Planning a trip to The Rheingau

Getting There

By Plane

The nearest airport is at Frankfurt, 50km (30 miles) away.

From the airport, you can rent a car. Otherwise, take the train or bus from Wiesbaden. There are bus links from the Frankfurt airport to Wiesbaden's bus and train transport hubs.

By Train

The main rail station at Rüdesheim is on the Wiesbaden-Koblenz line, with frequent service to regional towns and connections to all major cities. For rail information and schedules, call tel. 01805/996633 (www.bahn.de). Train service from Frankfurt is via Wiesbaden and takes 1 hour.

By Bus

Bus service for the region is provided by ORN Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe GmbH, in Wiesbaden (tel. 0611/977580; www.orn-online.de).

By Car

Access by car is via the A61 Autobahn from the north and Hwy. 42 connecting with the A671 from the west. From Frankfurt, motorists can take the A66 until they reach the junction with Rte. B42, which is signposted and leads right to Rüdesheim. Motorists heading from Koblenz on the west bank of the Rhine can use the A61 to Bingen, and then follow the signs for the ferryboats that cross the river to Rüdesheim. For information on the ferry service, call tel. 06722/2972. From Koblenz, you can also take B42 along the east bank of the river, which will lead directly into Rüdesheim. Rte. B42 links Rüdesheim with Assmannshausen.

Regions in Brief

Rüdesheim

With its old courtyards and winding alleyways lined with half-timbered houses, Rüdesheim is the epitome of a Rhine wine town. The vineyards around the village date back to the Roman emperor Probus. The full-bodied Riesling is produced here, as well as brandy and Sekt (sparkling wine). Rüdesheim is also the scene of the annual August wine festival, when the old taverns on the narrow and very touristy Drosselgasse (Thrush Lane) are crowded with visitors from all over the world. Drosselgasse has been called "the smallest but the happiest street in the world." From April to November, you can listen to music and dance in these taverns daily noon to 1am.

To prove how seriously Rüdesheimers take their wine, they have opened a wine museum in Bromserburg Castle. The Rheingau- und Weinmuseum, Rheinstrasse 2 (tel. 06722/2348; www.rheingauer-weinmuseum.de), charges 5€ for adults, and 3€ for children 11 and under; it's open mid-March to October daily 10am to 6pm (last admission 5:15pm). It traces the history of the grape and has an exhibition of wine presses, glasses, goblets, and drinking utensils from Roman times to the present. Wine tastings are 7.50€ to 16€ extra, depending on how many samples you drink.

Assmannshausen

This old village at the northern edge of the Rheingau is built on the slopes of the east bank of the Rhine. Its half-timbered houses and vineyards seem precariously perched on the steep hillsides, and the view of the Rhine Valley from here is awe-inspiring. Assmannshausen is known for its fine burgundy-style wine. It lies 5km (3 miles) northwest of Rüdesheim and 60km (37 miles) west of Frankfurt.