Even if you cannot pronounce “Rüdesheim,” you’ll want to visit this picturesque German town that sits at the south end of the Rhein Gorge, a 41-mile section of the river that has the world’s greatest concentration of castles. A town of 7,000 people, all of whom apparently grow wine grapes, Rüdesheim’s history dates back to Roman times, as evidenced by some of the ruins in town.
The medieval town of Rüdesheim on the Rhein
As part of our Rhein River cruise with AmaWaterways, we had an evening tour of Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum (itself situated in the remains of the 12th century Brömserburg castle), followed by a 3-hour morning hike through family-owned vineyards that produce Riesling so popular it can command over 1,000 Euros per bottle.
These cabinets opened up and the violins began to play of their own accord. No other instrument in the museum was similar to this one.
One thing that is appealing about going on a river cruise with AmaWaterways is that you get loads of activity choices, all geared toward a variety of fitness levels and personal interests. When we docked in Rüdesheim after dinner, we had a choice of touring the music museum (which we discovered means the instruments are all self-playing) or relaxing in a cafe that serves Rüdesheimer coffee, known for its cream and brandy. AmaWaterways included a short sightseeing train ride from the ship into town, and if it’s raining, as it was when we arrived, you’ll be glad to hop aboard. In fine weather, it’s a short 10-minute walk.
Rüdesheim w/ @AmaWaterways: wine, castles and a musical cabinet museum
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One of my favorite instruments at the Mechanical Musical Instruments Museum
This is a very small doll carousel music box at Siegfried’s Museum in Rüdesheim
A well-preserved, colorful door and wall in the museum, built in 1542.
Housed in the cellar, this wonderful floor-to-celing music box still works. All tours are guided, as the tour guide plays these instruments for guests.
Siegfried’s Mechanisches Musikkabinett on a rainy night in Rüdesheim
In the morning, the rain was no longer pouring, though it was still cloudy, so we stuck with our plan to hike to the ruins of Ehrenfels Castle via the vineyards. During the hike, we passed under the gondolas that took most of the group to the top of the hill to view the town and river. On our way back to our ship, the Ama Prima, we were passed by the people who took the third option – a 13-mile bike ride. One advantage (of many) of the hike is that the vintners keep a small fridge stocked with free wine along the hiking trail. So thoughtful. If it’s sunny, bring water and sunblock, as there’s little shade. We hiked in cloudy weather, and it was perfect, as we stayed warm without getting hot. Our tour guide was a retired civil engineer who owns a potato farm in Wiesbaden. Not only was his English fluent (as are all the local guides), he knew the history of all the families who owned the vines. He also admitted to being a bit of a snob who only buys Rüdesheim Riesling, not the Riesling made on the Bingen side of the river.
Yup, we hiked up hill and over dale, through the vineyards of Rüdesheim.
Riesling grapes in Rüdesheim
One of the families that owns wine grapes in Rüdesheim. Sadly, the bottle was empty.
This lovely bird was supervising us as we hiked through the vineyards. If you know what type of bird (falcon?) it is, please let me know.
The ruins of Ehrenfels Castle, Rüdesheim, on a rainy day
Part of what made the meals served on the Ama Prima extra special is that the meal is based on the local specialties. So besides wine, those of us who huddled under blankets up on the sun deck (it was cold and rainy) to get pictures of the many castles we passed after leaving Rüdesheim were offered some of the Rüdesheim coffee. Remember how it has brandy? That helped keep me warm enough to stay up top to get pictures of every single castle we passed as we cruised downstream along the UNESCO World Heritage designated gorge. Those pictures will be in an upcoming post, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already.
We were guests of AmaWaterways on the 8-day “Enchanting Rhine” cruise. They made no requirements of us, except to enjoy ourselves, which we did, oh so much.
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