Now that we have a small person in tow, we take a lot more day trips rather than longer vacations. Here are a few of our favorites around the Mainz/Wiesbaden area:
Koblenz: You can drive along the Romantic Rhine from Mainz to Koblenz, and stop at any of the scenic towns along the way. I like Bingen and St. Goar for their size and charming castles. Don't miss the famed Loreley rock, where many sailors met a tragic end upon distraction by the lovely woman on the cliff.
Koblenz is a small town with a big castle that you can either get to by car, or seilbahn. We took the latter, enjoying a beautiful view of the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers. Up high, we had a perfect view of the Deutsches Eck, marked by a giant statue of the ever-present King Ludwig. We also noted the ice cream shop near the Eck for later... this turned out to be a fruitful observation (important note: it's much cheaper to takeaway your ice cream, rather than eat there). The castle was a little to large to explore, so we stayed in the garden area and enjoyed more views. Once back on the city side of Koblenz, we noticed a couple of cozy looking restaurants along the river and walked through some beautiful old churches before returning home, stomachs full of ice cream.
Nackenheim: We finally made it out to wine country! Despite living within minutes of the Rheingau wine-growing region, we had not yet ventured beyond the wine tents at the farmer's market to meet the 'wineguts' in their territory. Unlike Napa, the roads are not full of tourists driving somewhat distractedly to wineries. Here, you can hop on a tractor with 15 of your closest friends, and the winemakers drive you around their vineyards themselves. The tractors are pre-loaded with a case of wine, a case of water, and tasting glasses that fit conveniently into holes on the table in front of you. Our tour consisted of seeing the wineries of Dr. Marbe-Sans, learning about the grapes of the Rheingau (and importantly, that wine made from the hillside grapes is pricier and better than wine from grapes on the flat land), and sipping wines. The tour ended with a traditional Mainz supper: boiled sausages, bread, and mustard.
Oppenheim: Take your car or the train - it's an easy ride from Mainz / Wiesbaden. The train comes every 20 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to bring you into town. In April, there's even a pre-organized "Wine Wandering" where you can join other people and families as they traipse across the nearby vineyards for a sample of food, wine, and fresh air. We kept our visit simple, just visiting the very friendly Weingut Dahlem, and the Katharinenkirche nearby.
Würzberg: This is a bit farther out and better by car -- past Frankfurt and about 1:30 from Mainz / Wiesbaden. Watch for traffic before you leave, just in case. We parked near the Cathedral in town, which was surprisingly beautiful, bright, and looked recently redone. Then we spent most of our time at the Residenz, a UNESCO World Heritage site and gorgeous palace. The Hall of Mirrors (you must wait for a free guide) is not to be missed, along with the intricate art above the stairs - you could get lost just looking at the details. The garden went on and on - and in the summer, is perfect for a little one to stretch his legs.
There are so many other places to explore, within one hour or less of our little town... stay tuned for more!
Koblenz: You can drive along the Romantic Rhine from Mainz to Koblenz, and stop at any of the scenic towns along the way. I like Bingen and St. Goar for their size and charming castles. Don't miss the famed Loreley rock, where many sailors met a tragic end upon distraction by the lovely woman on the cliff.
Koblenz is a small town with a big castle that you can either get to by car, or seilbahn. We took the latter, enjoying a beautiful view of the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers. Up high, we had a perfect view of the Deutsches Eck, marked by a giant statue of the ever-present King Ludwig. We also noted the ice cream shop near the Eck for later... this turned out to be a fruitful observation (important note: it's much cheaper to takeaway your ice cream, rather than eat there). The castle was a little to large to explore, so we stayed in the garden area and enjoyed more views. Once back on the city side of Koblenz, we noticed a couple of cozy looking restaurants along the river and walked through some beautiful old churches before returning home, stomachs full of ice cream.
Nackenheim: We finally made it out to wine country! Despite living within minutes of the Rheingau wine-growing region, we had not yet ventured beyond the wine tents at the farmer's market to meet the 'wineguts' in their territory. Unlike Napa, the roads are not full of tourists driving somewhat distractedly to wineries. Here, you can hop on a tractor with 15 of your closest friends, and the winemakers drive you around their vineyards themselves. The tractors are pre-loaded with a case of wine, a case of water, and tasting glasses that fit conveniently into holes on the table in front of you. Our tour consisted of seeing the wineries of Dr. Marbe-Sans, learning about the grapes of the Rheingau (and importantly, that wine made from the hillside grapes is pricier and better than wine from grapes on the flat land), and sipping wines. The tour ended with a traditional Mainz supper: boiled sausages, bread, and mustard.
Oppenheim: Take your car or the train - it's an easy ride from Mainz / Wiesbaden. The train comes every 20 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to bring you into town. In April, there's even a pre-organized "Wine Wandering" where you can join other people and families as they traipse across the nearby vineyards for a sample of food, wine, and fresh air. We kept our visit simple, just visiting the very friendly Weingut Dahlem, and the Katharinenkirche nearby.
Würzberg: This is a bit farther out and better by car -- past Frankfurt and about 1:30 from Mainz / Wiesbaden. Watch for traffic before you leave, just in case. We parked near the Cathedral in town, which was surprisingly beautiful, bright, and looked recently redone. Then we spent most of our time at the Residenz, a UNESCO World Heritage site and gorgeous palace. The Hall of Mirrors (you must wait for a free guide) is not to be missed, along with the intricate art above the stairs - you could get lost just looking at the details. The garden went on and on - and in the summer, is perfect for a little one to stretch his legs.
There are so many other places to explore, within one hour or less of our little town... stay tuned for more!
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