10 ReviewsBackground
While spending a few days in Cologne, we decided to take a cruise down the Rhine River. Having read many tour books, not having yet been a member of VT, we decided to depart from Cologne...
6 ReviewsWe took a tour boat up the Rhine River from Koblenz to Mainz. Although the scenery was, of course, beautiful, when you go upstream, there's a long time between castles. It took us 8 hours - if memory...
2 Reviews Koblenz is located in Germany's winegrowing region. South of Koblenz is the so-called Rheingau region. The drive thorugh the vineyard is a great experience. In this hilly region almost all hills is...
3 ReviewsIf you are in Mainz during Christmas time, please visit the Christmas markets. Generous choice of great food and gifts. We love their Mushroom dish and also the German Sausages ! We can never get...
2 ReviewsI took advantage of the Eck, and proposed this week at the corner of Mother Mosel and Father Rhein, this is a very beautiful area! Make sure you go to the top of the statue and marvel at the beauty of...
6 ReviewsIn the rapidly descending twilight of an early January afternoon, I didn't have time to take a moment and step inside the Christuskirche. But I did snap a picture of its impressive copper dome.
The...
1 ReviewWhen Steve and Susan were over we walked around the nice old town of Koblenz and on the search for a (vegetarian) snack we found the "Gemüsegasse" (Vegetable Lane). We were sure we'd find something...
3 ReviewsThe old Kirschgarten, just off Augustinerstrasse, is one of the most pleasant parts of the old city. Half-timbered houses give it a bit of a "disneyland" feel, but this is a real neighborhood, and...
1 ReviewWaaaayyyyyy off the beaten path in a tiny *Gasse* on the Ehrenbreitstein side of Koblenz, in the Obertal area, we came across a gorgeous little local bakery selling all kinds of cakes and bread at...
3 ReviewsNo proper German city of the 19th century was without its own municipal theatre! The good burgers of Mainz jointly funded this project in the proud 19th century, dedicating the stage in 1831.
Recent...
1 ReviewMake sure you see the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, and Duetsches Eck. My best memory of Koblenz was trying to find a way into Fortress Ehrenbreitstein. We drove like an 1.5 hours to see this castle and...
1 ReviewThere are lots of good restaurant choices in the small streets that radiate from this square. It's about a ten to fifteen minute walk from either the train station or the Dom.
Neubrunnenplatz is...
2 ReviewsMainz has been a cathedral city for over a thousand years, a fact commemorated by this bronze monument in the central square.
The monument is decorated with images depicting the city's history,...
2 ReviewsI only spent here few hours in the summer and I did enjoy it very much here.
To find out more check the Mainz official site which is also available in English & French.
Mainz Official
1 ReviewIt was the French Emperor Napoleon who ordered the creation of a square dedicated to the memory of Gutenberg in the early 1800s. A few decades later, the citizens of Mainz commissioned the prominent...
1 ReviewThe Osteiner Hof is in Schillerplatz, across from the Carnival Fountain/statue. It was built in the mid-18th century as a dowager's palace for the sister of the Prince Elector was also constructed in...
The incredible diversity, Rheinland-Pfalz offers to the visitors lies in its 9 regions, each one is very much characerised through its landscape or better through the rivers which have shaped the landscape. Rhein river, the most prominent one, is responsible for the very much fertile lowlands in Palatinate, which, in addition to the wine, makes it something like the vegetable supermarket for the region. The other rivers, Nahe, Moselle and Ahr (left or western side) and Lahn (right or eastern side) have formed fertile valleys which are also very famous for their wine. Add to this the mountains and forests of Eifel, Hunsrück, Westerwald, parts of Taunus and Pfälzerwald and you have the perfect combination of scenic landscape and farmland for gorgeous travel and delicious food. In addition to this all, Rheinland-Pfalz has the highest density of castles and fortresses, around 400 to be...
