A Weekend on the Rhein (and the Mosel?)
 

Hello all!

I'm studying this semester in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and I've made a rather spur-of-the-moment decision to spend this weekend exploring the Rhine and perhaps the Mosel. I've started to do some research, but I thought I'd get other people's input as well.

What are some of the must-see towns and castles? Where are some cheap but comfortable and convenient places to stay? I have a EuroRail pass, so I'll be using trains for transport.

Also, I know Burg Eltz is closed (and they're doing some renovation as well), but is it still worth seeing from the outside? What would the hike from the train station to there be like in the winter? For that matter, I do love hiking, and seeing hills/mountains and lakes. Is there anywhere along the Rhine where I could sensibly do that this time of the year?

Thanks!

Check out pictures and write ups on the Rhein and Mosel. Make sure you are going to the one you really want to see. The Rhein has more big history, but it is a twin tracked rail corridor (twinned on both sides in some spots!) and operates as a large barge-way. Not at all romantic. The Mosel, on the other hand is lazy and laid back. It still has castles and quaint wine towns but it is much calmer.

That is too bad Burg Eltz is closed, we absolutely loved it! The outside is amazing. The hike took about 90 minutes from the train station, we did it in May and am not sure I'd recommend it if it is really cold but it was enjoyable. We stayed in Sankt Goar and Burg Rheinfels is there which was neat. The town was pretty cheap and conveniently located but everything seemed to close down at 8pm which was a bummer. So if you are looking for a place with something to do in the evening maybe stay in Cologne or Koblenz.

We stayed at Pension Lettie in Bacharach- [email protected]. Have you checked out this web site? It is helpful and interesting. http://www.bensbauernhof.com/

Both the Rhine and the Mosel are great and for different reasons.

The best thing on the Mosel in my opinion is Trier. It has some great Roman ruins and is a nice sized city without being too big. There are also some castles, but I think they are not as good as the ones on the Rhine (especially if Eltz is closed)

The Rhine (the Middle Rhine in particular) has better castles but I do not care as much for Koblenz. Köln is great but a little far from the best castles. I would make Köln its own trip.

Bacharach is my favorite spot on the Rhine. There is a hostel in the castle above the city. It is close to the great ruin at St. Goar called Rheinfels (mentioned by an earlier poster). Marksburg is across the river and slightly further away but is one of the best castles I have ever been too.

Here are some links to travel blogs I wrote on our previous trips.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...travelogue.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-england.cfm

In both blogs we get to Bacharach towards the end of our journey.

We will be staying in Bacharach for 10 days again next month!

I think I'd do one area this weekend and do the other another time as they both have a lot to offer.

On the Mosel, we really enjoyed Trier for it's Roman history. Also, Bernkastel-Kues has some of the most charming architecture IMO. Beilstein is very small but on a pretty part of the river. There is the obligatory castle ruin as well as the Karmelitenkirche with its "Black Madonna." Cochem is a bit larger town where many of the cruise boats stop and it also has a castle on the hill and a nice town square.

Burg Eltz is open from 1 April to 1 November. An alternative will be the Marksburg in Braubach/Rhein.

I just posted this in another thread. It may be helpful to you (although I wrote this for Fodorites who would start from Frankfurt):


What can you do starting from Frankfurt:

You can visit Eberbach Monastery
http://www.klostereberbach.de/html_english/index.html

The picturesque town Rüdesheim
http://www.ruedesheim.de/cms/index.php?lang=english

You can stay overnight at a castle hotel, e.g. this one
http://www.hotel-schoenburg.com/

You can visit the Marksburg on the Rhein
http://www.marksburg.de/english/frame.htm

You can proceed to the Mosel valley, stay e.g. in Cochem.
You can visit Burg Eltz
http://www.burg-eltz.de/e_index.html

You can visit Trier, a Roman city with impressive ruins and a medieval Old Town and Karl Marx' birthplace
www.trier.de

Monschau is a picturesque old town which is, IMO, even more beautiful than Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

http://www.monschau.de/tourist-information/
You can continue to Aachen, with an impressive city hall and the cathedral where Charlemagne was crowned in 800 A.D.
http://www.aachen.de/EN/ts/170_sehen...ten/index.html

You may do a sidetrip into the Netherlands, to Maastricht, a wonderful medieval town:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastricht

Then you can visit Köln with a gorgeous gothic cathedral, the shrine of the Three Magi, a dozen romanesque churches, rich Roman heritage and many world-class museums (including a chocolate museum).
http://www.koeln.de/cologne_tourist_information


You might have noted that I included Maastricht.

I assume that you mean right away. Much is closed this time of year. St. Goar and Bacharach, as nice as they are, will have few facilities open.

I understand that Marksburg Castle mentioned above is open all year. Check their website. You might want to stay in Boppard fairly close. It is a little larger (still very nice)with more hotels and restaurants.

Several hotels in Boppard are listed in HRS.com. Prices are generally lower than nearby Koblenz.

http://www.hrs.de/web3/

Regards, Gary