Rheingau-Taunus District: Rhine Landscape, Limes and Culture

The Rheingau-Taunus District combines the Rhine cultural landscape with traces of the Limes and stories of winegrowing and urban history. These themes offer different perspectives on the region. When planning your trip, it is worth deciding first whether you want to focus mainly on winegrowing history, the Limes or historic places. You can then search for accommodation more specifically by choosing a location.

The Rhine Cultural Landscape and the Limes

The Rheingau-Taunus District is part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site through the municipal areas of Rüdesheim am Rhein and Lorch. Its cultural landscape is shaped by steep river slopes, steep-slope and terrace viticulture, numerous castles, historic townscapes and the Rhine. The terrain, winegrowing and settlement history are defining features of this landscape.

Another World Heritage theme is the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes. It crosses the Rheingau-Taunus District for about 35 kilometres and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2005. In the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park, it runs for around 33 kilometres. These two approximate lengths refer to the district and the nature park, respectively. Zugmantel Fort is also located in the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park and was part of the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cultural Sites and Winegrowing History

A monument to the late-harvest rider in the courtyard of Johannisberg Castle commemorates the discovery of late-harvest wine in 1775. Eltville offers a different historical focus: the tower of the Electoral Castle houses a Gutenberg memorial with an exhibition on the art of printing, as well as a historical collection on the town’s history. This gives you a choice of distinct themes for your trip: winegrowing history or the art of printing.

Vollrads Castle also offers a direct connection to winegrowing. During opening hours, you can taste wines without an appointment at the vinotheque in the former coach house in the inner courtyard. Check the opening hours before your visit, as they may change.

Hikes and Getting There by Location

The 14 Riesling loops are circular routes between 4 and 8 kilometres long, running between Flörsheim am Main and Lorch am Rhein. They focus on Riesling, winegrowing and the Rheingau cultural landscape. The route length provides a useful starting point for choosing; you can then decide which themed loop best suits your interests. Check the condition of the relevant route before setting out, as individual conditions may change.

For travel by train, the right-bank Rhine railway is a useful point of reference. It runs from Koblenz via Rüdesheim am Rhein and Wiesbaden to Frankfurt am Main. As a result, Lorch, Geisenheim, Oestrich-Winkel, Eltville and Walluf are directly connected to Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance rail network. Check timetables and connections with RMV before finalising your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Schlangenbad, Rüdesheim am Rhein, Niedernhausen, Idstein, Geisenheim, Eltville am Rhein, Bad Schwalbach, Walluf, Oestrich-Winkel, Taunusstein, Aarbergen, Hohenstein, Hünstetten, Lorch, Heidenrod, Waldems, Kiedrich.

Go to the overarching travel overview: Hesse.