rich history dates back to the 11th century. The Castle Museum contains valuable old furniture and other fascinating items, like the largest collection of old stove plates in the Rhineland-Palatinate, 1200 hunting trophies from four continents, medieval armor and weapons and a fine porcelain collection dating back between the 16th and 19th centuries. The museum is a real historical excursion.

Fortress Reichenstein also houses a Castle Hotel – separately run by a tenant – offering spacious rooms, all with a view to the Rhine, and the candle-light dinner specials on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings are an occasion to remember.

Castle Rheinstein is just a little further upstream. Balanced on a steep rock (opposite from Assmannshausen) it is another fairytale castle, with its drawbridge and ivy ranking up the walls – outside from the boat nice to see but there is not much to see inside. (Like Neuschwanstein castle, which is also outside beautiful to see, but for expensive tickets there is not much to see inside.)

The next boat cruise stop after Trechtingshausen is Assmannshausen. Assmannshausen is a part of Rudesheim and in the center of the Rhinegau (Rheingau) wine region – the climate here is perfect for red wine and Riesling so if you're a wine enthusiast, you will find some excellent offerings here. Some of the wines can only be purchased locally, in limited availability, especially outside this region, so it's a good idea to stop by at one of the wine stores: J. Jung Sohne, Assmannshausen directly behind the railway station and make a point of asking for the wine-of-the-month!

Hotel-Cafe Post is directly on the banks of the Rhine – an ideal spot for a short vacation, a long weekend, or a relaxing longer stay. From the comfortable cafe and restaurant, and the open air terrace, you have a wonderful view of the busy river and banks of the Rhine, the castle Rheinstein, the wooded hill sides and beautiful riverside gardens.
Or stay in one of the 5 self-catering apartments in the "House on the vineyards", which is situated in a quiet area, and is one of the best and most comfortable in the area, with a view of the Rhine and the Rhine Valley. Breakfast and half-board can be ordered in the "Hotel Historisches Altes Haus".

Stay in any of the numerous hotels or bed and breakfasts or apartments in Assmannshausen ...

... or follow our special tip and take the cable car up to the Niederwald woods, continue to the famous Niederwald monument and take another cable car down to Rudesheim ...

... or continue with the Bingen-Ruedesheimer to Bingen and Rudesheim or return to Bacharach, Kaub, Oberwesel, St. Goar or Boppard (change to the Loreley Linie in St. Goar). If it's already a little late in the evening, take a train and / or a ferry in Rudesheim ...

Rhine cruise in 16 parts from Boppard (north) to Rudesheim (south):

Part 1 south: start your river cruise in Boppard on the Rhine ...

Part 2: Stay a while in Boppard before embarking on a boat.

Part 3 south: Rhine River cruise from Boppard in southern direction

Part 4: Stay a while in Kamp-Bornhofen before embarking on a boat.

Part 5 south: Rhine River cruise from Kamp- Bornhofen in southern direction

Part 6: From boat landing stages in St. Goar every 15 minutes with a miniature street railway to Castle Rheinfels

Part 7 south: Rhine River cruise from St. Goar in southern direction

Part 8: Stay a while in Oberwesel, climb on the town wall and the town tower

Oberwesel has an old tradition in wine-making, wine-tasting is also available to single travellers, many wine cellars can be viewed and there are guided tours to the various surrounding vineyards

Part 9 south: Rhine River cruise from Oberwesel in southern direction

Part 10: Stay a while in Kaub and visit the water castle Pfalz

Part 11 south: Rhine River cruise from Oberwesel in southern

Part 12: Stay a while in Bacharach before embarking on a boat.

Part 13 south: Half day Rhine cruise from Bacharach in southern direction

Part 14: Stay a while in Assmannshausen before embarking on a boat.

Part 15 south: Arrange for some wine-tasting at a winery, take the cable car to the Rhine hills opposite from Fortress Rheinstein

Part 16 south: Just off to the northeast of the Niederwald monument, the next cable car takes you comfortably down to Rudesheim on the Rhine River.

2, 3, 4, 6, 8 day vacation packages in different hotels with different one day Rhine River cruises along the castles

Rhine River cruise questions and answers | Winter schedule

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