67 Kilometres of World Heritage Along the Rhine
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526 > 593 67 kilometres of world heritage along the Rhine UNESCO World Heritage Site „Upper Middle Rhine Valley“ • From Bingen and Rüdesheim to Koblenz 593 Unesco-Welterbe Oberes Mittelrheintal 555 526 Our valley is wild and romantic Our history is rooted in the Age of „What a mighty force that must have been and Chivalry what an age it must have taken before the waters Nowhere else do such imposing fortifications, broke through,“ said Goethe, and he was right. castles, and ruins stand watch over steep and The course of the Rhine we see today has develo- craggy slopes as in the Upper Middle Rhine ped over the past 2.5 million years: already dimi- Valley, a striking testament to the historical sig- nished by exposure to the weather and by natural nificance of the Rhine Valley as a trade route bet- erosion, the Rhenish Massif, which was created ween North and South. Traders and merchants, from the deposits of a long-gone primordial kings, emperors and princes of the Church: they ocean, was forced upwards by the collision of the all had to travel through the eye of the needle, African and the Eurasian plates to form the Rhe- the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Territorial leaders nish Slate Range. In order to continue to channel each built their own outpost on the Rhine so that its way northwards, the Rhine needed to match they could plunder their share of the booty as it this tectonic uplift with deep vertical erosion and passed by and to secure their property from belli- Our natural world is full of delights Similarly unique is the iberis boppardensis, a thus the gorge was formed. gerent neighbours. Strategically placed fortifi- Around a third of all of Germany‘s animal and pale-pink to white member of the crucifer family cations and castles crown the cliffs of the Rhine‘s plant species are found in the Upper Middle Rhi- of plants, which is native only to the Bopparder This wild, rugged landscape, with its crags and middle terraces and bear impressive witness to ne Valley. There are numerous zoological treasu- Hamm nature reserve, a piece of land encircled steep slopes, the river untamed and unbending mediaeval power. res in this diversity. The particular topography of by a wide loop of the Rhine and which again com- to human will, became the aesthetic ideal for a the Upper Middle Rhine Valley with its steep sides mands magnificent views. Important towns such as Bacharach, Kaub, both bare and covered with vegetation, high level Oberwesel and Braubach grew up at the same plateaux, and shady and sunny slopes, all with The Western Green Lizard, on the other hand, can time. Strung like pearls along the length of the their own microclimates, provides ideal niches be found almost anywhere in the Upper Middle mighty Rhine, their architecture still reflects the for flora and fauna. Rhine Valley wherever the semi-open shrubland glory and wealth of the past. The ancient centres on the steep slopes or a dry-stone wall offers a of these originally mediaeval settlements, be they Even heat-loving animals and plants, which are space to bask in the sun. The Green Lizard is lar- big or small, exert their own particular charm, otherwise found in the Mediterranean area or on gest, most beautiful and at the same time rarest with picturesque market squares, splendid town the steppes of south-eastern Europe feel at home lizard in the area. new generation of poets and thinkers, the Rhine halls, outstanding churches, splashing fountains here. It is hardly surprising then that the Dör- Romantics. Clemens Brentano, Achim von Arnim, and half-timbered architecture. Higher still there scheider Heath nature reserve provides a habitat Lord Byron, Victor Hugo and William Turner are small inviting towns, romantically tucked for around 600 different types of butterfly and gave expression to their enthusiasm for the away in the many side valleys of the Rhine or the moth, including the cream spot tiger moth and Rhine in poems, songs and paintings. It is thanks foothills of the Taunus and Hunsrück mountains the sail swallowtail; such diversity is thought to to them that the Loreley acquired the enduring offering magnificent views of the valley and of be unique in Europe. fame which has made it and the surrounding the castles. area probably the most recognised landmarks of the Middle Rhine. Our cultural landscape is diverse, yet the Deutsche Eck, where Kaiser Wilhelm proudly unmistakeably of the Middle Rhine surveyed his unified empire. Superb natural landscapes and a multi-faceted culture are two sides of the Upper Middle Rhine Later, it was the poets and thinkers of the Rhine Valley world heritage site. Romanticism and the Vormärz (Age of Metter- nich) movements who declared the Valley of the With its strategic