Indian Chief Travel Guides

The Rhine Valley

The Rhine River is arguably Europe’s most famous and most important waterway, from its source in Switzerland to its end in the Netherlands, with the stretch from Basel downriver completely navigable. However, the romantic Rhine of castles, robber barons, and legends is concentrated between Mainz and Koblenz, where the scenery is at its most dramatic. At first, the 450-m/1,480-foot wide Rhine flows slowly through a broad open valley, then narrows dramatically from the Bingen Loch to its narrowest point at the Loreley rock. Here the river is only 130 m (420 feet) wide and flows at 10 km/h (six mph).

Unfortunately, most of the small towns along the banks of the Rhine have been ruined by mass tourism. The towns are still pretty, but they are flooded with tacky souvenir stores and overpriced restaurants often offering mediocre food. During July and August, it can become uncomfortably busy, but it can be surprisingly quiet just weeks prior or after the main holiday season. During spring and autumn, when the Rhine Valley is at its prettiest, even weekends can be quiet, except during the frequent festivals held in towns along the river. In winter, many sights and towns close down for the season and the valley is often filled with fog, which can be hauntingly beautiful, but hides much of the scenery and the castles that most visitors came to see.