Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

If you're arriving from the dramatic stretch of the Rhine centered around the Lorelei and Koblenz to the north, you'll notice how the landscape here is far gentler. So too is the climate and soil in this region of the Rhine valley, guarded at its northern edge by the medieval city of Mainz and touching the French border at its southern extreme. This helps the land give birth to some of Germany's greatest wines.

The German Wine Road. The picturesque German Wine Road weaves through the valleys and among the lower slopes of the Haardt Mountains. Along its length are a string of pretty half-timbered wine-producing villages, each more inviting than the last.

The Rhine Terrace. Rheinhessen or "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.