Ruedesheim: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Rüdesheim has lived from wine and visitors for two centuries, and its old town is a tight knot of lanes between the river and the vineyards. The famous Drosselgasse is only the start: around it stand a castle from about the year 1000, noble houses and the towers of the town wall. This walk ends up the slope at the church of Hildegard of Bingen. About two hours; come in the morning before the boats unload, or in the evening.
A short history of Ruedesheim
Rüdesheim is a wine town on the right bank of the Rhine, and vines have grown on the slopes above it since the Middle Ages. The narrow Drosselgasse lane runs through its centre, and at the edge of the town stands the Brömserburg, one of the oldest castles on the Rhine. On the hill above, the Niederwald Monument was inaugurated in 1883, with a statue of Germania more than ten metres high, commemorating the unification of Germany in 1871. Since 2002 the town has been part of the Rhine Valley World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Ruedesheim
1DrosselgasseThe narrow lane of wine taverns and live music; crowded by day, liveliest in the evening
2Rüdesheim cable carTwo-seat gondolas over the vineyards to the monument; ask for the ring ticket with the chairlift and the boat
3Niederwald MonumentThe giant Germania above the vineyards; the view over the Rhine bend to Bingen is the reward
4Niederwald hunting lodgeAn 18th-century lodge in the forest park, now a hotel with a terrace for coffee
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5Assmannshausen chairlift
Open chairs down through the forest to the river village; not for anyone afraid of heights
6AssmannshausenA riverside wine village famous for red wine, 5 km downstream
7BrömserburgThe low square castle by the river, one of the oldest on the Rhine
8Siegfried's Mechanical Music CabinetGuided tours where the self-playing pianos and orchestrions are switched on; about 45 minutes
9AdlerturmThe tall corner tower of the old town wall by the river
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10St. Hildegard Abbey
Benedictine nuns above the vineyards; the church is open, and the shop sells their own wine
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Ruedesheim →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ruedesheim:
Free walking tours in Ruedesheim
Lanes, castles and brandy
Rüdesheim has lived from wine and visitors for two centuries, and its old town is a tight knot of lanes between the river and the vineyards. The famous Drosselgasse is only the start: around it stand a castle from about the year 1000, noble houses and the towers of the town wall. This walk ends up the slope at the church of Hildegard of Bingen. About two hours; come in the morning before the boats unload, or in the evening.
- Drosselgasse · The lane is only about 144 metres long and barely wider than two people. Taverns with live music line both sides, and on a summer evening it is one of the busiest streets in Germany.
- Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet · Siegfried Wendel opened the collection in 1969 in the Brömserhof, a 15th-century noble house. The guides play the machines for you — from music boxes to orchestrions that imitate a whole band.
- Brömserburg · The square castle by the river goes back to around the year 1000, which makes it one of the oldest castles on the Rhine. It was the seat of the Brömser knights, who gave their name to the noble houses nearby.
- Rüdesheimer Kaffeehaus · Rüdesheimer Kaffee was invented in 1957 by the TV chef Hans Karl Adam. Asbach brandy and sugar cubes are set alight in a special cup, coffee is poured over, and the whole thing is topped with whipped cream and chocolate.
- Adlerturm · The tower was built in the 15th century as part of the town wall facing the river. It is the tallest piece of the old fortifications still standing.
- Eibingen parish church · Hildegard of Bingen — abbess, healer, composer and visionary — founded a convent in Eibingen in 1165. She died in 1179, and her relics lie in the parish church on the site of her old convent.
The ring over the vineyards
The classic Rüdesheim day goes up, across and down in a loop: cable car over the vineyards, a forest walk on the ridge, a chairlift down to Assmannshausen and a boat back up the river. The ridge was laid out as a landscape park in the 18th century, with follies and views toward Bingen and the Nahe. Buy the ring ticket at the cable-car station. Half a day, about 3 km of easy forest path; the lifts close in winter.
- Rüdesheim cable car · The cable car has run since the 1950s, carrying two-seat gondolas low over the vineyards of the Rüdesheimer Berg. The ride up takes about ten minutes.
- Niederwald Monument · The monument was unveiled in 1883 to celebrate the founding of the German Empire, with a bronze Germania about 10 metres tall. At the opening, anarchists had planted dynamite to kill the Kaiser — it failed because the fuse was wet from the rain.
- Ehrenfels ruin · Ehrenfels was built in the early 13th century as a toll castle facing the Mouse Tower across the water. Together they controlled the Binger Loch, the rocky narrows where the Rhine enters the gorge.
- Niederwald hunting lodge · Count Ostein, whose family held the estate, turned the forest into a landscape park in the 1760s and built this lodge for the hunt. Grottos and a mock ruin from the same time are still hidden along the paths.
- Assmannshausen chairlift · The open chairs drop about 200 metres from the ridge to the village through the forest. Legs dangle over the treetops, and the Rhine opens up below on the way down.
- Assmannshausen · Almost the whole Rheingau grows white Riesling, but Assmannshausen is known for red: Pinot Noir from its slate slopes. Boats back to Rüdesheim leave from the village pier.
