Frankfurt: Daytrips to the vineyards and cloisters of the Rheingau

1. Schloss Johannisberg for beautiful views of the wide Rhine Valley, an unpretentious restaurant and wine history. Spätlese (Late harvest) and Eiswein (Ice Wine) originated from this estate. It also has the world’s oldest Riesling vineyard.
2. Kloster Eberbach: a former Cistercian monastery and now a wine research institute and museum with a magnificent Romanesque chapel and Gothic cloisters. It has the largest secular medieval room and the largest vineyard in Germany.
3. Kloster Marienthal is a much smaller monastery and worth a stop only for those with time to spare and with own transportation. Approaching Johannisberg from here via a winding narrow back road is rewarding.
4. Rüdesheim: the Rhine town that has always managed to be in tune with the money making industry of the time - currently that is tourism and this small town seems to consists entirely of restaurants, bars and hotels. The views from the vineyard-covered hills behind the town are worth the effort.

Quick Tips:

The Rheingau is one of the smaller wine producing regions of Germany but one of the most famous and prominent. This area is famous for Riesling and a special Riesling Route will lead you by car, bicycle or on foot to the more famous sights and vineyard associated with this famous grape and wine.

Although the sites mentioned in this journal remain open, many others close for the winter. Even Rüdesheim become fairly dead in winter except for the weeks running up to Christmas. The Rhine is famous for fog during winter, and although hauntingly beautiful at times it does make for very dangerous and slow driving.

The Rheingau is at its most beautiful during autumn when the grapes are harvested and the leaves turn. Spring is also very pleasant. Summer can be hot and slightly humid and note that many hiking routes offer little shade. The sunny slopes are the main reason for the Rheingau’s success despite the high latitude. (50º North passes through the vineyards of Schloss Johannisberg.)

Best Way To Get Around:

The most convenient way to explore this region is by car but private transportation is not essential at all. This is a prime tourist area and public transportation is very well developed. By car the Rheingau can be reached in about 30 minutes of spirited driving from Frankfurt down the A66 Autobahn (unfortunately speed restricted all the way!).

Rüdesheim can be reached by train from Frankfurt in just over an hour - sometimes a change of trains in Wiesbaden is required. Although it is possible to take the boat from Frankfurt to Rüdesheim, the schedule is limited. It is better to take the train to Rüdesheim and take boat trips on the more scenic Rhine River from there.

This area is prime area for hiking and cycling. Many well-marked routes of various lengths and difficulty crisscross the area with magnificent views of the vineyards and the valleys.

The Winzerkeller is a café-restaurant at the T-junction at the top end of the famous Drosselgasse. It is in a large building and spread over several levels. Apart from several large rooms that serve as the café-restaurant it also has a large covered veranda and some completely open-air seats.

Our first visit here was on a cold November Sunday afternoon. It was cold and miserable outside and we were happy to find an empty table without waiting. The place was packed and some live music was playing, as is the custom in many Rüdesheim cafés and bars. Our orders were taken swiftly although the waitress apologized in advance that it might take some time to prepare the waffles and pancakes due to the large crowd. We were just happy to be inside a warm place so we didn’t mind and I’m generally willing to wait for waffles with hot sour cherries and cream. Coffee and hot chocolate were served promptly with a huge dollop of not exactly low-fat cream - I usually order without cream but I’m always delighted when I forget to. In the end it didn’t take long to get the sweets either which melted in the mouth while another blob of cream did its best to block the arteries. We left happy hoping to return . . .

So it was with mixed feelings that we reached Winzerkeller on a beautifully spring Sunday afternoon after having strolled down the hill from the Niederwalddenkmal. We had happy memories from our previous visit but also wanted to try something new and the veranda of the neighboring establishment looked good. The vast specials of the day selection here settled it and we found a nice table in the shade where we could enjoy our repast. Only after a while did we realized the veranda is part of the Winzerkeller. The personnel, service and food were as good as we remembered.

