Sunday, September 26, 2010

Beyond Frankfurt - the Rhine Valley

The new high-speed rail link between London and Frankfurt will open up the Rhine and Mosel valleys to British holidaymakers. Simon Tisdall explores the region's castles, cuisine and its famous winesPlans by Deutsche Bahn, the German state railway, to run direct train services between London and Frankfurt will gladden the hearts of innkeepers, castellans and walking and cycle tour operators across the historic and beautiful, riverine landscapes of the Rhine Palatinate, known since 1946 as the German federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz.But the new rail link is potentially even better news for British holidaymakers looking for a near-to-home break with a difference - one that can combine outdoor activities and sightseeing with Rhine or Mosel river cruises, short stays in friendly guesthouses, medieval inns or four-star hotels with distinctive cuisine, and a dazzling choice of Riesling wines from the Mosel's vertiginous vineyards.Local tourism officials stress romantic possibilities, too, exemplified by a five-course candle-lit dinner in a soaring turret high above the legendary Loreley gorge, close by St Goar. The setting ? Rheinfels castle, built in 1245 by Count Diether V von Katzenelnbogen ? was once the mightiest fortress of the Middle Rhine, but has been reborn as the Romantik Hotel Schloss Rheinfels.New train routes notwithstanding, the triangular area between the Rhine and Mosel valleys, with well-heeled Koblenz sitting at its apex, is most readily accessible from Frankfurt-Hahn airport, a 50-minute hop from Stansted. But Frankfurt am Main and Bonn are not too far away for those understandably determined to avoid Ryanair. Driving is the easiest way to get around, though not wholly unavoidable. There are good local train and bus services linking the valley towns in addition to the swift KD riverboat cruisers.New arrivals could do no better than head for the Hotel-Landgasthof Zum Weissen Schwanen (the White Swans) in the tiny Rhine-side town of Braubach, south of Koblenz (doubles from about ?90pn (�76)). The Swans, a picturebook half-timbered, medieval inn, is run by Karolin K�nig-Kunz and her family. Its menu draws heavily on local produce including venison, wild boar, herbs and fruit, and five different vintages were offered with dinner. The tipples included a notable Bopparder Hamm Feuerlay, from Weingut Matthias M�ller in Spay.For a cheaper option there are local guesthouses, where visitors often take their meals together, French-style. The grand hotels of the Middle Rhine, such as the Jakobsberg, located high above the river at Boppard and featuring its own golf course, can cost a lot more. If you really want to push the boat out, try the Richtershof at M�lheim, near Bernkastel-Kues on the Mosel ? a "Weinromantikhotel" with a true sense of style, as demonstrated by the presence of a classic (but sadly non-running) Adler motorcycle in the lobby.The Richtershof's "gourmet" restaurant, the Culinarium R, is unforgettable. A set dinner menu comprised goose liver with chocolate and mango; stuffed scallops with fennel and crab; turbot with aubergine and tomato; roast pigeon breast with chanterelles and parsnip mousse; saddle of Eifel venison with apricots; and various fruits ? each course accompanied by a local wine chosen by ace taster Kilian Rau. The meal comes in at about ?130 a head. Evidently the Richtershof is no economy break but arguably, it's worth every pfennig.Long before tourism came to the Palatinate, viticulture formed the basis of its economy ? a tradition begun by the Roman garrisons that guarded the volatile river borders between Gaul and unconquered, barbarian Germania.Winegrower Albrecht Gietzen, whose vines cling courageously to steep, southern-facing, slate slopes above the Mosel at Hatzenport, recalled how, a century ago, vast acreages of terraced hillsides were under intensive cultivation. As cheaper, lower quality wines flooded the market in the 1980s, Mosel production fell sharply, he said. But now the elegantly light Mosel Rieslings and other local wines are making a comeback, finding appreciative foreign markets, not least in Britain.Gietzen, who doubles as mayor of Hatzenport (population 660), and his wife, Maria, run the Winzerhof Gietzen guesthouse (doubles with breakfast from ?28pppn). A robust, hearty menu is paired with their own wines from up the hill. And Gietzen is only too happy to take guests on a tour of his domain, on what he calls the "Wein Wetter Weg" (wine and weather path).If the eating and drinking gets too much, the Palatinate has plenty to offer in the way of mitigating exercise. Exploring historic local towns such as Boppard, Braubach and Cochem is one option; their well-preserved medieval centres, full of cobbled alleys and small squares, cafes and monuments, cake shops and churches, never disappoint. Picturesque Bernkastel-Kues offers a booklet of short walking tours in and around the town, available from the tourist office. Among the attractions is the 18th-century Graach Gate that features, as a modern addition, a plaque commemorating the town's lost Jewish population, deported during the Nazi period, never to return.More vigorous exercise is freely available along sections of the Rheinsteig, a 320km trail following the right side of the Rhine from Wiesbaden to Bonn. The trail can be picked up at Osterspai, for example, and followed to what is possibly the Rhine's most famous landmark, Marksburg castle, about 10km away.Cycling is encouraged along the Rhine and Mosel, with bike hire facilities abounding and beautifully maintained cycle paths. One memorably pastoral route ? part of the Lahnradweg ? follows the river Lahn 40km east from its confluence with the Rhine towards the spa town of Bad Ems and on to Nassau. Bike hire from Lothar Gebhardt, Burg & Bike, in Lahnstein.And for the really adventurous, there are always the Traumpfade ? the dream paths ? 26 walking circuits of varying length dotted around the hills, woods and valleys of the Palatinate's Rhine, Mosel and Eifel regions. Scrupulously waymarked, never too taxing, and replete with breathtaking views, rural hideaways, secret castles ? such as the fairytale Burg Eltz ? and endless, unspoilt forests of native oak and beech, the dream paths are aptly named. Even if little else about the Rhine Palatinate appeals, these walks on the wild side will get you out of your head.Getting thereRyanair flies from Stansted to Frankfurt Hahn, from �17.24 one way excluding taxes; British Airways (0844 493 0787, ba.com) flies from Heathrow and London City to Frankfurt from �114 rtn inc taxes; Lufthansa flies from London City from �296 rtn incl taxes.More information on the region: romantic-germany.info? This article was amended on 22 September 2010. Due to an editing error, the original stated that driving is the easiest way to get around, though wholly unavoidable. This has been corrected.GermanyRail travelFrankfurtShort breaksSimon Tisdallguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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