Germany's Koblenz
Castles dot the landscape all along the Rhine, from its headwaters high in the Swiss Alps to its mouth at the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

Castles dot the landscape all along the Rhine, from its headwaters high in the Swiss Alps to its mouth at the Dutch port of Rotterdam. When people speak of castles on the Rhine, however, it’s a safe bet they’re talking about one fairly short stretch of the river, the Middle Rhine. This is where Wagner set the Ring of the Nibelungen. It’s where underwater maidens guarded treasure and caused shipwrecks with their siren songs and where Siegfried, Germany’s version of King Arthur, led his knights into mortal combat.

Middle Rhine myth and factual history combine to weave a long and fascinating story. And the area is as scenic as it is intriguing. Steeply terraced vineyards, quaint villages, the beautiful Loreley cliff and multiple castles make the region well worth a visit.