I had a veal schnitzel with a decadent Riesling cream sauce, which was as good as it sounds. It was the beginning of the asparagus season in Germany so my wife had a creamy soup with a salad. The cappuccino was good but I regretted not having ordered the Rüdesheimer coffee like the group at the table behind us - it is prepared at the table with some alcohol burning ritual and lots of oohing and aahing.

The Winzerkeller has been family owned and managed for four generations and is particularly family friendly. Children get small take away plastic toys but more useful are a large playing area inside and some toys outside to keep the little ones busy. That on its own will ensure our future custom and the food is pretty good too.

We found ourselves in the freezing cold around lunchtime in the Castle Square (Schlossplatz) spoiled for choice as far as gastronomical options are concerned. We had traditional German food on our minds and traditional German food was on offer at all three guest houses congregating at the northern end of the square.

At first glance, Alte Zollwache looked the most appealing – it seemed lively with large hand written signs advertising the specials of the day. However, it was hosting a private function. Zum Schwan, housed in a beautiful old dark green building, had an appealing menu but the place looked a bit dead. So we headed for Zum Bären (At the Bears), which had a thoroughly German menu.

Zum Bären has been in business at least since 1799. The gastronomical tradition on these premises may date back even a century more but the details are too murky to make a credible claim. The establishment has two main rooms on the ground floor. The first, smaller one has six tables with four seats each and a small bar area. Most people sat in this cozy room so we picked a table here as well. The second room is lighter and more spacious with larger tables. During summer months, outdoor seating and a beer garden are available.

The permanent lunchtime menu consists of traditional Hessen cuisine as well as more international dishes. The most expensive item on the menu is fillet steak at €17.50. The international dishes, mostly schnitzels in various interpretations, are around €10 and the German ones €8. Special lunch offers vary by the day, as do special dinner menus. On Friday nights wild boar is on the menu and on Wednesday elk. In my opinion, the German dishes and special menus offer the best Preis-Leistungverhältnis (price to performance equation) and it would, in any case, be a crying shame to go international in such a traditional location.

Seasonal specialties are also on offer – a culinary calendar is available on the website. During our visit the specials were Eintöpfe – that is literally One Pot Dishes, usually hearty soups, which can border on a stew. I had an Eintöpf of vegetable and unspecified poultry (I think it was goose), which was both tasty and filling. My wife had Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut, which was also a cut above the normal. We washed it down with hot apple wine – an acquired taste – and topped it off with cappuccino and the special desert of the day – a cinnamon star ice cream with berry sauce. The total bill came to a very reasonable €22. Service was prompt and friendly without being overbearing.

Restaurant Zum Bären is located at the Höchster Schlossplatz 8, facing the main entrance to the Höchst Castle. Two bears standing above the front entrance bear testimony to the German meaning of the restaurant’s name.

Restaurant Zum Bären
Höchster Schlossplatz 8
65929 Frankfurt-Höchst
Tel: 069/309343
www.zumbaeren.net 

Kloster Eberbach is a former Cistercian monastery that was founded in the twelve century. For about six centuries monks lived here ascetically in a serenely beautiful valley, in magnificent buildings but without heating. Then in 1803 forced secularization handed the property to the Principality of Nassau and currently it belongs to the Federal State of Hessen, which uses the buildings mainly for a museum and a wine institute. With 200 ha of vineyards Eberbach is the largest single vineyard in Germany.

In medieval times the monastery operated like a small town and was thus also surrounded by a wall. This 5 meter high, 1100 long wall is still surrounding the complex. Not surprisingly the Romanesque church is the largest building. Inside it is practically bare and without any artwork, which emphasizes the stark lines and sharp corners of the Romanesque style. This basilica is one of the most renowned Romanesque structures in Germany. Several gothic chapels were added at a later stage.

The monks’ dormitory is a 73 m long early Gothic room where up to 300 monks slept. The lay brother’s cloister is ten meters longer than the monks’ dormitory and the largest secular medieval room in Germany. During the early middle ages the monks had to work close to the church in order to attend regular choirs and services so lay brothers were hired to work the fields further away.

