It’s been a long winter here in Germany with six months of lockdown, and I have been saving this post for months because it wasn’t possible to enjoy this activity until now. Now that Germany is easing up on the restrictions and the weather is better, we are all looking for things to do. Here is one activity that is a win-win for families with kids of all ages, especially the moody teens.
Rüdesheim is one the most charming, yet touristy, little towns to discover along Germany’s Rhine River. It’s a perfect day trip from Frankfurt in almost any season (except maybe from January-March) to enjoy the wine, the vineyards, shops and markets. You might remember I wrote about our Rhine River Cruise a few years ago.
While exploring the town, you might notice cable cars running up and down over the nearby vineyards. And this is where our adventure starts– with the Seilbahn.
At the top of the nearby “mountain” is the Niederwald monument built to commemorate the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire. So many tourists wanted to see this monument that they built a funicular-type train to the top of the mountain. It was severely damaged during WWII and so the cable car was built in the 1950s. Hence why it still looks like something out of a James Bond movie.
Related: 5 Rhine River Cruise Mistakes (and how to avoid them)
The Rüdesheim Ring Tour
There are three parts to this tour: cable car up to the monument, chair lift down to Assmannshausen, and boat trip from Assmannshausen back to Rüdesheim. (Don’t you just love saying Assmannshausen?) You can this tour in whatever order you prefer or leave off a leg of the trip if you want to mix it up or shorten it.
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Let’s Get Started
In the middle of town, right next to the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop, which you cannot miss and should visit, is the ticket office for the Seilbahn or cable car. The full Ring Tour will take between 2.5 to 3 hours depending on how fast you walk and how long you have to wait at any point for chairlifts or boats. But plan for the better half a day. The two-seater cable car moves slowly over the vineyards with awesome views of the Rhine alone the way. You can also choose to hike up or down if you want to get in some extra steps.
Explore the Mountain
Once you reach the top, there is a restaurant and the monument. To continue the tour, the shady hike/walk to the chairlift will take about an hour. It’s an easy hike for all ages with tons of beautiful Instagram moments. Along the way you can visit a station for injured birds, some castle ruins, and a magic cave (this was closed because of COVID when we visited). Follow the signs to the chair lift and take it down the side of the mountain to Assmannshausen, with equally beautiful views of the river and a few people’s backyards. I’m completely terrified of heights so this excursion was mildly unsettling for me, but my teenagers loved it.
Related: What I Will Miss Most After Leaving Germany
Chairlift Back Down
Once in Assmannshausen, feel free to explore, get some ice cream, grab a bite to eat, and then head to the dock. Your round-trip tickets give you all the arrival/departure times, but the boat typically runs every hour back to Rüdesheim. There are a few different platforms so make sure you are on the correct one. We had to ask someone. It was dock #3. Not to worry as they will most certainly tell you if you are on the wrong boat!
Once on the boat, the trip is only about 20-30 minutes back to town making a stop at Bingen on the way. The boat is both inside and outside and during normal times, you can get food and drink, including beer and wine.
Related: Post-Lockdown Weekend Trip to Germany’s Mosel Wine Region
All the Details
Timing is particularly important as the town gets very crowded on beautiful sunny days and weekends. Go early to get parking and do this tour first before the line gets too long.
Pick a nice day. We went on a cool, drizzly and windy day. While it was still fun, a warm sunnier day would have been so much better for this experience.
Parking can be a big problem in town for weekends and holidays so get there early to park. Or better yet, park in Assmannshausen and do the adventure in reverse.
