What to See in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Rhineland-Palatinate is a western German state of river valleys, forests, vineyards, volcanic landscapes and historic towns. Its character comes from the Rhine and Moselle, the wooded uplands of the Eifel and Hunsrück, the wine-growing Palatinate and Rhenish Hesse, and a cultural history that reaches back much further than the state itself. Neywo offers free audio guides for 7 cities in Rhineland-Palatinate, with 382 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in Rhineland-Palatinate

Explore the Rhine and Moselle valleys

The Rhine and Moselle are the state’s major rivers. Their deep valleys have a relatively mild oceanic climate, with hot, moist summers and cool winters in which freezing temperatures are uncommon. This warmth supports plants that may seem surprising in Germany, including figs, olives, almonds, palm trees, stone pines and oleander.

The Middle Rhine is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its river landscape is one of the defining places to experience the relationship between water, settlement, vineyards and historic sites in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Discover the state’s forests and uplands

Forests cover 42 percent of Rhineland-Palatinate, making it one of Germany’s most forested states. The landscape changes noticeably as the river valleys give way to uplands. The Rhenish Massif occupies roughly the northern half of the state, with warm, wet summers and colder, drier winters where snowfall is common.

The Eifel adds another geological dimension. Its volcanic crater lakes include Laacher See, the largest of them. Further south, the Nahe Valley separates the northern landscapes from the Palatinate and Rhenish Hesse. Together, these areas make the state a place where river corridors, woodland and volcanic traces meet.

Visit Rhineland-Palatinate’s wine country

Wine is one of the clearest threads in the region’s identity. Rhineland-Palatinate is Germany’s leading producer of wine by grape cultivation and wine exports, while the Palatinate is an extensive wine-growing region.

Viticulture is closely tied to the state’s geography. The mild conditions of the Rhine and Moselle valleys create a setting where vineyards sit alongside river landscapes and settlements. Wine is not simply an agricultural product here: it is one of the industries and traditions that connect the land with the region’s economy and culture.

Walk through the historic towns

The towns of Rhineland-Palatinate offer different ways to experience its history. In the small towns and cities along the rivers, medieval buildings, churches, castles and museums sit within landscapes shaped by vineyards and wooded hills.

Bacharach is associated with sites including St. Peter, St. Nikolaus, St. Anna in Bacharach-Steeg and Wernerkapelle Bacharach. Cochem combines the Winneburg, Reichsburg Cochem, the Bundesbank bunker and Enderttor.

In the Palatinate, Annweiler am Trifels has Trifels Castle, Museum unterm Trifels, Ritterstein 228 “Holderquelle” and Asselstein. Idar-Oberstein brings together Burg Bosselstein, the Felsenkirche, Castle Oberstein and the Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum.

The larger cities provide another view of the state. Koblenz includes the Electoral Palace Koblenz, Florinskirche, Koblenzer Liebfrauenkirche and St. Josef in Koblenz-Süd among its narrated places. Mainz has the east choir organ of Mainz Cathedral, the Gutenberg Museum, the Alte Universität and the Dom- und Diözesanmuseum.

Trier is represented by major landmarks including the Porta Nigra, Aula Palatina, Cathedral of Trier and Liebfrauenkirche. These cities show how varied the region can be, from river towns and castles to major centres of religious, cultural and architectural history.

Understand the state’s modern origins

Rhineland-Palatinate was created in 1946 by the French military administration in occupied Germany, soon after the Second World War. Its territory was assembled from parts that had belonged to Prussia, Hesse and Bavaria. Because many residents continued to feel connected to those older regions, a shared Rhineland-Palatinate identity developed gradually.

The new state was sometimes called a “land of the retort”, suggesting that it had been put together without much regard for historical affiliations. It also began with few large industrial centres, leading some to question whether it could last. A constitution was adopted by referendum in 1947, following debate that included the question of separate schools based on Christian denomination. In 1949, Rhineland-Palatinate became part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Over time, Allied and Bundeswehr military bases helped support the economy. The state’s present identity grew from this unusual beginning, bringing together the Palatinate, Rhenish Hesse, the Eifel, Hunsrück and Moselle Valley.

Explore the ShUM cities and Jewish heritage

Jewish history has a particularly important place in Mainz, Speyer and Worms. During the medieval period, these communities became a centre of Jewish life and were known together as the ShUM cities.

Their leaders developed the Takkanot Shum, a body of decrees agreed over several decades. This history adds an older cultural network to a state whose current borders were created only after the Second World War. Around 20,000 Jews live in Rhineland-Palatinate today, continuing a story of communities, learning and shared practice that reaches well beyond the state’s modern political formation.

Explore Rhineland-Palatinate with Neywo

Download Neywo to explore Rhineland-Palatinate with free audio guides for 7 cities, 16 walking tours and 382 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace: no group, no schedule. Use the app to discover the history of the region while walking through its towns, riverside landscapes and historic sites. For more destinations across the country, explore the Germany travel guide.