I found touring this well maintained castle well worth the time and the €5 fee. I stopped on my way…read moreto hike in the area which I was able to do right from where I parked just below the castle.

We looked for a place to eat and we really enjoyed the restaurant Altkolnischer Hof…read more The food was excellent and service was great. I ordered an original Schnitzel and it sure tasted like I used to eat in my younger days. And Tina who served us went the extra mile to make us comfortable.

Tucked away in the hills that overlook the Rhine, you'll find Kloster Eberbach. It is stunning in…read moreits serenity and impressive to think that it was built long ago without the help of modern construction. You may recognize it from the 1986 Sean Connery film "The name of the Rose". My family is emigrated from a city just down the road and that used to be a part of the Monastery's estate, and I'm fortunate to stay in touch with the relatives that stayed behind. On Christmas day last year when everything is closed (and the parents wanted to tend to the Christmas roast -- think the same fuss as a Thanksgiving turkey), we young 'uns headed down to the Abbey to check things out. The buildings were closed, but the grounds were open, and we and some other locals meandered around, finally winding up by the sheep and goats. One little guy kept poking his head out to have his chin scratched, and I was happy to oblige him. I'll look forward to my next visit, hopefully on a day when the place is open so I can tour it and learn more about the Abbey's history!

This was my first time visiting a previous monastery dwelling and was surprised to know that only…read more120 monks lived on such a beautiful estate. I came here with a group from work for a team building adventure. We started out breaking into teams for a scavenger hunt around the monastery; then hiked up the top of the hill to see a breath taking view of the countryside and had a light snack at the summit; then returning for a formal tour of the monastery followed by wine tasting in the cellar; and finally we had dinner here at their restaurant to wrap up our 5 hour excursion. Today this place is used for festivals and concerts but you get an appreciation of the dedication and effort of a few men that resulted in an amazing historical landmark. There was also a movie filmed here in the 1980's by Sean Connery. This was a humbling and fantastic experience all rolled into one great adventure that I would highly recommend as a must see place that you will appreciate.

Beautiful HUGE statue overlooking the Rhine River. Pay to park and enjoy snacks, beer and wine at a…read morelittle outdoor eatery.

Go here for the history of this grand memorial: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niederwalddenkmal…read more This thing is HUGE. You walk out of the woods and BAM! A large clearing with this monument overlooking part of the Rhine. There are many small billboards explaining the history behind the Niederwalddenkmal, with German on one side and English on the other. Take your time to look the whole thing over....the carvings are full of detail. Then turn around and face the Rhine river valley and get some great photos before moving on. We had no knowledge of this monument before visiting. Our friends who live in Germany wanted to show it to us, and I'm glad they did! 28/2021

6 euros gets you admittance to the castle ruins which are quite extensive. The views from the…read morecastle looking down on the valley below are breathtaking. There are areas above and below to explore. The spaces involved are larger than imagined but also smaller underground. The castle dates back to 1245. Across the Rhine and all up and down the valley there are many more castles crowning the hilltops. Many are within visual distance of each other. There is a castle tour that takes you to at least 7 of them.

We decided to take the short hike up to this castle from the middle of town and stop for a beer…read morebreak and an awesome view! Best views for a beer break, and this almost seemed like an "accidental surprise" to us, as we didn't know exactly what was located at the top of the hill. We sure are glad that we stumbled upon it, and the views of the Rhine River were impeccable! Kinda cool too to find out that this place serves as a youth hostel as well.

I now understand when people say, "you're on the road to Stahleck" as you literally begin the…read moreascent hiking up the mountain (literally) to get to Stahleck Castle. We happened to be in Bacharach for the Game of Thrones Tourney, so we decided to make the journey to see the castle for ourselves. The castle is truly the focal point of the whole town; even upon arrival from the train station, Stahleck is standing proudly to greet you. Looking at the signs pointing to the stairs, I thought, how hard could this really be? We're two average fit Americans; we'll be fine! Well! We were! Make to bring some good hiking shoes with some good traction, and a good camera to take in some of the amazing scenery! The first initial steps up the mountain have a sturdy railing and sturdy wooden steps - nice and easy. But, as you go higher, the steps go away, and you're walking on a dirt path that I wouldn't dare walk on if it was covered in snow. Making it to the top is definitely worth it, and the view is really impressive of all of Bacharach. We should've gotten a beer or something to celebrate making it to the top, but it was getting dark rather quickly, so we had to make our way back down again. Go inside and get a coffee or hot chocolate before heading back to town!