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Rhine in early March

Headed up to Cologne on the 7th for a conference. Have 3 days to get there. Marksburg Castle is on the list. What else to do and where to stay. Would love to get in a river cruise but it seems like its to early for the boats. We will have a car and maybe a drive up the Rhine to Cologne would work?

Posted by
6627 posts

"Headed up to Cologne on the 7th for a conference. Have 3 days to get there."
From where? FRA? Mainz is a good city for a visit.

Mainz attractions

You can visit the Rhine villages of Bacharach and Oberwesel easy enough by train - a couple of hours in each would be adequate at this time of year (you may be the only visitor in town.) Spring weather is very unlikely. Are you starting out on March 7 or is your conference on March 7?? Remagen's Peace Museum at the site of the old Luddendorf Bridge (the Bridge at Remagen of Hollywood fame) will be open starting March 7.

Peace Museum

There's a ferry between Remagen and Linz, another very attractive old-world town worth a short visit.

Linz street scene
Linz half-timbered buildings

Posted by
19092 posts

"Headed up to Cologne"

From where are you coming. Frankfurt? I hope you realize that UP on the Rhein is to the SE, to Switzerland. The Rhein flows down from Frankfurt to Cologne (even though it is up on the map). There are some things to see from Frankfurt to the Marksburg - Rüdesheim, the Pfalzgrafenstein, Bacharach, St. Goar and Rheinfels, and Boppard (too name a few).

A car is completely unnecessary in that area. Trains go up both banks hourly.

Posted by
8938 posts

Will you be in Frankfurt? There is usually 1 ship per day going down the Rhine from Rüdesheim to St. Goar or Boppard. Check the KD website. I think it departs Rüdesheim around 10:00 (+ or -) The rest of the time you could use the trains that go up and down the Rhine on both sides and the ferries that go back and forth across the Rhine. For the Marksburg, check to see if the ship stops at St. Goarshausen and then continue your trip to Braubach by train.