Germany

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

WHS Score 3.66
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Votes 113 Average 3.76
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Votes for Upper Middle Rhine Valley

1.5

  • Adrian Turtschi

2.5

  • Mohboh
  • VLabhard
  • Zoë Sheng

3.0

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Alexander Parsons
  • awestix
  • Caspar Dechmann
  • Christoph
  • Christravelblog
  • Clyde
  • Csaba Nováczky
  • Dorejd
  • Dutchnick
  • Els Slots
  • Gary Arndt
  • Ian Cade
  • Klaus Freisinger
  • mademmer
  • MaxHeAnouBen
  • Nafis N
  • Nolan B.
  • Peter Lööv
  • Purrfect
  • Ralf Regele
  • Richardleesa
  • Rodinia
  • Sebasfhb
  • Stanislaw Warwas
  • Sturuss
  • Svein Elias
  • Tarquinio_Superbo
  • Wieland
  • Wojciech Fedoruk

3.5

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  • Daniel Gabi
  • DL
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  • Eric Lurio
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  • Philipp Leu
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  • Solivagant
  • Xiquinho Silva

4.0

  • Argo
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  • AT8
  • Can SARICA
  • Daniel C-Hazard
  • David Berlanda
  • Dennis Nicklaus
  • Dimitrios Polychronopoulos
  • Frederik Dawson
  • Hubert
  • Ilya Burlak
  • Ivan Rucek
  • Jakob Frenzel
  • Jan Zimmermann
  • Jay T
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  • Tony H.
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4.5

  • ALS
  • Anne
  • Antonio J.
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  • Bropyk
  • Eirini
  • Giannis75
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  • J. Stevens
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  • Zhenjun Liu

5.0

  • Ailton007
  • BobSmithseestheworld
  • Cezar Grozavu
  • Craig Harder
  • Dhhtravel
  • Esteban Cervantes Jiménez
  • George Gdanski
  • JR's HERITAGE SITES
  • Nick M
  • Rafał Kałczuga
  • Tammy Gouldstone
  • Yevhen Ivanovych

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is a cultural landscape that has been formed by the transport of means and ideas for over 2,000 years.

This area between Bingen and Koblenz is covered in ruined medieval castles, historic towns and vineyards. The rocky Rhine Valley was already a major traffic route in Roman times. During the Middle Ages, many castles were built and their owners levied tolls in return for protection against robbers. The dramatic natural scenery combined with the castle ruins inspired the 19th-century Romantic movement in art.

Community Perspective: Ian enjoyed the southern half of the Valley around Bacharach, Els recommends Marksburg Castle, and Hubert describes what a boat tour here involves.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Upper Middle Rhine Valley (ID: 1066)
Country
Germany
Status
Inscribed 2002 Site history
History of Upper Middle Rhine Valley
2002: Revision
Includes former TWHS Ehrenbreitstein Fortress Koblenz (1984)
2002: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • ii
  • iv
  • v
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • June 25, 2013 abcnews.go.com — UNESCO Says Loreley Bobsleigh a Blight
  • July 30, 2010 dw-world.de — A plan to build a bridge across the Rhine valley has been given the go-ahead by world heritage panelists. UNESCO says that project can take place without a threat to the status of Germany's world-famous Lorelei rock.

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Cultural Landscape: Continuing
Recent Connections
View all (59) .
Connections of Upper Middle Rhine Valley
Individual People
  • Naser ed-Din Shah
    At Koblenz: "We crossed the Rhine by a bridge, the river here being narrow, with hills on either side. The bank of the river is all villages, towns, cultivations of vines, cherry-trees, and the like. .. On either side of the river is there a railway, and continually do the ti'ains rmi. There are also roads for carriages, waggons, and pedestrians, well made and kept. The whole region is a garden."
  • Richard Wagner
    Das Rheingold
  • Queen Victoria slept here
    Schloss Stolzenfels 1845 Aug 14-16. as guests of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia ("a concert was held in her honor in the Knights' Hall with the celebrated greats Franz Liszt and Jenny Lind")

