Germany Guide
Hesse
Getting around
Cycling, walking or driving are the most enjoyable and flexible ways to tour the Rheingau, but there is also a bus (#172) linking Eltville's Bahnhof with Kiedrich and Kloster Eberbach. Separate but broadly parallel itineraries – the Rheingauer-Riesling Route for cars, the Riesling Radwanderweg for cyclists and the Rieslingpfad for hikers – meander west from Wiesbaden past vineyards, villages and historic landmarks, with plenty of opportunities to stop off along the way to sample the local wines, including seasonal Strausswirtschaften run by the wine-makers themselves.
The cyclists' route stays closest to the river while the hikers' route hugs the higher and more scenic ground on the fringe of the Taunus, but all three thread their way through wine-growing villages – Eltville, Kiedrich, Oestrich-Winkel and pass Kloster Eberbach.