There are many beautiful and important towns that lie along the Rhine River in Germany. This waterway is the second longest river in Central Europe and stretches nearly 760 miles. If you’re hoping to explore one of the picturesque towns or villages that lie along this beautiful river, you have plenty of options to select from as the river has sources in Switzerland and flows throughout Germany and parts of the Netherlands before meeting the North Sea.

Not only is the river long, but it’s been an important waterway for centuries and was particularly important during the Holy Roman Empire. Since then it’s been a significant region in Germany and is an area that the country takes pride in. If you visit any of the towns that lie along the Rhine River, you’ll be able to experience some incredible natural beauty and immerse yourself in a historic and welcoming culture. There are many towns and villages situated along the river, but here are seven of the most beautiful towns on the Rhine River you’ll love.

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1. Bacharach

This historic storybook town is an incredible place to visit along the picturesque Rhine River. It’s also a popular place to stop at for those exploring the area by river cruise. You can participate in a similar cruise when you visit or you can even arrive at the town via boat.

While exploring the area by water, there is plenty to explore on land as well when you’re in Bacharach. You can stop by one of the gorgeous vineyards that surround the village or see the stunning Wernerkapelle ruins, a red Gothic cathedral that was destroyed in the 1600s.

For a unique place to stay in Bacharach, consider staying at Stahleck Castle. This 12th-century fortified castle was destroyed in the 17th century but was recently rebuilt and restored. Although it’s not open to the public for tours, you can experience the beauty and history of this incredible destination by renting space to stay at this unique hostel.

Bacharach Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Bacharach. Also, find the list of the best hotels in Bacharach to stay in. Need some inspiration? See some recommended hotels below.

Need more ideas to add to your Bacharach itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do Bacharach in addition to what already mentioned here.

2. Cochem

The beautiful town of Cochem is an idyllic spot in the Moselle Valley. The village offers a fantastic array of historic sites as well as countless opportunities to explore the natural landscape that surrounds it. The town is defined by cobblestone streets and alleyways and half-timbered houses, giving it a storybook ambiance.

One of the most beautiful places to visit in Cochem is the Reichsburg Cochem, a medieval castle that can trace its roots back to the 12th century. While parts of the castle are historic, the current structure that stands today was built in the late 1800s. You can take a guided tour of the Reichsburg Cochem and see not only the structure, but a collection of historic artifacts that are housed inside.

Cochem Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Cochem. Also, find the list of the best hotels in Cochem to stay in or check some of our favorite hotels below.

Need more ideas to add to your Cochem itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do Cochem in addition to what already mentioned here.

3. Cologne

Cologne is not only a beautiful city but it’s big as well. In fact, Cologne is Germany’s fourth largest city and definitely the most famous of all of the cities along the beautiful Rhine River. The city is filled with museums that house a collection of works of art and historic artifacts that are from not only German history, but from several other countries throughout the world. The charming streets are lined with cafes, bakeries, shops, and more.

Cologne Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Cologne. Also, find the list of the best hotels in Cologne to stay in or take a look at some of our favorite hotels below.

Need more ideas to add to your Cologne itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do in Cologne in addition to what already mentioned here.

4. Heidelberg

The Rhine River winds through the historic and romantic town of Heidelberg. It’s known for its role as a hub for artists throughout history as well as for being home to Heidelberg University. This institution was founded in 1386 and is notable for being Germany’s oldest university as well as one of the most reputable universities in the world.

One of the most beautiful places you can visit in Heidelberg is the Baroque old town area. The narrow streets and alleyways lined with historic buildings in various warm orange and red shades provide a welcoming and exciting environment, filled with shops and restaurants to explore. Heidelberg Castle is another can’t-miss destination in this historic city.

Heidelberg Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Heidelberg. Also, here you can find the list of the best hotels in Heidelberg to stay in, or take a look below for some of our favorite hotels in the area.

Need more ideas to add to your Heidelberg itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do in Heidelberg in addition to what already mentioned here.

5. Koblenz

The town of Koblenz is larger than others on the list and is a great place to stay while you’re exploring the larger area. You can explore castles that are centuries old, work up a sweat on the many hiking trails that gently wind through the region, or sample some delicious wine at one of the area’s many wineries. Although Koblenz has plenty of amazing attractions around it, you can spend days exploring the attractions within the town as well.

There are plenty of chances to explore historic monuments in Koblenz. You can take a cable car to Ehrenbreitstein Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was first established in the 10th or 9th century AD.

Koblenz Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Koblenz. Also, find the list of the best hotels in Koblenz to stay in or check out some of our recommended hotels in Koblenz below.

Need more ideas to add to your Koblenz itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do in Koblenz in addition to what already mentioned here.

6. Mainz

For a destination that’s a little more off the beaten path than other locations on this list, consider the small picturesque village of Mainz. You could spend time exploring the main town square that’s lined with buildings that are painted in various shades of bright pastels.

For a small town, Mainz has a long and illustrious history. Near the Mainz Town Square lies the Mainz Cathedral that has been carefully restored over the years but is over a thousand years old. You can also visit the Gutenberg Museum, which is the oldest printing museum in the world. Mainz is notably the hometown of inventor Johannes Gutenberg who is responsible for creating the printing press.

Mainz is also a great spot to start or end a river cruise. The Frankfurt Airport is located nearby so you can easily add Mainz to your larger German or European itinerary.

Mainz Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Mainz. Also, you can find the list of the best hotels in Mainz to stay in or take a look at our top three favorite Mainz hotels below.

Need more ideas to add to your Mainz itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do in Mainz in addition to what already mentioned here.

7. Keidrich

The stunning town of Keidrich is known for its vibrant Gothic architecture and surrounding vineyards. The wine produced here is part of a long tradition of winemaking that originated in 1480! Keidrich is also a fantastic destination for anyone who is interested in music – the Saint Valentine’s Catholic parish church houses the world’s oldest organ that is playable to this day.

Like every other town on this list, Keidrich is a fantastic place to visit by boat as well. You can arrive or leave by boat or book a ticket on a longer river cruise.

Keidrich Travel Guide & Resources:

Find the best flights, train tickets, or rent a car for your trip to Keidrich. Also, here you can find the list of the best hotels in Keidrich to stay in or check out some of the best hotels in the area below.

Need more ideas to add to your Keidrich itinerary? Find top attractions and things to do Keidrich in addition to what already mentioned here.

Video Guide: 7 Most Beautiful Towns Along the Rhine River

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Travel Resources for Planning a Trip to Germany

To make planning your trip to Germany and visit towns along the Rhine river easier, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in each destination during your trip.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels: 

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Transportations: 

Airport Transfers: KiwiTaxi, Viator

Train: EuroRail, Trainline or RailEurope 

Bus: Flixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

Car Rentals: AutoEurope, EconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike Rental: BikesBooking (Bikes & scooter rentals) 

Transportation Comparison: Omio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Need help planning a trip to visit the Rhine River, Germany?

Looking for the best towns on the Rhine River, Germany to visit? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a trip to visit the best towns on the Rhine River, Germany are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city vacations at the best price.

Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations.

To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in  5 Easy Steps”  here.

Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today.