Weekend near... Frankfurt

Andrew Eames discovers a world of tranquillity within easy reach of the big city Cities are like a nation’s front door, but sometimes they can give the wrong impression about what lies within. Nowhere is this more so than in Frankfurt, Germany’s economic powerhouse, where rampant renewal has rendered the cityscape shiny and hard. Penetrate beyond that front door, however, and take the train either an hour west to the Rhine Gorge, or an hour south to Heidelberg, and you’ll find two quieter worlds. The former is more active, the latter more cultural, but both are ideal for a gentle, relaxing weekend after your work in Frankfurt is done.

Rudesheim and the Rhine Gorge

The name “Rhine” is mostly associated with shipping and, for much of its passage through Germany, the waterway is lined with industry and burdened with freight. That said, one 65km section of its journey, within easy striking distance of Frankfurt, is recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Here it carves its way through the spectacular Rhine Gorge, where handsome towns nestle on steep forest-topped hillsides, and vineyards stretch over the south-facing shores. The most accessible gateway town (to which there are hourly trains from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, timetables on bahn.com) is Rudesheim, a cheerful winemaking settlement with a clutch of traditional hotels snuggled away down cobbled lanes, and surrounded by small wine estates. Its most famous street, Drosselgasse, is lined with taverns and restaurants, many of them offering live music. Rudesheim is strategically sited on a bend where the gorge begins and the river suddenly accelerates. The water is alive with barges, river-crossing ferries and passenger boats that weave in and out of each other. Many boats pull in at Rudesheim’s piers, including long-distance cruisers tying up here overnight and spilling excited passengers out into the narrow streets. But there are also regular daily services from the likes of KD Line (kdrhine.com), travelling all the way through the gorge from here to Koblenz, in a regular four-hour journey that stops off at pretty little towns such as Lorch, Oberwesel and St Goar. Where it narrows, the gorge is dominated by a combination of baron’s castles, up above, and former toll stations built down on mid-river islands, so the landowners could fleece the river-users as they passed. The most extraordinary of these is the pugnacious 14th-century Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, perched on a rock, from where it has defied 600-odd years of winter floods. Not much further downstream are the Loreley rocks, where the river shimmies between giant boulders, the dwelling place of the legendary Loreley maiden, who supposedly distracted ships’ captains with her beauty and song. The best overview of the gorge is from the Rheinsteig footpath, which sets out along the east bank through Rudesheim’s vineyards. It climbs steadily up through alleys of green into dappled forests of birch, pine and slender-legged oak, dipping down again into successive villages and towns. Regular viewpoints and rest places dot the path, and a couple even have honesty boxes where you can buy local Riesling to enjoy while gazing down on the river far below. Quiet Assmannshausen is an easy walk on the Rheinsteig, and a train (or boat) will take you back to Rudesheim. For cyclists – Rudesheim’s hotels generally have rental bikes – there’s a dedicated track that runs along the river’s west bank, reached on the regular ferries to Bingen on the opposite side. WHERE TO EAT There’s no shortage of restaurants in Rudesheim, but for something different, cross over to Bingen and head 500 metres up the hill to Burg Klopp, a fortified manor house with a fine restaurant and a great view back over Rudesheim and the surrounding vineyards. Try the lamb shank in Burgundy sauce. Open Wed-Sun 12pm-3.30pm, 6pm-11pm, closed Tues; tel +49 672 115 644; restaurant-burg-klopp.de WHERE TO DRINK In Rudesheim, sample local Rieslings in a traditional courtyard under creeping vines at the Weingut Jacob Lill IV. 17 Schmidtstrasse; tel +49 6722 3296; branchenbuch-rheingau.de WHERE TO STAY The Rudesheimer Schloss is the most stylish of the downtown hotels, situated just off the popular Drosselgasse, with its own restaurant courtyard and live music. Double rooms from €125. 10 Steingasse; tel +49 672 290 500; ruedesheimer-schloss.com Visit ruedesheim.de

Heidelberg

Historic Heidelberg is home to a university that is the German equivalent of Oxford or Cambridge. The town’s location, in a cleft in wooded hills, with the River Neckar running through and the ruins of a castle rising above, is indisputably romantic, although its approaches through Germany’s most populated region are rather less inspiring. Its railway station (frequent trains from Frankfurt’s Hauptbahnhof, bahn.com) is rather insipid, but the old town is only a ten-minute ride away by taxi or tram, and is reminiscent of the best bits of Prague. This old part is dominated by the river, the university and Heidelberg castle, which towers above everything. Between them runs a network of pedestrianised cobbled streets lined with mostly Renaissance or Baroque gabled houses. In the evenings these streets – particularly Hauptstrasse and Untere Strasse – fill with students, music and laughter. University buildings are dotted around the Old Town’s Universitatsplatz – the ancient wood-panelled Alte Aula lecture theatre could be straight out of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. It regularly hosts concerts, worth attending just for the venue. Also worth trying out are the student mensa – cafeterias that are great value and popular with locals as well as students. There’s one on Universitatsplatz, and another by the river in the Marstallhof, a former imperial stables. Just off Universitatsplatz is the Student Prison, an austere place where students used to be incarcerated when their partying got out of hand. Mind you, back in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a badge of honour to be locked up here, and so high was a Heidelberg student’s social status that they’d only graciously agree to serve their sentences if they could spare a couple of days. 2 Augustinergasse; open April-Sept Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, Oct until 4pm, Nov-March Tues-Sat until 4pm; entry €3. Having percolated gently through narrow streets lined with bakeries and boutiques, most visitors end up on the Alte Brucke. This is an arched red sandstone bridge over the Neckar, which is a popular site for street musicians and looks up to the castle and across to the millionaires’ houses that line the northern shore. At the north end of the Alte Brucke, a footpath zigzags up several steps to the Philosopher’s Walk (a favourite of the likes of Goethe and Hegel, both Heidelberg students), a broad path that runs through trees for several kilometres, offering great views. Back on the Old Town side, the castle is also a short walk up steep flights of steps (or by funicular from the Rathaus). Parts of it date back to the 13th century, but war and decay have rendered it (mainly) a picturesque lump of scenery. Its terraces offer lovely views over the river and the town. Open 8am-6pm; entry €6; schloss-heidelberg.de WHERE TO EAT The Roten Ochsen started life as a student pub back in 1703. Cuisine is hearty stuff such as beef and dumplings, and the ambience is convivial, particularly when the resident pianist gets going. Open Mon-Sat 11.30am-2pm and from 5pm. Nov 1-April 27 evenings only. 217 Hauptstrasse; tel +49 622 120 977; roterochsen.de WHAT TO BUY “Snowballs”, “cobblestones” and “birds’ nests” from the wonderful display of cakes in the window of Café Gundel. 212 Hauptstrasse; gundel-heidelberg.de WHERE TO STAY NH Heidelberg is a sophisticated conversion of a former brewery, well placed between the railway station and Bismarckplatz. Four stars, with a fitness centre, a small spa and a wonderful breakfast spread. Doubles from €101. 91 Bergheimer Strasse; tel +49 622 113 270; nh-hotels.com Visit heidelberg-marketing.de