Wine connoisseurs will find the medieval village of Bacharach a delight to visit. Situated on the Rhine River, this storybook gem is home to the Riesling grape. Since the Middle Ages, Bacharach, named for Bacchus, the ancient Roman God of wine, has been the most important wine village in the Middle Rhine Valley. At one time, when the riverbank was higher, the medieval defense tower in the center of town was on the waters' edge and loaded wine barrels from a crane onto ships. The cranes still exists.
Fly into Frankfurt International Airport on United Airlines or Lufthansa Airlines. Walk from the airport terminal via the sky bridge to the train station. Take the escalator down to the main ticket office and purchase a one-way or roundtrip ticket to Bacharach. (English is spoken in the ticket office.) You will change trains in either Mainz or Bingen. The entire train journey is less than two hours to Bacharach.
Rent a car at Frankfurt International Airport. From the States, make a reservation with Auto Europe, located in Portland, Maine. On arrival at Frankfurt Airport, take the escalator down to the car rental counters.
Follow the blue Autobahn signs. The high speed lane is strictly used for passing at a high rate of speed. Do not remain in this lane. Drive in the right lane. There are sections of the Autobahn with speed zones and they are strictly enforced. Drivers are considerate, so it can't be stressed enough to remain in the right lane. The drive to Bacharach is approximately 90 minutes.
Take the train. On arrival in Bacharach via the train, get off at the small train station and walk about three blocks on cobblestone. You will be in the heart of the village with the Rhine River across the road. If you are arriving by car, the small village hotels provide parking.
Explore Bacharach. Stay one or two nights. Take a Self-guided Walking Tour. You will walk along cobblestone lanes flanked with half-timbered houses--some dating back to the 14th century. With a population of 1,000 residents, Bacharach is small and best seen on foot. Stroll past homes with cottage-size gardens and vineyards growing renowned Riesling grapes.
Sample Riesling wine at a wine tasting. It is one of the greatest white wine grapes and also one of the best sweet wines in the world. According to Europe expert and guide, Rick Steve's Germany 2010, choose between family-owned Weingut Karl Heidrich located in the town center or casual and laid-back Bastian's Weingut zum Gruner Baum. Taking a Rhine River boat tour should be at the top of your list. Walk across the road to the ticket booth located at the boat landing stage on the Rhine River. Purchase one-way or roundtrip tickets on the river boat, which departs twice daily and travels north to the village of St. Goar. Take in views of hilltop castles and listen to amusing tales about barons from centuries past.
