The “Castles on the Rhine” are so well known, but until I visited the Middle Rhine, I didn’t understand the abundance of the castles that line the bluffs. The first time I cruised along the Rhine, I expected to see a castle or two. Instead, every few minutes, around the bend, another town and another castle came into view. The best way to tour the area is on a boat going down (or up) the river so you can look to either side. You will be rewarded far beyond what you’ve imagined.
The Middle Rhine is the portion of the river that goes from Mainz / Bingen north to Koblenz. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where about 40 castles once stood, and at least the ruins of many of them are still here. A cruise of a few hours will allow you to take in a good amount of the tiny, colorful medieval towns that line the river and the castles that stood guard along the way. Green vineyards line the terraced hills. It is truly breathtaking.
Time to board! These boats travel up and down the Rhine all day. The largest company is KD Rhine. Times are dependent on the season, so check the website for times and prices. Generally the boats run a full schedule from early April through October. And if you want to go beyond the Middle Rhine, you can take one of these boats all the way to Cologne.
Could this be more amazing?!
Castles in all shapes and sizes, built over centuries, cling to the hillsides.
Some castles are isolated on bluffs while others are in or right above a town.
This one is a hotel and restaurant.
The straight green lines of the crops give a sense of order to the rocky hills.
If it’s cold or rainy, you can go below decks. I stayed out as long as I could, then I went below to warm up with a delicious latte.
Our hotel in St. Goar was right on the Rhine and a boat dock for the KD line was outside the door. It’s the perfect location for exploring the Middle Rhine. This is the view from our room. One of the most famous castles, the Rheinfels Castle, sits atop the town and the stone ruins are definitely worth a visit. 
Trains zip along both sides of the Rhine and can take you wherever you plan to go next. 
The Middle Rhine is enchanting, and it can be enjoyed if you have even a morning or an afternoon in the area. You don’t have to take an overnight cruise or block out more time to visit this richly historic place in our world.
40 Comments
Beautiful post and fantasy of mine – to sail down a river in Europe viewing the beuaty. Love your images
A feast for the eyes it is indeed! Like Carol above, one of my travel dreams is to take a European riverboat cruise.
Castles are things I see in movies or photos. Would love to see them in person one day. Thanks for sharing your trip. 🙂
Just breathtaking!
Thank you for the tour. The vibrant colors of the flowers are splendid! Have a grand week!
River cruises are a wonderful way to see so much beauty all at once. I’d love to see the Rhine and those castles one day. Beautiful photos of both the buildings and the very green rolling hills. I spotted quite a few vineyards.
Breathtaking! I can only imagine how wonderful your experience was to see these scenes captured in your photographs.
Stunning, sumptuous photos! Thanks so much for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-peek-inside-biltmore-estate.html
It’s been several years since we did one of Viking River Cruises’ grand tours…from Amsterdam to Budapest…but I remember the thrill of sitting on the deck as we passed castle after castle on the Rhine. Your photos brought back many wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing them.
Kay
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
This is definitely on my bucket list, and I think it has moved up more than a few spots due to your inspiring post! I can never get enough of castles!
My parents once took a cruise of the Rhine. Am impressed with the castles, some of them look very well taken care of, but the landscapes around them as as equally beautiful. The first black and white tower you shot is my favorite! Thanks so much Sharon for adding these to All Seasons! Have a beautiful week!
Such amazingly beautiful pictures! Those sorts of places tend to melt my heart!
#citytripping
Goodness! As a little girl, I dreamt of living in a castle, but when I got to visit real castles during a trip to Germany, i changed my mind. Still. These are such grand (and grandiose!) buildings and one can’t help but ooh and aah over them.
What a lovely trip! We are headed to this area this summer and I had no idea I could hop on a boat for just a day trip! Thanks for sharing #CityTripping
Oh your photos are wonderful! My husband took the amazing boat cruise on the Rhine when he was there, and I always regretted I didn’t join him! He asked, but the mechanics of getting me there were a little tricky and I always thought I’d have a chance later…a good lesson! 🙁
Stunning shots!
Truly Awesome place. Amazing pics.
Very beautiful scenes along the river.
Beautiful. I’d love to explore the Rhine River like you did in this post. That area looks so pleasant.
Fascinating part of the world. I would like to take the Rhine River cruise someday.
Worth a Thousand Words
What a way to see all those wonderful castles! I didn’t realise there were so many in one stretch. Must say, I m wouldn’t mind staying in the one which is a hotel and restaurant. Thanks for linking #citytripping
So beautiful! I visited last year. After weeks planning my two days on the Rhine, we had terrible weather and had to cancel most of the things we had planned for the second day. Then, when we were on the boat, about a 100 students boarded and made it very difficult to enjoy the scenery. Well, I guess I will have to visit again.
Such an idyllic place to experience! I just love the hillside castles and the colors too. Beautiful!
What a lovely trip and equally awesome photographs! I love river cruises. We did a similar one years back. Looking at your photos I feel we need to plan another one soon.
The Rhine is one of my favorite places to visit in Germany and I’d love to go back and slow travel through there a bit more, preferably also by boat!! Thanks for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard!
Lovely! I have visited many of these place, and these castles as a matter of fact, but never been on a Rhine boat trip!
#TheWeeklyPostcard
My husband did a Rhine castles tours several years ago and I’ve wanted to go since hearing his tales about the trip. I’d love to go on a boat trip there!
Wow! I never even thought about taking just a day cruise, I guess I’ve always thought there were only fancy overnight cruises. Thanks for the great info. Your pictures are fabulous. I’m an architecture nerd, so I just love all that great castle architecture and how each one has its own, unique features. This looks like a really great ides when visiting the area. #WeekendWanderlust
Castles are a favorite thing for me to see and your post is wonderful!! Thanks for the lovely photos and narrative, too.
I love castles, and a cruise down the Rhine is now high on my list for the next time I’m in Europe. Your photos are lovely. #TPThursday
This sounds so amazing. The idea of cruising up/down a river and castle-viewing sounds like perfection to me. I can’t believe how many of them there are! Thanks for linking up with #farawayfiles
#Swoon! We love castles, and the Rhine is like a real life jackpot. You have definitely planted a seed. It didn’t occur to us to hop boats up and down the river, between the towns. That seems like a great plan for spending a week or two in the area, and we like the idea of basing in St. Goar. Great photos – thanks for inspiring us!
Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing the experience, looks like a great addition to any trip to Europe.
[…] Exploring Our World | Castles on the Rhine […]
I love castles and I love Germany – exploring this area would actually be a lot of fun. So much history and beautiful architecture! Love it. Thanks for sharing
Amazing castles…I just love to see them. Boating on the Rhine sounds wonderful to see & explore some castles. Great photos and information. Thanks for sharing! #feetdotravel
Oh I do love castles, and this trip down (or up!) the Rhine would be perfect for me. So pretty, such gorgeous rolling hills and stunning landscapes! Thank you for sharing, pinned! #feetdotravel
Superb photos of the Rhine valley Sharon. It really is hard to beat Germany when it comes to castles. Cruising down the river really does seem the best way to enjoy it all. Thanks for sharing! #TheWeeklyPostcard
[…] It’s no secret that we swoon over castles! I mean, who doesn’t? Now, imagine a gentle river rolling through a valley lined with vineyards and quaint towns, with castles nearly every place you look. Heaven? That’s where Sharon at Exploring Our World takes us for Castles on the Rhine. […]
Lovely! Been here 8 months ans still havent been down the Rhein!