This topic is about the Moselle and Rhine Valley boat tours, welcome cards in the region and the rather complicated public transport tariff system around Frankfurt to Koblenz. The difficulty lies in the fact that the tourism region is divided into Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, and they have very different attitudes towards public transport.
rhine
Viamala and Ruinaulta. Rhine gorges
The Rhine gorges, or rather gorges of its sources Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein (“Anterior” and “Posterior” Rhine), are a must-see program. You can see the Viamala Gorge in an hour (or a day if you’d like to hike) and the Ruinaulta Gorge in at least one day (preferably two – from above and below).
In this topic, a map of the region with attractions and a detailed description of the gorges. The region is located in the canton of Graubünden.
Attractions around Frankfurt am Main, along the Rhine to Koblenz
Map of attractions around Frankfurt am Main and along the Rhine from Frankfurt up to Koblenz.
Rhine castles from Kaub to Koblenz and Lorelei rock
We continue the story of the Rhine castles. In this part, we will explore the central and most picturesque part of the Rhine valley from Kaub to Koblenz, where the Lorelei rock is located. Here the banks of the Rhine become higher, and each castle has its own romantic history.
Schwetzingen. Cherry blossom garden
Not far from Speyer or Mannheim, on the way to Heidelberg, is the city of Schwetzingen.
There is a summer residence built for the electors of the Palatinate in the 18th century. The palace with the rococo-style theater has been partially preserved, but the main attraction, which claimed to be included in the UNESCO list, is the palace park, modeled after Versailles. In my opinion, UNESCO is maybe a little too much for them, but the park is really picturesque.
Tourist and guest cards of Lake Constance
Around Lake Constance there are three countries, three cantons (five if you count the sub-cantons), three federal states and God knows how many smaller administrative units. In general, they try to cooperate in the field of tourism and this cooperation has resulted in the form of guest cards of Lake Constance. But they are not always as profitable as we would like. So plan carefully if you’re on a budget.
Public transport around Lake Constance
Lake Constance is large, and the road that goes around it is narrow and there is only one. The speed there is severely limited almost everywhere, and for those who are too fast, not noticing the signs, there are radars. There is almost always a traffic jam from may to september, because of too many people.
Public transport can help, but it is not cheap. This page is about what public transport around Lake Constance is available. Read more about guest and tourist cards – Tourist and guest cards of Lake Constance
Rhine Delta Bodensee, Appenzell attractions
The Alpine Rhine in Switzerland is a wide and deep valley, inhabited and built up with factories for almost its entire length. The Rhine itself is surrounded by high dam so as not to flood the valley. There is a cycling route along the dam for many tens of kilometers. You can climb the dam and take pictures of the views of the Vaduz castle at the Rheintal highway car park.
In this post we look at Alpine Rhine delta (canton St Gallen) and canton Appenzell attractions.
Castles on the Middle Rhine on the map. 1. From Rüdesheim to Bacharach
If we speak about the castles on the Middle Rhine (Mittelrhein), we mean the section from Rüdesheim (slightly downstream from Mainz) to Bonn. From Rüdesheim to Koblenz, the banks converge, forming the Rhine Gorge. This section is also called the “Loreley Valley” (Tal der Loreley). There are many castles of varying degrees of destruction / restoration. We will go through all the castles, briefly tell what happened to them and whether there is something interesting inside.
Swiss side of Lake Constance
In comparison with the German coast, where everything is subordinated to tourism, the Swiss side of Lake Constance seems to know nothing about tourists and does not want to know. Therefore, you need to prepare especially carefully for a vacation there.
Does it make sense to go there at all? Consider the pros and cons below.