Plan to drive up the Rhine via Bingen to Koblenz and thru Bonn. Any suggestions for the return trip? What do you know about Monschau and Trier?
Posted by
Austin TX after living in Boulder CO for 25 years
1174 posts
We drove from Frankfurt to Bacharach, Cologne, the Mosel Valley, and into Trier last October.
Trier was wonderful ! It's a great town that was the Roman capital - we found it charming.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
In the Netherlands, check out the windmills at Kinderdijk, which would make an easy stop-over of an hour or so.
I have not personally visited Monschau, but it was on my list for a long time. I have seen nearby Stolberg, which had an interesting, if rather small preserved old town, with a castle. It's worth at least a quick look. And also in the neighborhood, Aachen's old center contains the ancient cathedral of Charlemagne and a very pleasent pedestrian area.
Because you will take the Rhine on your trip northward, an alternative scenic return route would be through the Sauerland along A4 east of Köln, then continuing along A45. Some interesting towns include Siegen, Dillenburg (original home of Dutch national hero, William the Silent), the beautiful old university town of Marburg, Wetzlar and Braunfels, which has a particularly large castle. Speaking of castles, you'll see quite a few along this route as you drive.
Trier is pleasent, but it didn't blow me away.