2 Best Sights in The Pfalz and Rhine Terrace, Germany

These hillside sparkling wine cellars were built in 1850 on a site where the Romans had cultivated vines and cellared wine. The Kupferberg family expanded them to create 60 seven-story-deep vaulted cellars—the deepest in the world. The winery has a splendid collection of glassware; posters from the belle époque period (1898–1914); richly carved casks from the 18th and 19th centuries; and the Traubensaal (Grape Hall), a tremendous example of the Art Nouveau style. Tours, Saturdays only, of the cellars and museum last one hour plus time for a sparkling wine tasting, and involve lots of stairs. Reservations for tours are required and can be made online. The Kupferberg Terrassen restaurant here is a lovely place to dine before or after your tour, and offers an excellent-value two-course lunch menu.

The main reason to visit Nierstein is its wineries,so a visit to the Vinothek Nierstein is almost a must-do if you are interested in the region's wines. Try some tastes, including Silvaner, the typical specialty of the Rhinehessen wine region. Either before or after your wine-tasting, it makes a great starting point to an easy hike or drive to the vineyard heights and the vantage point at the Wartturm (watchtower), which looks down to the town. In the summer, the Niersteiner Weinwanderung (wine walk;  www.weinwanderung.de) takes place along the Roter Hang ("red slope") of the vineyards—the soil here has a lot of red clay in it—with food and wine-tasting stands set up along the way. From up there, there's a stunning view of the Rhine.