The original founders of the monastery came from Burgundy and their knowledge of viticulture helped to develop the indigenous wine industry. Eberbach produced good wine and one stage during the middle ages owned a fleet of ships sailing the Rhine. During the eighteenth century special vintages were produced in the Cabinet Cellar which led to the name Kabinettwein - a term since used to indicate the quality of wine in Germany. Several enormous wooden wine presses dating from 1668 onwards are exhibited in the lay brothers’ refectory.

The monastery suffered severely during thirty years war when it was raided by the Swedes and most art works and the extensive library were lost. Earlier during a peasants’ revolt the 71 000 liter wine cask was emptied - and promptly collapsed - to accompany the roast of the slaughtered farm animals. By the time Napoleon forced its secularization the monastery was a shadow of its former self with only a few monks left.

Entry is charged for the buildings and museum but free for the grounds. A popular wine shop sells local produce and a restaurant serves hearty local dishes.

Kloster Eberbach is a few minutes drive from the main road between Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim - it is well signposted. It is also possible to reach the cloister by public bus. Many hiking trails pass by the cloister and a full parking lot doesn’t necessarily translate into a crowded monastery - many if not most will be rambling through the woods.

Open daily: 10am to 6pm (4pm in winter).

Kloster Marienthal (Maria Valley Monastery) is located at a sharp bend down a steep narrow country road. Although there are various small hotels directly across the road from the Kloster, coming down the hill your attention is focused entirely on the Gothic church, which looks somewhat bigger while approaching than it really is. On an early spring Sunday the hotels seemed virtually deserted and with your back towards them it is easy to appreciate the serene surroundings, which must have drawn the first monks to this particular location in the first place.

According to legend a local hunter, Hecker Henn, was blinded in an accident but regained vision after praying at a small wooden pieta, which back then only hung from a tree. The first chapel to house it was started in 1313. Pilgrim and even more miraculous healings soon followed. The pieta featuring a crowned Maria is prominently displayed behind glass in the front of the church in a special container. Although the pieta dates from 1309, exactly when the golden crown was added to the original woodcarving remains unclear. The crown was formally approved by the Vatican only in 1908.

Inside the church is fairly small with beautiful colored windows depicting the lives of saints from the orders of St Frances. The church was partly dismantled in 1782 but when someone was killed by pieces falling from the collapsing roof, it was seen as the finger of God and it was spared further destruction. It was rebuilt in 1858 and remodeled in 1974.

Benches with seats for several hundred are set outside the church as on special occasions and summer Sundays the congregation exceed the church’s capacity. A small formal garden is set behind these benches and it is a tranquil place to relax and contemplate. A small stream runs through the garden and past the church and the soothing sound of the water adds to the relaxed atmosphere.

Behind the garden is a longer walkway with small chapels depicting the Stations of the Cross. A similar walkway for Maria’s Ascension leads higher up the hills. The Monastery is still in operation and offers a retreat as a convent.

Kloster Marienthal is best reached by car. Public transportation is possible but I would not recommend that except to the truly devout or unless you plan to hike back to a more convenient station. Road signs indicate the way from the B42, the main road between Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim. Continuing on the road past the Kloster you can reach Johannisberg via a picturesque but narrow and winding road through the forests and agricultural lands. Road signs towards Johannisberg are very clear.

I would not describe Kloster Marienthal as the true highlight of a visit to the Rheingau but it is worth stopping if you travel by car and have half an hour or so to spare. If on restricted time give preference to Kloster Eberbach instead.

Rüdesheim has been a prosperous town for centuries. First nature made its luck and then it made its own.

Up to middle of the nineteenth century the Rhine was not navigable between Rüdesheim and Lorch due to the dangerous Bingen Loch. All down stream cargo disembarked in Rüdesheim and was carted over land to Lorch. This made Rüdesheim an important town and it prospered accordingly. Eventually dredging made the Bingen gorge navigable by which time Rüdesheim has already established itself as the heart of the Rhinegau wine trade. Tourism followed and Rüdesheim became the preeminent tourism town of the middle Rhine, a position it has never lost.

