The Upper Middle Rhine extends from Rüdesheim through to Koblenz. The Rhine River here is called the the Romantic Rhine. UNESCO has designated the Romantic Rhine as a World Heritage Site. This is the most scenic section of the Rhine River. The Romantic Rhine is famous for its castles (“burg” in German). Major river cruise lines and local day cruise operators send many boats through this section of the Rhine River. The height of the tourist season and good weather is in August, but spring and fall may be more enjoyable with lower numbers of tourists.
You can get to the Romantic Rhine on a train to Koblenz or Rüdesheim and then take a local river cruise. KD (Koln Dusseldorfer) operates trips on the Romantic Rhine throughout the year. It’s best to start in Rüdesheim and then cruise to Koblenz, because the river flow makes the trip several hours shorter in this direction. You should expect to spend 4 hours traveling downstream from Rüdesheim. Another option is Bingen-Rudesheimer, which cruises the Romantic Rhine between Rüdesheim and St Goar. You can also get to the Romantic Rhine on a longer Rhine River Cruise, because Rhine River Cruises always travel this section of the river during the daytime.
True castle lovers may prefer to get to the Romantic Rhine by car. That way you can travel up and down both sides of the Rhine River. You can also easily castle hop by car. Many of the castles are open to public tours. Several castles allow overnight stays. Make sure to plan your route, as there are no bridges across the Rhine River along the Romantic Rhine.
You can cross the Rhine River along the Romantic Rhine on a car ferry at the following spots:
Bingen to Rüdesheim – Km Marker 528
Lorch to Niederheimbach – Km Marker 539
Kaub to Engelsburg – Km Marker 547
Sankt Goar to Sankt Goarhausen – Km Marker 556
You can cross the Rhine River along the Romantic Rhine on a passenger ferry at Km Marker 584 between Stolzenfels and Lahnstein. There is a passenger ferry from from Kaub to the island fortress of Pfalzgrafenstein too.
The Romantic Rhine has kilometer Km markers all along the river that show the distance from the unnavigable Rhine Falls. The castles were built along the river gorge as fortifications and as a means of economic control over the river passage. Most castles on the Romantic Rhine were built in the 1200s and most were damaged by Napoleon’s forces in the 1800s. Here is the list of the castles on the Romantic Rhine by their Km marker: