//
Section of the river Rhine in Germany
Photo: Pedelecs, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Rhine Valley or Middle Rhine (German: Mittelrhein) is the most famous section of the Rhine, running between the cities of Bingen(near Mainz) and Bonn in Germany and spanning the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. The section from Koblenz to Bingen, known as the Rhine Gorge, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire valley is often called "The Romantic Rhine".
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
By plane
Frankfurt airport (FRA) is the major international airport for the area.
By train
Bonn and Mainz, and with less service, Wiesbaden via Frankfurt are the key stations into the region. Bingen and Koblenz being the largest stations with Rüdesheim being a popular stop.
By car
The A61 is just to the west of the Middle Rhine Valley. The A3 is a little further to the east of the valley.
By cruise ship
A large number of luxury cruise operators sail up (and down) the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, Zurich or Strasbourg or from the Rhine cruise up the Main and Danube to Budapest.
By train
There are not one but two train lines running along this section of the Rhine:
By boat
The Köln-Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt, better known as KD, runs cruises and scheduled services up and down the river between Cologne and Mainz.
On foot
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Frankfurt am Main (Lautzenhausen) · International · HHN
Loading places around the airport…
The federal city of Bonn is one of the largest cities in the Cologne Lowland, second only to Cologne in population, with 330,000 residents in 2020. Despite the size, it maintains a cosy, relaxed atmosphere of a small town, featuring mostly low-rise buildings, a charming old town and a lot of greenery.
Königswinter is a town at the Rhine in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state between Bonn and Bad Honnef at the Siebengebirge near the Middle Rhine Valley.
Bad Honnef is a spa town in the end of the Middle Rhine Valley in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state between Königswinter and Linz an Rhein. To the north it lies on the slopes of the Drachenfels mountain (Dragons's Rock), part of the Siebengebirge.
Neuwied is a town and district in the Middle Rhine Valley of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Bendorf is a small town in Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz). The town consists of the neighbourhoods of Bendorf, Sayn, Mülhofen, Stromberg.
Vallendar is a small town in Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) region of Germany, with about 10.097 inhabitants.
Koblenz is a major city in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate (northern), Germany. It has about 114,000 inhabitants in 2026.
Lahnstein is a town on the right-hand side of the Middle Rhine Valley where the river Lahn flows into the Rhine.
Braubach is in the Middle Rhine Valley.
Boppard is in the Middle Rhine Valley in the Rhineland-Palatinate of Germany. It's on the west bank of the Rhine, at a point where the deep river gorge slaloms sharply (the Bopparder Hamm) before continuing north towards Koblenz.
Sankt Goarshausen (abbreviated St. Goarshausen) is in the Middle Rhine Valley of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Sankt Goar is a small quaint town in the Middle Rhine Valley near the Loreley in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, with a lovely atmosphere and pretty scenery.
Oberwesel is a small town in the scenic Rhine Gorge or Middle Rhine Valley. With a population in 2018 of 2813, it's on the left bank of the Rhine 3 km upstream from the Lorelei rock outcrop.
Kaub is a town in the Middle Rhine Valley, in the state Rhineland-Palatinate.
Bacharach (pop 1877) is a town in the Middle Rhine Valley in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany.
Lorch am Rhein is in Rheingau, of Hesse, Germany.
Trechtingshausen is a village in the Middle Rhine Valley in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany.
Assmannshausen is a town of about 1000 people (2018) in the Rheingau in Hesse, Germany, at the southern end of the Rhine Valley. The village is incorporated into the town of Rüdesheim.
Bingen am Rhein (pop 26,000 in 2020) is a town in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany at the junction of the Rhine and the Nahe, across the river from Rüdesheim. It came into being as a strategically important location for the Romans.
Rüdesheim am Rhein (also spelled Rudesheim or Ruedesheim) is a city in the Rheingau in Hesse, at the southern end of the Rhine Valley, across the river from Bingen.
Articles and travel topics about Middle Rhine Valley and Germany.
Travel tipsUnderstand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Travel tipsEstimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
Travel tipsPlan your trip with our Oktoberfest 2027 guide. Learn how to reserve beer tent tables, understand Munich hotel booking windows, and budget daily costs.
8 min read
InspirationExplore the best castle and gothic hotel stays in Europe. Discover historic fortresses, medieval estates, luxury châteaux, and Spanish parador hotels.
6 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.