Lahnstein

Lahnstein sits at the confluence of the Lahn and Rhine rivers in the heart of the German Rhineland, a twin town divided by the Lahn into Oberlahnstein and Niederlahnstein and united by a history that reaches back to Roman times. This is a quintessential Middle Rhine landscape: vine-covered hillsides climb from the river's edge, medieval castles perch on rocky promontories, and the passenger ships that ply the Rhine between Koblenz and Mainz pass so close to the waterfront cafes that you can wave to their passengers from your table. Lahnstein may lack the fame of its neighbours, but it possesses all the ingredients that make the Rhine Valley a UNESCO World Heritage landscape.

The centrepiece of Lahnstein is Burg Lahneck, a thirteenth-century hilltop castle that commands sweeping views over both river valleys. Built in 1226 by the Archbishop of Mainz to protect the region's silver mines, the castle was destroyed, rebuilt, and romantically restored in the nineteenth century by a Scottish railway engineer named Edward Moriarty, whose Gothic Revival additions gave the castle its current fairy-tale silhouette. The castle's great hall, chapel, and tower are open to visitors, and the panoramic views from the battlements encompass the confluence of the two rivers, the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein across the Rhine, and the old town of Koblenz downstream.

The Rhineland's culinary traditions are built on wine, river fish, and the robust, hearty cooking of a region that has fed vineyard workers and river bargemen for centuries. Lahnstein's restaurants serve Rhineland classics: Sauerbraten, the sweet-sour braised beef that is Germany's most famous pot roast, is typically served with Klobe (potato dumplings) and red cabbage. Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth), a dish of mashed potatoes and apple sauce served with black pudding, reflects the region's talent for combining sweet and savoury. The wines of the Middle Rhine — crisp, mineral Rieslings produced on steep, slate-terraced hillsides — are the ideal accompaniment, and several small wineries in Lahnstein offer tastings in atmospheric cellar settings.

The stretch of the Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen — the Rhine Gorge — is one of Europe's most scenically spectacular river passages, its steep banks lined with more than forty castles and fortress ruins that tell the story of a thousand years of feudal rivalry, trade, and romance. The Lorelei rock, where legend has it that a beautiful maiden lured sailors to their doom with her singing, rises 120 metres above the river's narrowest point. The Marksburg Castle, the only hilltop castle on the Rhine that was never destroyed, stands perfectly preserved above the town of Braubach, a short cruise upstream from Lahnstein.

Lahnstein is a port of call for AmaWaterways on its Rhine river itineraries. Ships dock along the Rhine waterfront within walking distance of the old town, Burg Lahneck, and the Lahn valley. The best time to visit is May through October, when the vineyards are green, the river traffic is lively, and the numerous wine festivals that punctuate the Rhineland calendar provide the most convivial way to experience this storied valley.