Rhine Valley

The Rhine Valley (Mittelrhein) is the most famous section of the Rhine, running between the cities of Bonn and Mainz in Germany and spanning the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The section from Koblenz to Bingen, known as the Rhine Gorge, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire valley is often called "The Romantic Rhine".

The peak season is definitely summer, when the hillsides are green and the cruise boats busy. In September, many inns and restaurants already start closing down for the winter, and almost all cruises end by November, starting up again in April.

The “Night of a Thousand Fires” has been traditionally staged at Oberwesel. For this spectacle, 50 illuminated ships convoy to the town of St. Goar to watch the illumination of the legendary Loreley rock rising 300 feet out of the river. The procession will go from there upstream to Oberwesel passing towns, castles, and churches bathed in Bengal lights. The musical brilliant firework display in front of the medieval backdrop of Oberwesel is the highlight of the boat parade.