Between Bingen and Koblenz, the Rhine cuts a deep, winding gorge through the slate hills of the Rhenish Massif, and for centuries this has been one of the great landscapes of Europe: steep slopes covered with vineyards, castles on every crag, villages of half-timbered houses along the river, and barges gliding past. The Upper Middle Rhine Valley was listed by UNESCO in 2002, and Sankt Goarshausen sits at its heart, at the foot of the most famous rock on the river.
The Loreley is a slate cliff that rises steeply from the water at a narrow bend, where the current is strong and rocks once made navigation dangerous. Legend tells of a beautiful maiden who sat on the rock combing her golden hair and singing, distracting boatmen so that they crashed on the rocks. Heinrich Heine's poem, set to music, made the story famous across Germany. From the top of the rock, the view down the gorge is superb. Across the river, Sankt Goar is dominated by the huge ruins of Rheinfels Castle, once one of the mightiest fortresses on the Rhine, and above Sankt Goarshausen stands Burg Katz, the Cat castle, facing Burg Maus, the Mouse, a little downstream.
There are no bridges across the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz, so ferries link the two banks, including one between Sankt Goarshausen and Sankt Goar. They run frequently, and crossing by ferry is part of the charm.
The riding is superb. The roads along the river, the B42 on the east bank and the B9 on the west, are scenic, with views of the river, castles and vineyards, though they can be busy, and the railway lines on both banks bring noisy freight trains. The best riding is up in the hills, on the roads that climb from the river into the Taunus on the east and the Hunsrück on the west, with hairpins, steep gradients and views over the gorge. Traffic is light on these roads, and the surfaces are generally good.
Sankt Goar has fuel, shops and restaurants, and many villages along the river have inns and wine taverns. Try a glass of Riesling from the steep slopes, and Rhine specialties such as Sauerbraten. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with blossom or harvest; summer brings crowds, and winter fog.