Holiday in Rheingau

What makes Rheingau special as a destination?

The Rheingau, a sun-drenched landscape on the right bank of the Rhine between Wiesbaden and Lorch, is one of the most prestigious wine regions in Germany and the cradle of German Riesling. The south-facing steep slopes capture every hour of sunlight and produce world-class wines that mature in famous VDP wineries such as Schloss Johannisberg, Kloster Eberbach, and Robert Weil. Kloster Eberbach, the best-preserved medieval Cistercian abbey in Germany, served as a filming location for the movie The Name of the Rose and now houses one of the most significant collections of wine presses in Europe. The monastery is home to the Hessian State Wineries and a venue for magnificent wine auctions. Schloss Johannisberg is considered the oldest Riesling winery in the world — the late harvest was invented here in 1775 when a delayed messenger delivered the harvest order too late. Rüdesheim am Rhein, the most famous town in the Rheingau, attracts visitors with the Drosselgasse, a narrow alley just two meters wide filled with wine taverns and live music, the Niederwalddenkmal with the Germania statue high above the Rhine, and the cable car through the vineyards. Eltville, the city of roses, enchants in June with blooming roses on half-timbered houses and the Electoral Castle. Assmannshausen is famous for its Spätburgunder, while Oestrich-Winkel and Hattenheim are quiet wine villages with historic inns. The Rheingau Wine Week in Wiesbaden and the Rheingau Music Festival are among the cultural highlights.