    See www.rct.uk

  • Painted by JMW Turner
  • King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
    (22 August)
Geography
Trivia
History
  • Carolingian Empire
    Koblenz
  • Judensau
    Wernerkapelle in Bacharach, 1290
  • Sieges and Battles
    In 1688 Koblenz was besieged by the French under Marshal de Boufflers, but they only succeeded in bombing the Old City (Altstadt) into ruins.
  • Nine Years' War
    The French army captured the town of Bingen in 1688, at the beginning of the Nine Years' War. Coblenz was bombarded. Bingen was torched on 4 June 1689.
  • Teutonic Knights
    Koblenz: In 1216 prince-bishop Theoderich von Wied donated to the Teutonic Knights part of the lands of the basilica and the hospital, which later became the Deutsches Eck.
Architecture
Damaged
World Heritage Process
  • Perfect Inscriptions
    2002
  • Extended from original TWHS
    Originally only Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz.
  • Incorrect UNESCO 'Number of locations'
    Recorded by UNESCO as being a single "location" but in fact contains an "exclave". "The only exclave is the rounded top of the hill called the Rochusberg near Bingen." (Nom File). THE AB evaluation describes how the nominated boundary was altered during evaluation - "During the expert mission the delimitation of the nominated area in Bingen was discussed and it was agreed that this should be slightly modified. The State Party has relocated the boundary at the Drusus Bridge, one of the oldest medieval stone bridges in Germany (on the site of a Roman bridge) which spans the Nahe tributary, so as to include the church of St Martin." But, as the registered map shows, this extension up the Nahe still doesn't reach the westernmost section of the Rochusberg and is separated from it by the L417 road.
Religion and Belief
  • Legends and Folk Myths
    Lorelei
  • Female Christian Mystics
    (St) Hildegarde of Bingen (1098-1179). She founded the monastery of Eibingen in 1165 which lies within the boundaries of the WHS. “Eibingen preserves the treasure of relics assembled by Hildegard, including the heads of Saint Gudula, Saint Bertha of Bingen, Saint Valerian, and Saint Wipert besides one arm of Saint Rupert of Bingen and Hildegard's own remains.” (Wiki).

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Jewish religion and culture
    Koblenz destroyed Jewish cemetery had a small synagogue which is still in use. Plus: The Rabbi of Bacherach by Heinrich Heine
  • Fortified religious buildings
    fortified church in Oberwesel
  • Goddesses
    Niederwalddenkmal at Ruedesheim
  • Calvary
    Kalvarienbergkapelle in Oberwesel
Human Activity
  • Stone Quarries
    "The Wilhelm Erb mine shaft in Kaub, begun in 1837, with many later extensions, is evidence of the slate quarrying done on the Middle Rhine since the Middle Ages. A large part of the installation is still intact, even though a great deal was dismantled after slate mining and working was discontinued in 1972. The Rhine mine on the opposite side of the river from Kaub is the only remaining working slate mine." and " There is also documentary evidence of economically significant mining in the Middle Rhine region since the late Middle Ages. The slate quarry in Kaub is mentioned in 1355"(Nom File)
  • Vineyards
  • Hunting Lodge or Castle
    Burg Sooneck " In 1834, the then crown prince of Prussia, Frederick William IV, and his brothers Princes William, Charles, and Albert bought the completely derelict castle and between 1834 and 1861 had it rebuilt as a hunting castle. In the rebuilding, which was designed by the military architect Carl Schnitzler, the historical structures were largely retained with the addition of buildings in romantic style. The Prussian royal crest that remains over the north gate of the castle dates to this period. Disagreements within the royal family and the effects of the revolutions in Germany in 1848 prevented the castle from ever being used as a hunting lodge." (Wiki)
  • Festivals
    Koblenzer Karneval

    See wikipedia.org

  • Famous tapestries
    Koblenz: the elector's former palace is now a museum; among other curiosities, it contains some fine Gobelin tapestries. (Wiki)
  • Man-made Terraces
Constructions
  • Notable Bridges
    Drususbrucke over the Nahe in Bingen. The oldest mediaeval bridge in Germany. The nomination was extenend during evaluation at the suggestion of ICOMOS to include the bridge. See

    See de.wikipedia.org

  • Tunnels
    underneath Burg Rheinfels
  • Suspended cable cars
    Lower Middle Rhine Cable car crosses the Rhine from Koblenz to the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein / 2010 / 890m, 5 mins / gondola / "The Rhine Cable Car that was constructed for the Federal Garden Show 2011 in Koblenz also posed a threat to world heritage status. For this reason, the garden show organisers agreed with UNESCO on an inconspicuous design of the cable car structures and the demolition of the cable car after three years." - this has been postponed to 2026 by WHC 2013

    See de.wikipedia.org

  • Historic Pharmacies
    at Burg Rheinfels
  • Walled cities
    Bacharach and Oberwesel
  • Monumental Fountains
    Der Schängelbrunnen in Koblenz
  • Equestrian Statues
    Giant equestrian statue of Emperor William I erected 9 years after his death in 1897 at "Deutches Eke". The original was badly damaged by shells and removed in 1945. After German reunification a decision was made to replace the statue with a replica (after some controversy) and this took place in 1993

