Rüdesheim am Rhein Travel Guide

Bingen
[ source: Flickr]

Rüdesheim am Rhein Overview

Rüdesheim borders in the east on the town of Geisenheim, in the south on the town of Bingen (Bingen vacation rentals | Bingen travel guide), in the west on the communities of Weiler and Trechtingshausen (Trechtingshausen vacation rentals | Trechtingshausen travel guide) (all three in Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate) over on the other side of the Rhine, and in the west and north on the town of Lorch. In 1939, under the secrecy that held sway at the time, the formerly self-governing community of Eibingen was forcibly amalgamated with the town by the National Socialists, against the community inhabitants’ will. In 1977, within the framework of municipal reform, Assmannshausen (Assmannshausen vacation rentals | Assmannshausen travel guide), Aulhausen and Presberg also became new Ortsteile of Rüdesheim.

Things to See in Rüdesheim am Rhein

Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett, the first German museum for data-storage musical instruments. On an exhibition area of over 400 m², the visitor is introduced in an amusing way to the history of self-playing music and its instruments. From the gentle musical clock to the orchestrion, which weighs tons, the visitor sees and hears a cross-section from four centuries. Curiosities: unique collection of self-playing strings, such as the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina with six strings, Hupfeld Violina Orchestra (only known original in the world), Poppers Violinovo, and so on.

Mittelalterliches Foltermuseum (Medieval Torture Museum), with many instruments of torture

Asbach Distillery

Rheingauer Weinmuseum Brömserburg, tells the Rüdesheim area’s 1000-year wine-growing history in the oldest castle in the Rhine Gorge World Heritage Site.

The Drosselgasse is the heart of Rudesheim's old town full of beautifully decorated restaurants. Live band entertainment, brass instruments and dance music play all day and all night during the summer in the many wine taverns and open-air garden taverns along the 144-metre-long narrow cobblestone pedestrian street. Built in the 15th century, the Drosselgasse was for boat owners to move items from the river to homes in the town. Since it is Rüdesheim's most famous attraction it is almost always crowded with tourists.

Brömserburg, the oldest castle in the Rhine Gorge World Heritage Site with wine museum. It was built in the 10th century on the site of a Roman fortification. From the 10th to the 13th century it was owned by the Archbishop of Mainz (Mainz vacation rentals | Mainz travel guide). The old fortress was converted into a residence in the 12th century. It then passed into the control of the Knights of Rüdesheim. A branch of these knights was the Brömser. It was retaken by Archbishop Werner II von Eppenstein in 1281. The castle withstood a number of attacks. In 1640, during the Thirty Years' War, the top of the tower was destroyed by French troops under the command of Henri II d'Orléans, duc de Longueville. The Archbishopric sold it in 1803 and it has had several owners since then. The town of Rüdesheim bought the castle in 1941. Today it is a wine museum. It has a collection of wine presses and other wine paraphernalia. It has a more than two-metre-thick walls and a metre-thick vault tower. Originally, it was right on the bank of the Rhine, surrounded by water.

The Rheinsteig from Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden vacation rentals | Wiesbaden travel guide) by way of Lahnstein (Lahnstein vacation rentals | Lahnstein travel guide) to Bonn (Bonn vacation rentals | Bonn travel guide) leads through Rüdesheim’s municipal area by both the monastery and the Niederwalddenkmal. Another trail is the Riesling-Route. It leads along the Rhine and through Rüdesheim’s enchanting vineyards on the way to Wiesbaden.

A well known old tradition is the Weinkönigin with her princesses. Each year in the summertime, the Rüdesheim wine festival is held, whose highlights include the Wine Queen’s and the princesses’ coronation

[ source: wikipedia ]