Rüdesheim

It is a short distance from Oestrich-Winkel to the most famous wine town of this area, Rüdesheim. Park you car and walk by the river, bypassing the many tourist shops selling gaudy souvenirs, and turn into the narrow, cobbled Drosselgrasse, the town’s most attractive street. Here, on what is reputed to be the jolliest street in the world, one wine tavern props up another and, even if you do not partake of the wine, it is fun to wander along this festive street. A short stroll along the river brings you to the more serious side of wine production, the Wein Museum Brömserburg in Brömserburg Castle. Ask for a leaflet in English that guides you from room to room, up turret stairways, to see the artifacts pertaining to the production and consumption of wine from the earliest days. (February to November, closed Mondays.) If the weather is agreeable consider taking the Seilbahn (cable car) to Niederwald high above the town where you find a huge statue of Germania erected to celebrate victory over the French in 1871.