    See en.wikipedia.org

WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Built in the 10th century
    Some 40 hill top castles and fortresses erected over a period of around 1,000 years ... & Vines had been cultivated on the lower slopes since Roman times, and this expanded greatly from the 10th century onwards. (AB ev) Original Mouse Tower in Bingen dates from 968.
WHS Hotspots
WHS Names
News
abcnews.go.com 06/25/2013
UNESCO Says Loreley Bobsleigh a Bl…
dw-world.de 07/30/2010
A plan to build a bridge across th…
Recent Visitors
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Visitors of Upper Middle Rhine Valley
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Community Reviews

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First published: 15/07/19.

Jakob Frenzel

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Jakob Frenzel

August 2018 - we started in Trier, drove along the Mosel and bought some fine wines to bring back to the family. In oder to not loose the whole day, we took a shortcut from Berkastel Kues to the Rhine and landed straight inside the cultural landscape in Bacharach. A beautiful small wooden framed town where we had good beer and Wurstsalat before driving slowly further north. First stop was at Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, called the Maus?, a former customs office inside the Rhine. Then we stopped again somewhere between Oberwesel and St. Goar, with great views at the Loreley, or rather the rock she sits at. Another stop was at Boppard and finally in Koblenz at the Deutsches Eck!

We tried to make several stops on the way, but I supoose the best way to visit this Whs is biking the whole strip from Bingen to Koblenz. By car you are definitely too fast and not flexible enough. But at least we got a good glimpse.

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First published: 17/04/16.

Jay T

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Jay T

Some of the best German memories I have are from the day I spent traveling through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley by boat between St Goar and Bacharach. The Rhine River cuts a gorge through this section of western Germany, and the steep hillsides covered with terraced vineyards were spectacular in autumn. The Lorelei rock near St Goar was pretty impressive as viewed from the river, even with its siren mythology that speaks of rivermen becoming distracted and crashing against the rock. All along the river were fortresses that highlighted the importance of river trade throughout the centuries, including Rheinfels Castle, Katz Castle, and Pfalzgrafstein Castle, which was built on an island in the river and served as a toll station for passing vessels. This section of the Rhine is incredibly memorable, and, like Klaus and Gatis, I am surprised it took until 2002 for this German cultural treasure to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site. I would highly recommend a trip along the Rhine to anyone traveling through Germany.

Logistics: The Upper Middle Rhine Valley can be seen by train, automobile, or foot, but I highly recommend traveling the river by boat.

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First published: 19/01/16.

Michael Turtle

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Michael Turtle

The best way to really see this WHS is to travel along the river (although I did see a few people cycling the roads along the bank - also a good option).

I think many people go on organised cruises but you can also just get the ferries in between the different towns and explore on your own. I used the KD ship - started in Bacharach and finished at Koblenz, stopping at Sankt Goar for an hour along the way.

I stayed the night in Bacharach beforehand which was a really lovely spot. I used the youth hostel which is in an old castle at the top of the hill - quite spectacular accommodation!

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First published: 27/07/15.

Christer Sundberg

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Photo by Jurre

For over 25 years I have been traveling to World Heritage Sites around the world. This is a film about the Rhine Valley in Germany (Swedish voice-over with English subtitles).

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First published: 12/10/12.

Hubert

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Hubert

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is an outstanding example of a European cultural landscape. The World Heritage Site comprises the 65 km long section between Koblenz and Bingen / Rüdesheim and the surrounding hills of the „Rheinisches Schiefergebirge“ (Rhenish Slate Mountains). The unique appearance of the landscape resulted from both, the natural course of the river and the human activities. During the last two millenniums, this section of the river was an important trade route, a border, the place of exchange between cultures, and battlefield in several wars.

Undoubtedly, a boat cruise is the best way to visit the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. On a hot summer day in August 2012 we started at 9 am in Rüdesheim with the first boat tour. The trip to Koblenz takes four hours, the return by train takes one hour. The boat ride is also available in the reverse direction, but upriver it takes two hours more. Sitting on the upper deck, we enjoyed the view to the steep vineyards, the castles, and the picturesque villages that lie on the narrow strip of the shore. Almost on every hill and cliff, there is a castle or ruin. We have not counted them, but according to our guide book, there are more than 40 of them.

