Rhineland-Palatinate (German: Rheinland-Pfalz) is a state in southwestern Germany, covering an area of 19,858 km² and home to around 4.1 million people. It is the largest wine-producing area in the country, containing 7 of the 13 official German wine regions, and is densely packed with historic castles, museums, and the vine-covered river valleys of the Rhine and Mosel.

Regions

Rhineland-Palatinate is a region of rolling hills cut by deep river valleys.

Regions of Rhineland-Palatinate

Eifel (Rhineland-Palatinate) Volcanic landscapes and blue crater lakes make the Eifel region a special experience.

Hunsrück Follow the footsteps of the Romans and the Celts, explore their ancient settlement sites in the hills.

Middle Rhine Valley A famously scenic section of the Rhine, much of it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Moselle Valley The Moselle glides peacefully through the Moselle Valley, decorated with castles and romantic wine villages on its way.

Naheland The Naheland has been blessed with natural riches. The river Nahe passes a region whose fruity, aromatic wines fascinate lovers of the grape.

Palatinate The weather treats this region particularly well, and pink almond blossom appears every spring to please the senses.

Rhenish Hesse Germany's largest wine-making region with urban cities like Mainz and Worms within its borders, in addition to Mediterranean-like wine villages.

North-East Rhineland-Palatinate Includes part of Lahn Valley and the Westerwald east of the Middle Rhine Valley and north of the Taunus. A great region for hikers.

Cities

Mainz: Gutenberg Museum - house Zum Römischen Kaiser

• 1 Mainz — founded by the Romans and their legacy is still visible in many places around the town; also the home of Gutenberg, considered by Westerners to be the inventor of the printing press, who also has his own museum in the city.
• 2 Cochem — situated in the Moselle Valley, dominated by the hilltop Reichsburg Castle. It serves as a popular base for exploring the surrounding vineyards, historic half-timbered architecture, and river activities.
• 3 Koblenz — famous for the "German Corner" (Deutsches Eck), the meeting-point of the two rivers Rhine and Moselle; besides various churches and museums, the highlight-event every year is the "Rhine in flames", spectacular fireworks that fill the sky with beautiful colors
• 4 Landau in der Pfalz — a historic city located on the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest and along the German Wine Route. It is known for its neoclassical architecture, parks, and traditional wine taverns.
• 5 Neustadt an der Weinstraße — is in the heart of the Palatinate region, including a number of vineyards, castles and the chance to taste some really good wine
• 6 Speyer — largest Romanesque cathedral in the world, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980; you'll also find the Historical Museum and the Museum of Technology
• 7 St. Goar — located in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley near the famous Loreley rock. It is overlooked by the extensive ruins of Rheinfels Castle and provides central access to the region's hiking trails and river cruises.
• 8 Trier — in Roman times Trier had thermal baths, places of assembly and an amphitheatre; today the colossal Porta Nigra town gate, the imperial baths and the impressive basilica keep that history alive. Trier is also the hometown of Karl Marx.
• 9 Worms — the annual host of the "Backfischfest", Rhineland-Palatinate's biggest wine festival and fair; it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city

Other destinations

• 1 Dernau
• 2 Ingelheim includes the Kaiserpfalz 8th century ruins of one of Charlemagne's palaces.
• 3 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
• 4 Nürburgring
• 5 Taunus

Tourist information

• Rhineland-Palatinate tourism website

Get in

By plane

Rhineland-Palatinate has only one commercial airport with scheduled passenger flights, located in Hahn. Branded Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN ^IATA), it is primarily used by low-cost carriers. Despite its marketing name, the airport is not near Frankfurt, but rather remote in the Hunsrück low mountain range. Direct bus shuttles connect the airport to major cities in Rhineland-Palatinate and neighboring regions. The airport has no rail connection, and past plans to link it to the train network have been abandoned.

The actual Frankfurt Airport is in the neighbouring Land of Hesse and is Germany's busiest airport with connections all over Europe and the entire world. Direct high-speed and local trains connect the airport to Mainz and Koblenz, where you can change to regional trains and buses to further destinations. Mainz and Koblenz are also served by direct hourly regional trains from Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN ^IATA) and Düsseldorf Airport (DUS ^IATA). Some high-speed ICE trains to Koblenz and Mainz also stop at DUS.