Abbeys, monks and Riesling
The Rheingau is a short stretch where the Rhine turns west, so its slopes face south into the sun — the reason monks planted vines here a thousand years ago. Abbeys and wine estates still sit side by side along it. This drive goes east through the vineyards to the great Cistercian abbey, then crosses by ferry to Bingen on the other bank. A full day by car; Eberbach takes at least two hours.
- St. Hildegard Abbey · The abbey was built between 1900 and 1904 to revive Hildegard's community, and Benedictine nuns still live here. They keep their own vineyard, and the wine is sold in the abbey shop.
- Schloss Johannisberg · In 1775 the courier carrying permission to start the harvest arrived weeks late, and the grapes had begun to rot on the vine. The wine made from them turned out superb — the story of how late-harvest Spätlese was discovered here. In 1816 the estate was given to Metternich, the statesman born in Koblenz.
- Eberbach Abbey · Cistercian monks founded Eberbach in 1136, and their cellars made it one of the biggest wine businesses of medieval Europe. The film The Name of the Rose, with Sean Connery, was shot inside its halls in the 1980s.
- Mouse Tower · Legend says the cruel Archbishop Hatto of Mainz burned starving peasants in a barn and fled to this tower, where mice swam over and ate him alive. In truth the name probably comes from an old word for a toll or watch tower.
- Klopp Castle · The castle above Bingen was blown up by French troops in 1689 and rebuilt in the 19th century. Today it houses the town hall, and its tower looks over the place where the Nahe flows into the Rhine.
- Rochus Chapel · The chapel was first built as a vow after a plague in the 17th century. Goethe came to its pilgrimage festival in 1814 and wrote a lively account of the day.
Getting to Ruedesheim and getting around
- Rüdesheim station · Right-bank trains to Koblenz, Wiesbaden and Frankfurt; for left-bank trains take the ferry to Bingen
- Bingen–Rüdesheim car ferry · The only way for a car to cross here; runs all day, a few minutes over
- Passenger ferry at the Adlerturm · Foot passengers to Bingen; the Rhine cruise boats tie up along this same riverfront
Cheap eats in Ruedesheim
Rüdesheim feeds a lot of day visitors, so quick food is everywhere around the Drosselgasse and along the Rheinstraße. The local specialities are Riesling from the slopes above the town and Rüdesheimer Kaffee, made with the Asbach brandy distilled here. Prices along the busiest lanes are higher than one street back.
- Rüdesheimer Kaffeehaus · Rüdesheimer Kaffee, flamed at the table, about 9-10 euros
- Bäckerei Aulmann · A pretzel about 1.20 euros, a filled roll 3-5 euros
- Snacks To Go · A bratwurst in a roll about 4-5 euros
- Döner Deluxe · Döner in bread about 7-8 euros
- Dolce Vita Drosselgasse · A scoop of ice cream about 2 euros
- Brutzelhaus · Sausages and fries about 6-9 euros
Museums in Ruedesheim
- Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet · Self-playing instruments, switched on during the tour
- Eberbach Abbey · Romanesque church, monks' dormitory and huge old wine presses
- Brömserburg · Castle from around the year 1000 by the river
- Schloss Johannisberg · Wine estate where Spätlese was discovered; tastings by the terrace
- Klopp Castle · Bingen castle and town hall across the river
Things to do in Ruedesheim with kids
- Rüdesheim cable car · Gondolas over the vineyards; children love the ride
- Mouse Tower · A spooky legend to tell on the boat
- Assmannshausen chairlift · Open chairs; children must be able to sit still
- Asbach-Bad · The town pool by the river for a hot summer day
- Niederwald Monument · A short walk from the cable car with wide lawns
Holy places in Ruedesheim
- Eibingen parish church · Hildegard's shrine; her feast on 17 September brings a procession
- St. Hildegard Abbey · Church open by day; the nuns sing the hours
- Jewish Cemetery · Walled cemetery above the town; ask locally for access
- Rochus Chapel · Pilgrimage church above Bingen with a view back to Rüdesheim
- Eberbach Abbey · The bare Cistercian church is still used for concerts
Where to eat in Ruedesheim
- Gutsschänke Schloss Johannisberg · Estate restaurant on the terrace over the vineyards; book for sunset
- Gutsausschank Weingut Philipp · A family estate tavern pouring its own wine, simple food
- Weinhaus Drosselhof · Big wine tavern in the Drosselgasse with live music in the evening
- Breuer's Rüdesheimer Schloss · Wine restaurant in a historic house by the Drosselgasse
- Restaurant Cafe Rosenberger · Riverside terrace on the Rheinstraße
Frequently asked questions about Ruedesheim
What is there to see in Ruedesheim?
The top sights in Ruedesheim are Drosselgasse, Rüdesheim cable car and Niederwald Monument. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Ruedesheim?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ruedesheim without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Ruedesheim?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ruedesheim, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Lanes, castles and brandy.
How do you get to Ruedesheim and get around?
The main ways are Rüdesheim station, Bingen–Rüdesheim car ferry and Passenger ferry at the Adlerturm. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Ruedesheim, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ruedesheim that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Ruedesheim for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.