My husband and I are staying in St. Goar this summer and we are trying to plan our day trips. We do not have a lot of time so I am trying to decide whether to visit Rüdesheim am Rhein or Braubach one day? We love history and castles, good food, wine and beer. Which place would be more interesting and fun to spend our day? Is it possible to visit both places in one day? I don't want to make it too hectic.
Thanks!
Braubach and Rüdesheim are only 45 minutes apart by train, so it is certainly possible to visit both in a day. However, if you are planning to go between them by boat, well,
The first boat all the way from Rüdesheim to Braubach leaves Rüdesheim at 9:15, a little early to see Rüdesheim. The next boat leaves Rüdesheim at 2:15 pm and gets to Braubach at 5:20 pm, too late for a tour.
Do you have a car ?
Where else will you be traveling before and after ?
How many days in the area ?
We are traveling by train. We will arrive in St. Goar from Amsterdam and be there 3 nights before heading to Wurzburg. The first day we are spending in St. Goar after arriving from the long train ride, the second day we will go to Cochem, and the third day is the one we are trying to decide between Rudesheim or Braubach. From Wurzburg we will be visiting Nuremberg and Bamberg.
By all means visit both. The St. Goar ferry runs all day long every 20 minutes or so. Once on the other side, walk north to the station and ride the rails.
You'd be wise to hit Marksburg Castle (Braubach just prior to 13:00 or 16:00 (English tour in summer.) If that doesn't work for you, ask for a pamphlet in English when you attend the German tour. You could also contact the castle to see about alternative hours..."Concerning guided tours in English at other times of the day, please call our visitor service: +49-2627-206 as you might be able to join a pre-booked English-speaking group."
http://www.marksburg.de/en/visitor-information/
The hike to the castle is fairly steep - or you can check with the Marksburgbahn people - see link at this page.
Braubach's Marktplatz is a nice spot for a meal - more peaceful than touristy Rüdesheim, as a rule.
On that note, is Cochem worth an entire day?
I am definitely open to hearing recommendations on the best places to visit! If it is not Rudesheim and Braubach, I would love to know all the places everyone thinks is the best!
I think cochem is worth a day. We loved it, and I really like the castle there. Marksburg is another great stop, but plan well so you can get an english tour (if you end up with a german tour they will give you an english cheat sheet).
"My husband and I are staying in St. Goar this summer and we are trying to plan our day trips. We do not have a lot of time.."
The Rhine/Mosel region is tricky to negotiate. I'd be pleased to make some specific suggestions for what you can accomplish with your time - but please be more specific about your time - date/hour you arrive in St. Goar and date/hour you need to leave St. Goar. That way I (we) can address events in the area as well as things you might see/do coming and going.
Our trip is June, we leave Amsterdam on a Saturday at 8am and arrive in St. Goar at 3pm. We were going to visit Burg Rheinfels that day and stay in St. Goar. We are in St. Goar until Tuesday morning and we take a train to Wurzburg early Tuesday.
"...we leave Amsterdam on a Saturday at 8am and arrive in St. Goar at 3pm."
OK, assume it's 7 hours because you're stopping over somewhere for lunch or maybe Cologne cathedral so yes, your day is pretty full there and Rheinfels makes very good sense.
Bacharach and Oberwesel just to the south are pretty outstanding places. I'd combine one or the other with a visit to Rüdesheim, since that place is on your list, and include a cruise through the best part of the Rhine. Ferry across to St. Goarshausen in the morning and catch a train (9:26) south to R'heim (9:51.) Lunch there. Catch the 14:15 boat to Bacharach (15:15) for a couple of hours there, then the 17:15 boat for St. Goar (17:55.) If you feel like visiting Oberwesel after that in the evening, it's just 5 minutes to the south by train, and there should be sunlight until late in the evening.
On the other day: I'd combine Marksburg and Cochem. Marksburg is the premiere medieval castle on the Rhine. Ferry across to St. Goarshausen. Train (9:32) to Braubach (9:56.) See town briefly and hike up or shuttle up for tour. Return to town, Lunch. Depart 13:24 train for Cochem (30-min. layover in Koblenz) where you arrive 14:41. Spend several hours there and return at your leisure to St. Goar via Koblenz by train. The chairlift ride there and/or the hike up to the castle provide really nice views.
If you want to visit Rüdesheim, go in the late afternoon or evening. It may be touristy, but it offer a unique German experience that I have not seen replicated elsewhere. Many of the restaurants host performances of live Schlager music, especially during the warmer months. Now, Schlager admittedly is an aquired taste, and I think one that many people appreciate ironically. However, there's a certain level of enjoyment listening to this somewhat cheesy music, as stag and bachelorette parties from the nearby cities start to pour in throughout the night. Everyone appears to be having such a good time, so who am I to turn my nose up on this less-than-sophisticated music genre?
My wife and I spent a very enjoyable Saturday evening in Rüdesheim listening (and dancing) to Schlager music while enjoying the excellent local food, beer and wine - I highly recommend it. The stag and bachelorette parties were indeed as entertaining as the music :-)
One caveat - check the train schedule for the last train back to your destination - we were staying in Bacharach and we didn't wander across the Rhine to Bingen to catch a train back to the hotel until after the last train for the night (to Bacharach anyway) had already left. Fortunately there was a pizza joint near the train station still open and they were kind enough to call a cab or us.
Hi,
Between the two, I pick Rüdesheim am Rhein,
