Page 490 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

h3-5pm Mon-Fri & 11am-6pm Prussian victory in the or vine-draped Weingut
Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 3-5pm Mon- Franco-Prussian War and Michel (www.michel-wein.de;
Fri Nov-Mar), by contrast, the creation of the Ger- Jakobsbergstrasse 8; h4pm-
is state of the art. Owner man Reich, both in 1871. midnight), Mainz’ only Wein-
Friedrich Bastian is a To save climbing 203 ver- gut (winery) to exclusively
renowned opera singer, tical metres, glide above serve its own wines.
so music (and culinary) the vineyards aboard the Highlights you won’t
events take place year- 1400m-long Seilbahn want to miss include the
round, including on Bas- (Kabinenbahn; www.seilbahn- fabulous Mainzer Dom
tian’s private river island ruedesheim.de; Oberstrasse 37; (%06131-253 412; www.
with its own vineyard. adult/child one-way €5/2.50, mainz-dom.de; Markt 10;
return €7/3.50, with Sesselbahn h9am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm
4 p489
€8/4; h10am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, Sat, 12.45-3pm & 4-6.30pm
The Drive » Head south to 6pm Sat & Sun May-Sep, Sun, shorter hours Nov-Feb),
on the B9, passing Burg 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 5.30pm the ethereal windows of
Reichenstein, then Burg Sat & Sun Apr & Oct) cable Chagall in St-Stephan-
Rheinstein, on your right. Then, car. A network of hiking Kirche (www.st-stephan-mainz.
on your left, in the river itself,
you’ll pass the Mäuseturm, a trails extends from the de; Kleine Weissgasse 12;
fortified tower used as a signal monument. h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-
station until 1974. Drive through 4 p489 5pm Sun Mar-Oct, 10am-4.30pm
the busy working town of Bingen Mon-Sat, noon-4.30pm Sun Nov-
GERMANY 34 ROMANTIC RHINE
to the car-ferry dock at its The Drive » From Rüdesheim, Feb), and the first printed
eastern edge, and cross the river head east on the B42 for 23km Bible in the Gutenberg-
to Rüdesheim. and turn south on the A643 to Museum Mainz (www.
cross the bridge over the Rhine. gutenberg-museum.de; Lieb-
From here it’s 13km southeast to
TRIP HIGHLIGHT the centre of Mainz. frauenplatz 5; adult/child €5/2;
d Rüdesheim h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm
Sun). This museum com-
Depending on how you TRIP HIGHLIGHT memorates native son
look at it, Rüdesheim’s e Mainz Johannes Gutenberg who
town centre – and especial- ushered in the informa-
ly its most famous feature, The Rhine River meets tion age here in the 15th
the tunnel-like medieval the Main at lively Mainz, century by perfecting
alley Drosselgasse – is which has a sizeable movable type.
either a touristy nightmare university, pretty pedes- Also well worth a visit is
or a lot of kitschy, colour- trian precincts and a the dungeon-like, brilliant-
ful fun. But there’s also savoir vivre dating from ly illuminated Roman ar-
wonderful walking in the Napoleon’s occupation chaeological site Heiligtum
greater area, which is part (1797–1814). der Isis und Mater Magna
of the Rheingau wine re- Strolling along the (www.isis-mainz.de; Römer
gion, famed for its superior Rhine and sampling local Passage 1; admission by donation;
rieslings. wines in an Altstadt h10am-6pm Mon-Sat). The
For a stunning Rhine tavern are as much a easy-to-miss entrance is on
panorama, head up the part of any Mainz visit as the Römer Passage mall’s
wine-producing slopes viewing the sights. Try the ground floor just inside the
west of Rüdesheim to the 1791 Weinstube Hottum western entrance.
Niederwald Monument. (Grebenstrasse 3; h4pm-
Erected between 1877 midnight), serving wines 5 p489
and 1883, this bombastic purely from the Rheingau
monument celebrates the and Rheinhessen regions,

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