Getting Oriented

If you're arriving from the dramatic stretch of the river Rhine centered on the Loreley and Koblenz to the north, you'll notice that the landscape here is far gentler. So, too, is the climate: this region, guarded at its northern edge by the medieval city of Mainz and touching the French border at its southern extreme, is one of Germany's warmest. This helps the land give birth to plentiful fruits such as apricots and figs, and to some of Germany's greatest wines.

• The German Wine Road. The picturesque Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Road) weaves through the valleys and among the lower slopes of the Haardt Mountains. Along its length is a string of pretty half-timber wine-producing villages, each more inviting than the last.
• The Rhine Terrace. Rheinhessen, or the "Rhine Terrace," is a broad, fertile river valley, where grapes are but one of many crops. Here the medieval cities of Mainz, Worms, and Speyer all bear testament to the great power and wealth brought by the important trading route created by the mighty Rhine itself.