Of the many castles we explored in Germany and Austria, my favorites were Eltz and Neuschwanstein. The former is in the Rhine region of Germany and looks like it was plucked right out of a fairy-tale.

Many of the castles were “robber-baron” fortresses built by petty princes and two-bit rulers back when there were 350 independent little states in what is today’s Germany.

Stahleck Castle towers above the Rhine River in Bacharach, Germany. Now a hostel, the castle is one of four featured in the Legendary Rhine Romance app. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) ...

by Rick Steves, October 10, 2024 | While the Rhine is over 800 miles long, the 36-mile stretch from Mainz to Koblenz is by far the most interesting. Here's what travelers can expect.

In Melk, Austria, hike to a castle or bike along the Danube for an active day. ... National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions will bring its learning-focused cruises to the Rhine River.

No visit to Basel is complete without a stay at Les Trois Rois, one of the finest grande dame hotels in Europe, situated on the banks of the Rhine. Founded in 1681, stepping through its historic ...

Austria and Switzerland hope that by expanding the river bed they can help protect around 300,000 people in the Rhine Valley from severe flooding. The Alpine Rhine is also somewhat of an ...