Middle Rhine Valley and the Lorelei

The stretch of the Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz is lined with steep vineyards, medieval castles on almost every hilltop, and pretty wine villages, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best way to see it is a river cruise, for example between Bacharach, St Goar and Boppard, past the Lorelei, a 132 m rock where, legend says, a siren lured sailors to their deaths.

KD and other companies run boats from about April to October; you can get on and off at the villages. Trains run along both banks, and there are walking trails such as the Rheinsteig.