Some areas in western Rhineland-Palatinate (Trier, Bitburg) are within reach of Luxembourg Airport (LUX ^IATA).

By train

If traveling into Germany by train, Rhineland-Palatinate is easily accessible via several major rail corridors. Frequent high-speed ICE and IC trains, as well as regional lines, connect Cologne and Frankfurt directly to Mainz and Koblenz along the scenic Rhine valley routes. From the south, direct long-distance trains from Stuttgart and Munich run via Mannheim into the southern Palatinate region, providing regular access to Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, and Saarbrücken, with some international connections continuing on to Paris.

By boat

The river Rhine has been a key factor in the history of the region and now a major tourist attraction. The Rhine together with the Main and Danube (connected by a canal through Franconia and Bavaria) provides a navigable route from the North Sea, Rotterdam to Basel, and Budapest and on to the Black Sea. The Moselle (German name: Mosel) also provides a winding route into France. Cruise companies such as Avalon and Viking provide trips into and through the region.

By bus

You can get a domestic bus from or to almost any place. Expect nothing fancy, though as the station infrastructure is still very limited.

Get around

The region is well-connected by train and bus, making all destinations easily accessible. Cities such as Koblenz, Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, and Speyer are within convenient reach by rail, and rental bikes are widely available for local transport. Visitors can also cruise the Rhine between Koblenz and Mainz; see Rhine Valley for details. In addition, several car-rental options are available throughout the region.

Some good offers to explore the surroundings include the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket, offering unlimited travel in local trains for up to 5 persons inside the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Wiesbaden. The ticket costs between €30 and €70 per day for 1-5 passengers, with a €2 surcharge if bought at a ticket counter instead of online or via ticket machines (as of August 2026).

See

Rheinstein Castle near Trechtingshausen in the Middle Rhine Valley, look from Assmannshausen

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) in the middle of the river Rhine

The Palatinate Forest is the largest contiguous forest area in Central Europe and forms a designated biosphere reserve.

The Speyer Cathedral is the largest preserved Romanesque church worldwide; its foundation stone was laid in 1030. It serves as the resting place for 7 Salian emperors.

The Palatinate Forest hides over 50 castles and ruins that were mostly destroyed in the War of the Grand Alliance, for example:

• Castle Trifels near Landau in der Pfalz - Historic fortress where Richard Lionheart of England was imprisoned and where the imperial regalia were once kept.
• Limburg Monastery near Bad Dürkheim
• Castle Lindelbrunn Landau in der Pfalz
• Castle Berwartstein near Bad Bergzabern

The Middle Rhine Valley has a continuous stream of castles including

• Rheinstein Castle near Trechtingshausen
• Rheinfels Fortress (Festung Rheinfels) St. Goar
• Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (Burg Pfalzgrafenstein). 14th-century toll station in the middle of the river Rhine. Reachable by boat from Kaub

In the Moselle Valley region

• Burg Eltz near Treis-Karden

There are a number of museums worth a visit, of note:

• Gutenberg Museum in Mainz
• German mineral museum in Idar-Oberstein
• Technical museum in Speyer
• Rhineland-Palatinate Open-Air Museum, collection of historic regional buildings near Bad Sobernheim.

Do

The Rhineland-Palatinate region is ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, golf, Nordic walking, and camping. Its rich history offers a chance to experience the past through numerous museums, castles, churches, and exhibitions. Visitors can even stay overnight in historic castles and experience aristocratic life firsthand.

Events

Special Events like for instance Rhine in flames, wine festivals, Christmas markets and concerts are also to be mentioned.

Itineraries

• The German Wine Route is the oldest wine route worldwide, running through one of Germany's largest wine-growing regions. The western side is sheltered by the Palatinate Forest, while the eastern side borders the Upper Rhine Plain.
• The Rheinburgenweg provides an extensive hiking trail passing many castles.

Drink

vineyards in Rheinhessen

Rhineland-Palatinate is home to the Ahr, Pfalz, Mosel, and Rheinhessen wine regions, which offer numerous wine-tasting opportunities. It also has several breweries, most notably Bitburger.

Go next

The state adjoins the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Saarland, and Baden-Württemberg, as well as the province of Liège in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Grand Est region of France.