132 Best Sights in The Rhineland, Germany

This pointed bit of land, jutting into the river like the prow of an early ironclad warship, is at the sharp intersection of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. In 1897, an equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, first emperor of the newly united Germany, was erected here as one of the more effusive manifestations of German nationalism. It was destroyed at the end of World War II, and replaced for 40 years by a ponderous monument to Germany's unity, but a new statue of Wilhelm was placed here in 1993—and still stands today. It's accompanied by three pieces of the Berlin Wall on the Mosel side, a memorial to those who died as a result of the partitioning of the country.

Winningen marks the start of several of the region's loveliest and most informative short walks: the educational Weinpfade (wine trails). There are five trails to choose from, with varying lengths from 4 to 9 km (2½ to 5½ miles), but the best introductory trail is the Domgarten-Weinpfad (Cathedral Garden Wine Trail). It starts and ends at the Weinhof (also a Tourist Information Office), leading up and through the vineyards that lie above the town. The beautiful, medium-difficulty, 4½-km (3-mile) circular route is lined with signs explaining the grape-growing and wine-making processes, as well as plenty of benches for enjoying the spectacular river views. The whole thing usually takes around two hours, excluding stops—and if you find you still have energy, there are four more trails to tackle.

The cathedral houses sacred art from late antiquity and the Carolingian, Ottonian, and Hohenstaufen eras. A bust of Charlemagne on view here was commissioned in the late 14th century by Emperor Karl IV, who traveled here from Prague for the sole reason of having it made. The bust incorporates a piece of Charlemagne's skull. Other highlights include the Cross of Lothair and the Persephone Sarcophagus.

If hiking to Drachenfels isn't for you, you can also reach the castle ruins by taking the Drachenfelsbahn, a narrow-gauge train that makes trips to the summit every half hour from March through October, and hourly in January and February. Download a free audio tour (available in English) about the Drachenfelsbahn and the Drachenfels on the website.

Less than 500 feet long but a major local attraction, Drosselgasse is a narrow, pub-lined lane between Rheinstrasse and Oberstrasse that buzzes with music and merrymaking from 10 am until well past midnight every day, all year round. The first wine tavern here, the Drosselhof, opened in 1727. Stop at the street's Art Cafe for a legendary Rüdesheimerkaffee—made by flambéeing Asbach Uralt brandy and sugar in a specially made cup until the sugar dissolves, pouring strong coffee over it, and garnishing with mountains of whipped cream and chocolate flakes—and, if you still have space, pair it with a Baumstriezel (chimney cake).

Southeast of the cathedral and the site of the city's tourist-information center is an arcaded, neoclassical structure built in 1822. The central pavilion contains two fountains with thermal water—the hottest north of the Alps—that is reputed to help cure a wide range of ailments in those who drink it. If you can brave a gulp of the sulfurous water, you'll be emulating the likes of Dürer, Frederick the Great, and Charlemagne.

Butterflies from South America, Asia, and Africa flit back and forth over your head between the branches of banana trees and palms at this glass-enclosed garden north of Koblenz. The palace houses a small museum of decorative cast-iron objects, a restaurant, and a café, and its park can be explored. To reach the castle by public transport, take Bus No. 8 from Koblenz Hauptbahnhof to the last stop, "Schloss Sayn" (40 minutes).

German history since World War II is the subject of this museum, which begins with "hour zero," as the Germans call the unconditional surrender of 1945. The museum displays an overwhelming amount of documentary material organized on five levels and engages various types of media. You can even step inside a re-created 1950s ice-cream parlor, complete with an interactive jukebox. An audio guide in English is available.

This museum and archive houses significant manuscripts of the German poet and man of letters, Heinrich Heine. Part of the complex was once the residence of the composer Robert Schumann.

Wolfgang Steffens conducts half-hour daily tours at 11, 2, 3, and 4, showing how he produces the gourmet mustard at his 200-year-old mill. Garlic, cayenne, honeycomb, Indian curry, and Riesling wine are among the flavors you can sample and buy in the shop.

The oldest remaining parts of the Hofgarten date back to 1769, when it was transformed into Germany's first public park. The promenade leading to what was once a hunting palace, Schloss Jägerhof, was all the rage in late-18th-century Düsseldorf before the park was largely destroyed by Napoléon's troops. Today it's an oasis of greenery in the heart of downtown.

Until the 1930s, Bernkastel was home to a large and well-assimilated Jewish community; although, as this cemetery reveals, they were still required to bury their dead far outside of the town limits. Ask at the Tourist Information to borrow a key to the cemetery, which is reachable by a scenic half-hour hike through the vineyards in the direction of Traben-Trarbach. Opened in the mid-19th century, it's home to around 30 graves, as well as a few headstones from a destroyed 17th-century graveyard.

A 25-minute ride on the U79 from the City Center puts you in this historic corner of Düsseldorf, reminiscent of a storybook German town with its winding cobblestone streets and neatly packed stone and brick buildings. Don't miss seeing the crumbling ruins of Kaiserpfalz, a 12th-century castle on the banks of the Rhine.

