Paid them a visit while I was touring with Trafalgar…read more The onboard staff was amazingly polite, and we somehow had managed to communicate entirely in broken English. Their onboard menu offerings ranged from ice cream to chocolates, and full-on sausage lunch plates with beers. The guided tour was conducted in (pre-recorded) English, and it takes you downriver past historic castles and vineyards.

Tucked away in the hills that overlook the Rhine, you'll find Kloster Eberbach. It is stunning in…read moreits serenity and impressive to think that it was built long ago without the help of modern construction. You may recognize it from the 1986 Sean Connery film "The name of the Rose". My family is emigrated from a city just down the road and that used to be a part of the Monastery's estate, and I'm fortunate to stay in touch with the relatives that stayed behind. On Christmas day last year when everything is closed (and the parents wanted to tend to the Christmas roast -- think the same fuss as a Thanksgiving turkey), we young 'uns headed down to the Abbey to check things out. The buildings were closed, but the grounds were open, and we and some other locals meandered around, finally winding up by the sheep and goats. One little guy kept poking his head out to have his chin scratched, and I was happy to oblige him. I'll look forward to my next visit, hopefully on a day when the place is open so I can tour it and learn more about the Abbey's history!

This was my first time visiting a previous monastery dwelling and was surprised to know that only…read more120 monks lived on such a beautiful estate. I came here with a group from work for a team building adventure. We started out breaking into teams for a scavenger hunt around the monastery; then hiked up the top of the hill to see a breath taking view of the countryside and had a light snack at the summit; then returning for a formal tour of the monastery followed by wine tasting in the cellar; and finally we had dinner here at their restaurant to wrap up our 5 hour excursion. Today this place is used for festivals and concerts but you get an appreciation of the dedication and effort of a few men that resulted in an amazing historical landmark. There was also a movie filmed here in the 1980's by Sean Connery. This was a humbling and fantastic experience all rolled into one great adventure that I would highly recommend as a must see place that you will appreciate.

We had a fun time on the KD river cruise along the Rhein. It stops in many places but it's…read moreinconvenient to get off at any of them if you want to eventually make it back to Rüdesheim because the boat comes back a lot later and then you're in one of the small towns for many hours. The boat ride was super relaxing though and the people were really nice. Total it was around 5 hours round trip, but it didn't even feel that long. There is a cafe on the main floor and then sitting upstairs was peaceful.

A great (if super touristy) way to enjoy the scenic Rhine valley, the KD cruises give you both…read moreshort-trip, and all-day excursions, as well as one-way or round-trip options. They start up north in Köln and end in Mainz, with stops at nearly every lovely little Rhein town along the way. You can buy your ticket at the booth by the gangway where the boat docks, and the price varies, depending on how far you're going and if you are making a return trip. I've been on this line a couple of times now, once in '96 and once this summer, and it's pretty much exactly the same. On the boat, you have different seating and standing options. There is an indoor deck with dining tables and air conditioning. There is a main outdoor deck with patio chairs that people rearrange to their preference and a snack bar where you can purchase beer wine and soft drinks, as well as würstchen, chips, and a few other items (at a premium captive audience price, of course). There is an additional upper deck that is for standing only. The weather the day we went was gorgeous and we were going to be on a plane home the next day, so we opted to hang out on the top deck during our 4-hour trip from Boppard to Bingen. I imagine the indoor deck is popular on rainy or cold days. A pre-recorded explanation in multiple languages (German, English, and I think Spanish -- possibly another) comes over the loudspeakers as they pass different landmarks and points of interest. They even play Die Lorelei (famous German folk song) as you sail past the Lorelei. It isn't particularly clear and easy to hear when you're outside, but you can at least hear the names of the points of interest, so you can look them up later if you so wish. If you want to meet fellow Americans and their families while you're on your trip, this is a place to do it. It's also a great place to people watch and guess what the relationship is within certain groups traveling together on board. You will most assuredly be taking photos for other people as well. Overall, it's worth the time and money to travel the Rhein this way, and I'd definitely recommend it to first-time visitors to Rheinland.

This is the hour boat cruise on the Rhine from Koblenz. Very nice , smooth and a very good coffee…read more Highly recommended.

Fourth Generation winemaker with 20 terraced acres in production. Kids and dogs. Very good wine.read more