Oberwesel is a small town in the scenic Rhine Gorge or Middle Rhine Valley. With a population in 2018 of 2813, it's on the left bank of the Rhine 3 km upstream from the Lorelei rock outcrop. There are many historic buildings and sections of the old town walls.
Get in
By car
The B9 runs along the riverside of the town and is about half way between Bingen and Koblenz. Alternatively 12 km from the A61 exit 44 Laudert.
- Fährgemeinschaft Kaub. Car and foot passenger ferry crosses the Rhine just south of Oberwesel from Kaub.
By train
Train station is on the line Mainz – Koblenz.
By boat
- Bingen-Rüdesheimer (dead link: August 2018) cruise boat to/from Bingen and Rüdesheim.
- The Köln-Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt, better known as KD, runs cruises and scheduled services up and down the river between Cologne and Mainz, stopping in Sankt Goar.
Get around
See
- Oberwesel townwall (Oberwesel Stadtmauer), 50.108194°, 7.723345°. Excellent example of town wall with many defensive towers
- Schönburg, 50.101299°, 7.732185°. 12th century castle with expensive but impressive restaurant and hotel.
Do
- Walk part of the Rheinburgenweg
Events
- Rhein in Flammen, Oberwesel. The “Night of a Thousand Fires” has been traditionally staged at Oberwesel in mid-September. For this spectacle, 50 illuminated ships convoy to the town of St. Goar to watch the illumination of the legendary Loreley rock rising 300 feet out of the river. The procession will go from there upstream to Oberwesel passing towns, castles, and churches bathed in Bengal lights. The musical brilliant firework display in front of the medieval backdrop of Oberwesel is the highlight of the boat parade.
- Mittelalterliches Spectaculum, Oberwesel. Medieval festival in late May-early June.
Buy
Eat
- Weinhaus Weiler, Marktplatz 4, 50.108303°, 7.726245°, +49 6744 93050. Also hotel rooms 2015-05-21
- Günderode Haus, Rheingoldstraße (am Siebenjungfrauenblick on the hill north of the town.), 50.115563°, 7.716398°, +49 6744 714011. German food with original flare. Building was located in this position with spectacular view of the Rhein for the film Heimat 3. 2015-05-21
Drink
Sleep
- DJH Jugendherberge Oberwesel, Auf dem Schönberg, 50.099431°, 7.734366°, +49 6744 93330.
- Hotel Augustins, Rathausstraße 2, 50.107770°, 7.726398°, +49 6744 710070. One of the few places in the area that serves food throughout the day in the week. 2015-05-21