This enormous 4th-century bathing palace once housed cold- and hot-water baths and a sports field. Although only the masonry of the Calderium (hot baths) and the vast basements remain, they are enough to give a fair idea of the original splendor and size of the complex. Originally 98 feet high, the walls you see today are just 62 feet high.

Built in 1727, this baroque residence was the site of a monumental moment in world history less than a century later, when future philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary socialist Karl Marx was born here. Visitors with a serious interest in socialism, and social history in general, will be fascinated by its small museum featuring some of Marx's personal effects, as well as first-edition manifestos. Audio guides are available in English.

Two baroque altars dominate the interior of this Gothic church. It houses intricately carved choir stalls and tombstones and several beautiful Madonnas. Winegrowers still observe the old custom of laying the first-picked Trauben (grapes) at the foot of the Traubenmadonna (1330) to ensure a good harvest.

The works of Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945), the most important German female artist of the 20th century, focus on social themes like the plight of the poor and the atrocities of war. This is the larger of the country's two Kollwitz collections and comprises all of her woodcuts, as well as paintings, etchings, lithographs, and sculptures. There are also changing exhibits of other modern artists.

The massive tower in the center of town belongs to the parish church of St. Peter. It's a prime example of the "Rhenish Transitional Style," a brief 13th-century movement when old Romanesque churches were decorated with elements of the newer French Gothic style, but without undergoing any major structural alterations. The church is most notable for its impressive four-story nave.

The Kö-Bogen II office complex bills itself as having Europe's largest green façade, with eight kilometers of green hedges and approximately 30,000 plants in total.

The origins of the official art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne stretch back to 1853, but the institution received a big boost in 2007, with the opening of a new home atop the ruins of the Gothic parish church of St. Kolumba. Designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the new building pays homage to the site's Roman, Gothic, and medieval heritage, while unstuffily presenting a collection of art spanning from late antiquity to the present.

An impressive reminder of Trier's Roman past, this edifice, now the city's major Protestant church, was built by the emperor Constantine around AD 310 as the imperial throne room of the palace. At 239 feet long, 93 feet wide, and 108 feet high, it demonstrates the astounding ambition of its Roman builders and the sophistication of their building techniques. The basilica is one of the two largest Roman interiors in existence (the other is the Pantheon in Rome). Look up at the deeply coffered ceiling; more than any other part of the building, it conveys the opulence of the original structure. An ornate rococo garden now separates the basilica from the Landesmuseum.

Exhibits are generally excellent at this large museum that focuses on German art since 1945, mainly Rhenish expressionists (Beuys, Baselitz, and August Macke), as well as works by contemporary German artists.

Eltville flourished as a favorite residence of the archbishops of Mainz in the 14th and 15th centuries, and it was during this time that the castle—which now houses Eltville's tourist-information center—was built. The museum includes an exhibition commemorating Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of modern letterpress printing, who was appointed courtier here in 1465; the Count's Chamber with its impressive 14th-century murals; an observation deck with a lovely view of the city; and a dungeon that is accessed by a narrow spiral staircase. More than 300 varieties of roses grow in the castle's courtyard garden, its walls, and out along the Rhine promenade.

Built in the 18th century by the prince-electors of Cologne, this grand palace now houses Bonn's university. If the weather is good, stroll through Hofgarten park in front of it. When Bonn was a capital, this patch of grass drew tens of thousands to antinuclear demonstrations. Today it's mostly used for games of pickup soccer and ultimate Frisbee.

Some 10 km (6 miles) north of St. Goarshausen, near Kamp-Bornhofen, is a castle duo separated by a "quarrel wall." These are Liebenstein and Sterrenberg, known as the Feindliche Brüder (enemy brothers) in reference to the feuding descendants who inherited the castles from the king who built them. Liebenstein is now home to a charming medieval-style hotel complete with lavish period rooms, and Sterrenberg offers a traditional German restaurant with garden and terrace that offer wonderful panoramic views.

This church stands on Roman foundations at the Old Town's highest point, where, on surrounding streets, war damage is evidenced by the blend of old buildings and modern store blocks. The bulk of the church is of Romanesque design, but its choir is one of the Rhineland's finest examples of 15th-century Gothic architecture, and the west front is graced with two 17th-century baroque towers.

Popularly known as the "red church" because of its brightly colored brick exterior, the towering Liebfrauenkirche has superb sculptures, tombstones, and paintings, as well as one of Germany's oldest high gothic shrine altars (from 1331). It's at the southeastern end of the town center, near the train station.

One of the world's most important art collectors, chocolate magnate Peter Ludwig, endowed two museums in the town he called home. The Forum, the larger of the two, holds a portion of Ludwig's enormous collection of contemporary art and hosts traveling exhibits.

Sitting just behind the Deutsches Eck, this modern art museum is housed in the restored 13th-century Deutschherrenhaus. Industrialist Peter Ludwig, one of Germany's leading contemporary-art collectors, bequeathed his collection of French, American, and German art to the museum in 1992. There have been many additions since, but the core collection, featuring works by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, and Man Ray, remains.