weekend trip from Cologne-Germany.

Cologne has lots of good train connections to interesting destinations in Germany. How about Hamburg? Just voted one of the most livable cities in the world. And I try to go back during each trip to Germany to see something new and revisit favourite places.

It's puzzling your list doesn't already include The Black Forest, Middle Rhine valley, Moselle valley and Trier, Antwerp, documenta 14, Amsterdam, Appeldorn and Hoge Veelue, Frankfurt area, Leipzig-Weimar-Erfurt, Berlin. Note that wine harvest season is arriving.

Berlin, Black Forest??? they are a hell of journey for a short weekend.

Try the Belgian/Luxembourg Ardenne area. Plent of hiking etc. Quite a lot of US army history. Take train to Liege and change there for a Luxembourg train. Clervaux (LUX) is a good spot.

http://www.visit-eislek.lu/en

"...a weekend trip(either train or short flight)- no major connections...we generally enjoy the outdoors (hiking), ...a more relaxed trip."

You'd probably enjoy a stay in the scenic Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hike the Rhine Castle Trail (Rheinburgenweg, west Rhine bank) or the Rheinsteig (east bank.) Both offer great scenic views. Direct regional trains run south from Cologne along the west bank through the most scenic part of the MRV (between Koblenz and Bingen) where you can do these hikes.

https://mittelrheinbahn.de/assets/images/0/mittelrheinbahn-strecke-590e1210.svg

St. Goar is a centrally-positioned wine town 2 hours south of Cologne; it's a good base town for train users with a ferry crossing that allows for getting to the Rheinsteig trail and to the east bank towns between Koblenz and Rüdesheim (use the east bank train line.)

http://www.vias-online.de/data/9_netzplan_rhg.jpg

St. Goar and Rheinfels Castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFF80wORNQ

St. Goar has 3 old-world neighbor-towns you can visit within a 10-15-minute train ride... Boppard, Oberwesel, and Bacharach.

Museums: From St. Goar, take a day trip by direct train to Mainz. Mainz has an outstanding set of museums and some impressive churches as well.

thank you all for your recommendations. I am intrigued by Hamburg, the Ardenne area and also St. Goar. I will be looking into these options more intensely going forward. There are so many small hill towns on the Rhine and Mosel Valley, sometimes its a matter or logistically planning it out and finding the appropriate trainline, etc. i will keep posted on the outcome :)

for Rhein/ Mosel try http://www.koblenz-guels.de/index.php/tourismus little village on edge of Koblenz city (frequent bus links into city and own rail station as well). On the banks of the Mosel a few miles from where it joins the Rhein. The local transport authority has it's own day tickets that cover parts of both rivers. http://www.vrminfo.de/en/ works like VRS in Cologne.

Hi,

If you want to stay in Germany: From Köln Hbf you can connect directly to Münster/ Westf. (Westphalia), also I would suggest Heidelberg, (requires one change of trains), Frankfurt and Aachen ( direct). What about Neuss am Rhein or further Soest/Westf.? All very doable from Köln.

thank you for all the suggestions. we have decided to go to sankt goar- bacharach for the weekend, specifically looking at hiking the RheinBurgenWeg gesamt (Süd-Nord). does anyone have experience hiking this area? it is rather lengthy and looking for some great vistas.

The trail between St. Goar and Oberwesel passes along the cliffsides and through field, forest, and vineyards. There are some small huts along the way with great views - https://img.oastatic.com/img2/14502754/max/schleifenroute-maria-ruh-aussichtsplatz.jpg - and you can stop in at the Günderodehaus (the half-timbered German counterpart of the "Little House on the Prairie" cabin) for refreshments on the terrace as you approach Oberwesel: https://img.oastatic.com/img2/14502754/max/schleifenroute-maria-ruh-aussichtsplatz.jpg

There are some sculptures on this trail segment out in the middle of nowhere - surprising.

The St. Goar - Oberwesel segment took me around 2.5 hours. The word "gesamt" refers to the "entire" trail - not what you are looking for.

Next to the St. Goar train station there's a railway underpass - take it and follow the steep trail to the clifftops to access the trail.

Oberwesel itself has an interesting footpath around the old town walls - http://www.oberwesel.de/en/wandern0/stadtmauerrundweg/