Excursion: Day on the Rhine

After a 45-minute drive to the Rhine, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Rhine Valley from cable cars, a walk in the forest, and travel on a boat as well.

From Eppstein, take the B455 towards Wiesbaden, then the A3 towards Frankfurt, then the A66 towards Wiesbaden. Keep driving until the A66 ends and you will be driving along the Rhine. Drive until Rüdesheim. Pull over on your left at the tourist office. Get a free map of the Rüdesheim-Assmannshausen area and a 10-euro ticket that will pay for your cable-car, chairlift, and ferry tickets. Then park in the nearby free parking lot (ask the tourist office where it is).

Walk on the main street along the Rhine until you hit Drosselgasse, a very quaint alley leading up the hill. Walk by all the little tourist shops and go to the cable car ("Seilbahn"). The cable car will take you up to the giant statue of Germania, built after the Franco-Prussian War. The views are impressive. Kids can try to see if Germania is wearing a crown. Walk along the hiking trail with its fun stops, such as fake castle ruins built by a duke for his visitors. Walk through the Enchanted Tunnel ("Zauberhöhle"); bring a flashlight if members of your party are scared of the dark! Feed some deer carrots and apples in the fenced-in animal area ("Tierpark"). Then after the hourlong hike, you can take the chairlift ("Sesselbahn") down to the valley of Assmannshausen. If you walk to the main street along the Rhine, you'll find a little restaurant with super Apfelstrudel and English menus. My youngest son had the kids' fish sticks meal with yummy peas and what really tasted like homemade mashed potatoes.

Enjoy the ride down the Rhine back to Rüdesheim. If you are in luck, you might catch the ferry that has a playground on the upper deck. Keep walking along the Rhine when you get out of the boat, and you'll be back to your car. Perfect getaway afternoon.