The castles were built between the 12th and 14th Century, but most of them were destroyed in the following centuries, during the Thirty Years' War and the War of the Palatine Succession. Many castles were rebuilt in the …

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First published: 07/09/12.

Clyde

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Clyde

I visited this WHS in September 2010. The Rhine Valley is best viewed by car meandering down the German roads from one small town to the next. Some of the highlights of my trip were Bacharach, Heidelberg and Burg Eltz.

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First published: 11/05/10.

John Booth

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by john booth

After having travelled the Rhine valley by train a couple of times I realised that I had missed a lot. So last year I took the KD boat from Bingen to Koblenz and saw both banks of the river from a moving vantage point in the middle. I didn't get off to visit any castles although it was possible. I would recommend this means of visiting this site.

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First published: 01/08/05.

Martha Wiley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Photo by Jurre

31 July 2005, the Upper Middle Rhein was as beautiful as ever. Definitely worthwhile to take a boat along the river, then you can take the train back to your starting point (or, of course, round trip on the boat). You can get off and on the boat (be sure you get the right kind of ticket) and visit various towns/castles along the way. St. Goar was hosting a Ritterspiele (Knights' Festival) this weekend and there were hundreds of kids around, learning how to fight with broadswords and axes, dancing, music (and the ubiquitous wurst and Coke). All the activity made it a little easier to imagine 4,000 people living in the castle during a siege.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Photo by Jurre

After putting long list of different German monuments, which are not so interesting to my mind, finally in 2002 they remembered Rhine valley. It had to be one of the first to come from Germany!

If you drive a car (I had to), then it would be a problem. Road is winding, and you should be very careful all the time - but the views around are incredible! Nature has made deep and magnificent valley and people have developed here excellent landscape dotted with castles and lovely towns and villages. Here you can start to believe that there is harmony between man and nature - at least visually.

True - it is worth to drive also along the right coast of Rhine - less traffic and magnificent views. On some places try also the upper road along the right coast.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Ian Cade

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Ian Cade

We only managed to visit the Southern part of the valley, from Bingen to Bacharach, however we really enjoyed the experience, and felt we got a feel for the site as a whole.

We spent a night in Bacharach, in the fantastic Castle Stahleck, which sits on the steep hills above the village. The castle is a tourist site in it's own right featuring on most of the tourist literature for the valley, and well worth the sometimes treacherous hike up from the river. It is now a Youth Hostel, and ranks up there with the most impressive and unique budget accommodation I have stayed in (A cave under the Sahara-cum-Star Wars set in Tunisia, may just beat it though). It has a massively impressive wine list, testament to the incredibly steep vineyards that line the whole of the valley. These vineyards are an integral part of the landscape and culture, and a few glasses of the local Rieslings really complete the experience of visiting the valley.

The village of Bacharach is incredibly pretty with lots of half-timbered buildings (picture with vineyard in background), and cobbled streets. It was very quiet on a Thursday morning in January, but I gather it gets very busy in summer. We missed out on having a boat trip as we couldn't quite fit it into our itinerary, but this would really be a lovely way to experience the area.

The villages on the western bank of the river are linked by a great train …

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First published: 01/05/05.

Klaus Freisinger

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Photo by Jurre

The Rhine Valley is THE classic German, and maybe even European, landscape, and should have been the first German site on the list, as suggested below. Well, in the early years UNESCO didn't accept cultural landscapes, but they made good in 2002. The site includes the most well-known stretch of the river between Koblenz (where the Moselle meets the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck) and Bingen. In between, there are countless small towns such as St. Goar and St. Goarshausen, connected by a ferry offering you a nice view of the vineyards on the shore. Close by is the famous Loreley rock, which is actually quite unremarkable today, because much of it was blown off in the early 20th century to make the passage easier for ships. I would have loved to see a castle or two, but it was raining too heavily, and the Rhine was almost at flood-level. It is obvious that the region's heyday as a tourist destination is over (I have never seen two more derelict train stations than in the two towns mentioned above), but it is still a very nice region that deserves a longer visit than most people give it.

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First published: 28/07/03.

Els Slots

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Inscribed)

Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Els Slots

By car, I drove on the left side of the Rhine from Koblenz to Bingen. There I took a ferry and drove the same 55 km back. This is a really great way to enjoy all the wonderful views in this area.

The funny thing is that you get the best views of the monuments on the opposite side of the Rhine. So when you see a really nice castle, the Rhine is always between the castle and yourself.

However, I did enter some of the most interesting ones. The Marksburg Castle is surely not to be missed. It still is quite intact, and there are guided tours that take you into the Middle Ages (at least for an hour or so).

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