Rheinland Pfalz and especially Palatinate is beautiful all year round. However, this is no secret to the many fans of this part of Germany, so it can get quite crowded in summer and autumn. But nevertheless, autumn and spring are the most beautiful seasons in my opinion. Spring, as due to the mild climate, the region is exploding with tree blossoms (almond trees, apples) and spring flowers. And autumn… oh well, this is a feast for the eyes and soul, colourful leaves and very delicious autumn meals during the wine festivals. One tip: if you plan to come for a visit in summer, you might consider to book a room in one of the smaller villages. Chances are good that these are not completely overbooked like it would be the case for Neustadt, Bad Dürkheim, Wachenheim or Weisenheim (the ones along the Weinstraße). And most probably the room rates are a bit more decent. Public transport is very...
I am not sure if this might better belong to the local customs or restaurant section - well, now I add it here.By now, you all might have guessed that Palatinaters are very much into celebrating their wine, the world and the dishes. This means that every month a festival is taking place along the Weinstraße.You can check the Pfalz' website for details about wine festivals:Wine festivals in Palatinate.Unfortunately in German only. The other website is gone :-(
Anything with "Wein" is a wine festival (often also called Weinkerwe = wine fun fair), but there is more. They have celebrations of May (Maifest) and spring (Frühlingsfest), or asparagus (Spargelfest). Bauernmarkt stands for farmers market. The most famous of all is certainly the so-called Wurstmarkt in Bad Dürkheim, literally translated into sausage market. But it is a wine festival, for sure.This is the link to Bad Dürkheim's...
Pfalz or Palatinate – the name’s origin
by Trekki
Often I get questions of what the name Palatinate stands for. It derives from the Latin word palatiam (palace), in German Pfalz, that’s how castles were called which had been built as temporarily seats of power or residences for the emperors of Holy Roman Empire. These days, the emperors didn’t live in palaces permanently but had to travel around within their empire, from kingdom to kingdom. These castles or Pfalzen (1 Pfalz, more than 1 = Pfalzen, haha, I think…) usually consisted of one or more appropriate manors, big enough to host the king and his staff, and a church or chapel. Depending on size and historical relevance of the respective kingdom, some Pfalzen expanded to quite big residences. Wikipedia has a list of Pfalzen, but only in the German version. Well, but the names/cities are easily to recognize. Among these Pfalzen, Kur-Pfalz even had a higher importance, as elections...
Tasting the wines is an obvious wish if someone visits a wine region. The ways of handling wine tastings differ widely from winery to winery, and sometimes it is not easy to find a suitable place. Here are some general hints:Some wineries have shops, type "open cellar door", where you can taste and buy wine. The tasting is usually free but they will want/wish/expect you to buy something. If they offer a tasting for a small fee it's okay to leave without buying.Wine shops that offer wine tastings can be found in all the wine towns and (larger) villages, usually along the main street.If in doubt, contact the local tourist office and ask for recommendations and addresses.The size and prettyness of the wine tasting room or cellar does not necessarily indicate good quality. The large places that also take bus groups usually aren't the best, to put it carefully.Restaurants in wine places serve...
Schengen Visas
by MikeAtSea
I still remember the old days when one needed a visa for every single European country. That is of course if you have a nationality that is not really favoured in Europe for free entry and travel. Today it is a lot easier, okay not getting the visa since some Consulates and Embassies require personal interviews, however once you have the Schengen Visa one can freely enter and travel between the following countries: Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finnland, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Greece and Italy. If you for instance travel to Germany and then wish to visit Switzerland make sure you have a multiple entry visa, since some countries are not part of the Schengen agreement yet. This includes Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and all EU countries of the former Eastern block. Some of the newer European Union countries...
Rhineland-Palatinate Card
by MikeAtSea
This all-inclusive card gives free admission to more than 90 attractions and places of interest in Rhineland-Palatinate. When you buy a card, you also receive a free copy of the attractive and clearly laid-out Marco Polo travel guide to Rhineland-Palatinate, which lists all the attractions and the tourist regions of the state. Besides the ever-popular Holiday Park in Hassloch, you can also visit the famous Nürburgring with its huge multimedia, interactive exhibition ("Erlebniswelt Nürburgring"), Sea Life Speyer, the Kurpfalz wildlife park in Wachenheim, a variety of castles and palaces and a wide range of museums. The card also entitles you to €10 off the price of a riverboat cruise on the Rhine and Moselle with any one of six cruise operators, including the KD line. There are three different cards for different lengths of stay. For just €46, visitors can visit any of the listed...
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