2 Best Sights in Oberwesel, The Rhineland

Popularly known as the "red church" because of its brightly colored brick exterior, the towering Liebfrauenkirche has superb sculptures, tombstones, and paintings, as well as one of Germany's oldest high gothic shrine altars (from 1331). It's at the southeastern end of the town center, near the train station.

A fortresslike tower on a hill, the Roman Catholic St. Martin church is well worth the short but steep climb up from Wernerstrasse. Decorated in white and pastel pink inside and out, it's particularly notable for its beautifully painted vaulting and magnificent baroque altar. Take time to explore Martinsgarten, a medley of manicured hedges and flower beds on the northern side of the church—the vistas of the town and river from here are second to none—before walking back to the center via the old Roman ramparts.