Being a tourist town brought Rüdesheim all the advantages and disadvantages of the trade. It has more restaurants, bars and hotels than any other town in the area. It also has the best transportation links with good rail connections as well as the starting point of many boat trips down the Rhine Valley. The downside is that it became very touristy, crowded on sunny weekends with limited expensive parking.

Nonetheless it remains a fun town to visit and explore. Although there are a couple of museums and historic buildings the emphasis in this town will always be on eating and drinking. The Drosselgasse is a famous narrow alley lined with bars all the way from the river promenade halfway up the hill. It is a fun place, but slightly overrated and nothing better than any of the other restaurant and bar lined streets in the town.

The roads are narrow, steep and mostly cobble stones making both driving and walking difficult and slow. It is however worth walking up higher for better views.

It is also possible to take a cable car to the Niederwalddenkmal or all the way to Assmannshausen on the other side of the hill and one bend downriver. The whole area is covered by vineyards, some on impossibly steep hills, some almost in town. Walking down the hill from the Denkmal to the edges of Rüdesheim takes less than half an hour on well-marked routes via the vineyards. There is no shade and I shudder to think what the losses are during those last days before the grapes are harvested. The two-seater cable car (Seilbahn) uphill takes about ten minutes and well recommended after a heavy meal. Parking at the Denkmal is cheap and sometimes free.

Parking in Rüdesheim, however, can be problematic especially on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Of course the only place to park your Porsche, BMW or Mercedes Cabriolet (and there will be lots of them) is right on the Rhine promenade but your average clapped out Polo or Golf will park nicely just 50 meters down the main road behind the Nassauische Sparkasse building for half the price.

Schloss Johannisberg is one of the most famous wineries in Germany. The vineyard had a colorful and interesting history going back towards it foundation by no less a figure than Charlemagne himself around 800 AD. However, its real claim to fame came totally by accident. In accordance with custom the grapes could only be harvested once permission was received from the Prince Abbott who resided in Fulda. In 1775 the messenger was delayed - the real reason is unknown but most versions include both booze and women. When the messenger finally arrived the grapes have already rotted on the vines but was harvested anyway. On first tasting the wonders of noble rot was discovered. The result was Spätlese or Late Harvest, a particularly sweet dessert wine. (Another German favorite Eiswein - literally ice wine because it is harvested only once the grapes have literally frozen on the vines - was also first produced here in 1858.)

Spätlese brought Schloss Johannisberg fame and glory, which had its negative results. Napoleon passed by en route to bigger battles and gave the vineyard to Marshall Kellerman. He famously sold the harvest in advance to Mumm a wine dealer in Cologne for 32,000 guilders. Once tasted the 1811 harvest was declared a Jahrhundertwein (once in a century wine) and Mumm sold it for 150,000 guilders. That is commonly known as the 5 per cent markup that traders prefer.

After the fall of Napoleon the winery was given to Fürst von Metternich, the archconservative chancellor of Austria as award for his services at the Congress of Vienna which redrew the map of Europe following the fall of Napoleon. The winery is still partly owned by his descendents and a small percentage of profits are still paid to the descendents of the Austrian Imperial family. The Sekt (sparkling wine) produced here bears the name Fürst von Metternich.

Although most of the palace is closed to the public the outside of the elegant buildings can be seen. There is also a surprisingly unassuming restaurant with reasonable prices and very tasty dishes on the premises. It offers a wonderful view of the Rhine, which is wide and fairly slow flowing at this point. In summer outdoor seating is available on a big terrace. A small wine shop with tasting facilities is also available.

The palace was damaged by aerial bombing during the Second World War but was restored and is in a beautiful condition. The Romanesque church was also restored in a rather bare fashion, which probably resembles it origins more than the pre-bombed version.

Many hiking routes cross or start from this area and easy paved walking ways are available in the immediate vicinity with superb views of the Rhine and the vineyards.