Rhine Valley Cruise

Between Bingen and Koblenz, the Rhine winds through a steep gorge lined with vineyards, half-timbered towns and castles on almost every hilltop. This Upper Middle Rhine Valley is listed by UNESCO, and the best way to see it is from the deck of a river boat.

A cruise from Rüdesheim or Bingen to St Goar passes Pfalzgrafenstein, a toll castle on an island in midstream, the walls of Burg Katz and the Lorelei, a cliff where legend says a siren lured sailors onto the rocks. Hop off for lunch in Bacharach or Boppard.

Boats run from spring to autumn, most often in summer. The valley is about an hour from Frankfurt, which makes it an easy day out or a stop between Frankfurt and Cologne.