Rüdesheim lives on one lane and a very good view. The lane is the Drosselgasse, a few metres wide and a couple of hundred long, packed with wine taverns, music and tourists, and often described as the merriest street in Germany. The view is the Rhine, which here turns from a broad lowland river into the Rhine Gorge, a narrow, castle-lined channel of steep slate slopes that is UNESCO-listed. On the hill above the town, the Niederwald Monument, a huge bronze Germania unveiled in 1883 to mark German unification, stands over the vines, and you can reach it by cable car over the vineyards.
The wine is Riesling, grown on steep terraces of slate and quartzite, and the local specialty is Rüdesheimer Kaffee: hot coffee, a generous measure of Asbach brandy, sugar and whipped cream, usually served in a glass mug with some theatre. It is sweeter and stronger than it looks, so one is enough before riding. The town is full of cafés and wine bars, and the Brömserburg, a medieval castle by the river, holds a wine museum. Opposite lies Bingen, with the Mouse Tower on its island, and the legend of Bishop Hatto, who was supposedly eaten by mice for his greed.
For the rider, this is the finish of the Rhine Romantic Route, which follows the river through its most famous section. The roads on both banks are busy but scenic, with castles every few kilometres, and the wine villages offer lunch and a view. Surfaces are generally good, with a mix of town streets, riverside stretches and bends up into the vineyards. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic, tour coaches and cyclists, and the narrow streets of the old town can be slow going, so arrive early if you want a parking space.
Rüdesheim has about ten thousand people and plenty of fuel, though the stations are on the edge of town and busy in season. The boats that cross to Bingen and run up the gorge are a good way of seeing the Loreley rock from the water. In October the harvest brings a different atmosphere, with the vineyards busy and young wine in every cellar. Winter is quiet, with fog on the river, and some of the taverns shut, though the Christmas market has its devotees.