Four nights on the Rhine: Wiesbaden for two (thermal baths, the Kurhaus, the Neroberg) then the Rhine north to Koblenz for two more - the Deutsches Eck where the Moselle meets the Rhine, the Ehrenbreitstein fortress on the eastern cliff, and the vine-terraced Rhine valley that runs between. October on the Middle Rhine has the autumn colour on the slate hills, the harvest in the vineyards, and the tourist ferries giving way to the working river.
Getting There
RMV train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof: 40 minutes. Race participants travel free on the RMV network on race day. Wiesbaden is within the RMV zone.
Nights One and Two: Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is the capital of Hesse - a spa city of 280,000 built around 27 hot springs that emerge between 47°C and 66°C. The combination of natural hot springs, Wilhelmine architecture, and a casino makes it one of the more complete spa cities in Europe.
Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme on Langgasse (see separate day trip itinerary for full detail): the Roman-Irish bathhouse from 1913 with natural thermal spring water, the recovery sequence of warm bath, hot room, steam, cold plunge. This is the reason to come to Wiesbaden post-marathon.
The Kurhaus and Spielbank (casino): the 1907 Friedrich von Thiersch building in the Kurpark. The casino is open from 14:00 daily; the concert hall and ballroom can be visited without gambling. The Kurpark (free) is the 18-hectare park running south from the Kurhaus - flat, formal, with the bandstand and the heated colonnade.
Wilhelmstrasse: the linden-lined promenade from the station to the Kurhaus. Boutique shops, the grand hotel facades, the outdoor cafes. 1.2 km from end to end.
The Neroberg (245 metres): reached by the Nerobergbahn funicular (1888, free, water-counterbalance). Summit: the Russian Chapel (1855, Greek Orthodox, gold domes), views over the Rhine-Main plain, and the outdoor swimming pool. For Day Two of recovery.
Where to stay in Wiesbaden: Hotel Nassauer Hof (5-star, across from the Kurhaus, the historic choice). Dorint Hotel Pallas on August-Bebel-Strasse. Hotel am Landeshaus for a mid-range option.
Where to eat in Wiesbaden: Käfer at the Kurhaus for formal dining. Lumen at the Aukammtal spa complex for post-bath lunch. Altes Gericht on Langgasse for Hessian cooking.
Nights Three and Four: Koblenz
Travel from Wiesbaden to Koblenz: RMV/DB regional train from Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof: approximately 75 minutes direct. Or, more interestingly, take the Rhine ferry north from Wiesbaden-Schierstein harbour (taxi from centre): the KD Rhine Cruise from Rüdesheim to Koblenz is 5 hours through the UNESCO Middle Rhine Valley - the Loreley rock, the castle-topped slate cliffs, the vineyards of the Rheingau and the Mittelrhein. The October cruise is considerably less crowded than summer.
Koblenz (population 114,000) sits at the Deutsches Eck - the sharp river confluence where the Moselle flows into the Rhine. The promontory at the confluence has been a fortified site since Roman times; it now has the 1897 equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I (removed under Allied occupation, restored in the 1990s) on a stone plinth at the waterpoint.
The Deutsches Eck (free): walk to the tip of the promontory where the Moselle water (greener, colder) meets the Rhine water (grey-brown, warmer) and remains separate for several hundred metres downstream. The visual distinction between the two rivers is visible from the promontory and from the cable car above.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (entry approximately €7, cable car approximately €6 return): the cliff fortress on the opposite (east) bank of the Rhine, 118 metres above the water. The cable car (Seilbahn) from the Deutsches Eck crossing the Rhine to the fortress was installed for the 2011 Bundesgartenschau and continues in service. The fortress is the largest surviving Prussian fortification in Germany; the BUGA museum inside covers the fortress history. The view from the walls over the Rhine/Moselle confluence is the best in the region.
The Moselle waterfront: the flat quayside on the south bank of the Moselle between the Deutsches Eck and the Balduin Bridge. The Koblenz old town (Altstadt) runs along this bank - the Baroque churches, the Florinsmarkt with its timber-framed buildings, the Jesuitenkirche.
Boppard (30 minutes south by regional train): the Rhine town in the deepest part of the Rhine gorge, with the best Middle Rhine wine estate access and the chair lift up to the Gedeonseck viewpoint above the Rhine bend. October is the post-harvest period; the wine estates in Boppard are completing their fermentation.
Where to stay in Koblenz: Hotel Diehl on the Rhine promenade: the best location, facing the Ehrenbreitstein cliff. Mercure Hotel Koblenz on Julius-Wegeler-Strasse: reliable, central. Hotel Brenner on Rizzastrasse: mid-range, Altstadt location.
Where to eat in Koblenz: Cafe Einstein on Münzplatz: the intellectual cafe standard, good for lunch. Da Vinci on the Rheinzollstrasse for dinner. Weinhaus Weißer Bär on Florinsmarkt for Moselle wine and traditional cooking.
Practical Notes
- Exit options: Return to Frankfurt by train from Koblenz (1h 30 min by ICE or regional), or continue north to Cologne (55 minutes) and fly from Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN). The Cologne extension adds a half-day to the trip.
- October Rhine cruise: KD Rhine Cruises (k-d.com) - the Rüdesheim to Koblenz route takes approximately 5 hours downstream. Check October schedules in advance.
- RMV rail passes cover the Wiesbaden segment; Deutsche Bahn tickets required for Koblenz.