position in Europe, it has seen Loreley the command centre of the creative and many cultures and peoples pass through over the revolutionary spirit of Germany and Europe. It ages and they have left their footprints. comes therefore as no surprise that the „Lied der For example, some place names can be traced Deutschen“, the German national anthem, was back to the Celts. The Romans also brought their culture and, abo- ve all, their wine, which was grown on terraces on the steep slopes, and laid the foundation for the unique cultural landscape of the Middle Rhine. Our wine is made from the Riesling gra- Rieslings have one thing in common: they are In mediaeval times, the region thrived at the pe / our wines are legendary outstanding full-bodied wines with a crisp acidity heart of the Holy Roman Empire to which nu- Small but perfectly formed. Wine is grown over and a fine bouquet. merous castles, ruins, market squares, half-tim- 1155 hectares in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley bered houses and churches testify as stone-built world heritage site where four wine-growing re- Wine-growing has been an important source of witnesses of the past. gions come together: in the South small sections income for the inhabitants of the Middle Rhine of Rheinhessen, Nahe and Rheingau abut the for centuries and a major factor in shaping the Middle Rhine wine-growing area which extends landscape. Some of the vineyards have been first heard in the Middle Rhine, more precisely in northwards almost as far as Bonn. owned by the same family for hundreds of years. Oberwesel, where it was struck up by none other Working on the steep slopes, sometimes at an than Hoffmann von Fallersleben, who wrote the Almost all our vines grow on vertiginous slopes 60% incline, can be extremely arduous (parti- poem on which it is based. on the mineral-rich Rhenish slate. The Riesling cularly in the summer months) and demands grape is grown in around 70% of the vineyards on exceptional devotion to wine-making and to the the Middle Rhine. The star among German grape region. Thanks to the many industrious vineyard varieties, it likes the sunny slate slopes, where workers, we can enjoy not only unusually good The wars in the 17th and 18th centuries made the it has the ideal conditions for a special terroir, Riesling, but also the beauty of our region in a Upper Middle Rhine Valley the key setting for the its very own calling card. All the Middle Rhine wine glass. struggle between France and the German Reich for control of the Rhine. This rich history can still be experienced through countless monuments. The „German“ Rhine became a symbol of nati- onal unity and greatness. This is exemplified by Come and experience the fascination of – travelling around the Middle Rhine“] program- • The „Weisse Flotte“ (White Fleet) river boats • For more information please see the World the Upper Middle Rhine Valley me introduces the special features of the region offer a very special way to experience the land- Heritage Atlas. Comprehensive, yet compact, it Our rich natural and cultural landscape is to you. scape. Gently, as if they were painted, the views is the essential guide to your trip to the Upper unique in its diversity and beauty. This is why of castles, terraced vineyards and historic towns Middle Rhine Valley world heritage site. in 2002, UNESCO decided to confer world heri- • Attention all adventure lovers! and villages seem to glide past the gaze of the tage status on the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Our three via ferratas are sure to get your observer, and invite those on-board to set down Also take a look at our informative internet portal deeming it worthy of protection by all huma- adrenaline pumping: the Alpine character of on land and explore. www.welterbe-mittelrhein.de where you will nity. We are very proud of this status and want the Oelsbergsteig at Oberwesel, the Mittel- find all the official pages for the Upper Midd- to share it with you! rheinklettersteig at Boppard and the Rabe- • If you want your trip through the Upper Middle le Rhine Valley world heritage site and in the nacksteig at St. Goarshausen would appeal Rhine Valley world heritage site to include meantime you can use the innovative navigation • Our certified „RheinSteig“ and „RheinBurgen only to vertigo-free hikers. lovingly prepared food, welcoming service, system to take a virtual trip on the Rhine. Weg“ hiking trails guide you to the most en- comfortable beds and helpful information, take chanting views and the most romantic pano- a break or stop over at our inns and hotels. The We look forward to seeing you! ramas in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley world kitchens and cellars are full of culinary delights heritage site, past a host of noble castles, steeply from the Rhine valley and its hills.