Photo Hans Buerkle, Nierstein

Why it is worthwhile coming to "RHEINHESSEN" and enjoying the Nierstein Wines

Rheinhessen with it's nearly thousand hills between Mainz, Alzey and Worms has a more than thousand-year-old tradition of wine-growing. Rheinhessen - the biggest German wine-growing area has got treasures dating back to Roman times. Nierstein's wine "GLÖCK" is reputed as the oldest documented vineyard in Germany, owing to a document from the year 742.

Today Rheinhessen is at the brink of top performances. A lot of the German top wineries are to be found here in Rheinhessen. The region is full of vitality and the young wine-growers' generation offers not only good as well as cheap everyday wines, but also ecologically treated wines and top wines, that are remarkably seen and tasted world wide. Take also a look at: rheinhessen.info

Rheinhessen is among the "hidden champions" of the German wine-growing areas: touristically seen not as popular an area as the Rheingau but a holiday region that is in some places known as the German Tuscanny. Here the sun is shining more than 1.500 hours per year and with a downfall of rain of less than 500 mm/year, this makes our region one of the dry areas in Germany.

Just to mention "dry": Of course, in Rheinhessen there are dry, medium dry and sweet wines, also wines from wooden casks with a fine bouquet of "barrique", top red wines like those from Ingelheim an top white wines like the excellent "Rieslings" from the Rote Hang in Nierstein.

To win wine friends for a long time to come is the aim of the Rheinhessen wine-growers and the hotel and restaurant business. Wine friends join the "Brotherhood of Wine - Rheinhessen" or they just meet at a table reserved for regular customers at the local. Some others go to wine tastings in the cellars or visit wine festivals or just ramble through the Rheinhessen Wine Paradise. Especially in Nierstein wine friends will find Riesling wines with a worldwide reputation. "Be surprised"!

Wine and rambling

The walkers' countryside of Rheinhessen has become more and more attractive during the last years. First of all because of the better sign-posted rambling tours and secondly because of the new wine taverns and Straußwirtschaften (run by the vintner's families) beautiful walking tours from Nierstein are e.g. the walk past the Brudersberg (the Loreley of Nierstein) to Nackenheim or the Riesling-Weg to Oppenheim past the old quarry, leading directly to the most famous St. Katharinenkirche and, also in Oppenheim, the Museum of German Wine-Growing. Or just the trip to the Oppenheim forest or the so-called Three Towers Ramble along the borders of the communal land of Nierstein. There are a lot of taverns and Straußwirtschaften in Nierstein and the surrounding communities, that are all prepared to cater for ramblers and cyclists from spring till autumn. On the east bank of the Rhine river there are beautiful walks along the Rhine up to the fertile plains between Mainz and Frankfurt. You can ferry across the Rhine river to Kornsand using the Nierstein ferry.

Those who want to ramble regulary can easily participate in the Wednesday-Ramble in Nierstein every week. A particular event is the so-called Three-Towers-Ramble on May, 1 every year. There is also the wine festival at the Rote Hang on the second weekend of June. During this weekend the very best wines of Nierstein can be tasted were they are grown, i.e. on the slopes of the Rote Hang. Also have a kind look at:
http://www.roter-hang.de

Cyclists' delight

For friends of biking it is a great opportunity to explore the vineyard countryside of Nierstein. Take a short break to recover and get acquainted with some of the best wines, sometimes mixed with mineral water to your liking. At Nierstein and the surrounding villages you can find many wineries that are open to the visitors. You can eat and drink local treats there, offered by friendly vintner families. From spring till autumn they are prepared for the visits of cyclists and hikers. As an easy bike tour - especially with children - Nierstein presents the 22 km (13,67 mls) round course: You meet at the Nierstein Crazy Golf area near the west end, there you head in the direction of Dexheim on the old railroad track (nick-named Valentinsche), then you go on to Friesenheim, Köngernheim with its famous Untermühle, Selzen and Mommenheim. From there you cycle past the golf course and go back into Nierstein via Schwabsburg.

Also on offer is the bike tour to Guntersblum including our neighbouring town of Oppenheim with its famous cathedral. In summer you can take the ferry to the natural reserve and recreation area called Kühkopf, then via Erfelden in north-westerly direction back to Nierstein where you cross the Rhine by ferry from Kornsand. You can take the ferry to get over to Kornsand on the east side of the Rhine river. Along the river bank you can find beautiful cycle tracks to the Rheinauen or even further on to Mainz, where you can cross over on the railroad bridge and cycle back on the west bank through Nackenheim and back to Nierstein.

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