Loreley - Loreley

"The Loreley Myth" - with this catchphrase, the legendary rock on the Middle Rhine Applied. And indeed, the rock casts a spell over many visitors. Especially with foreign guests, it is the epitome of "Rhine romanticism".

The tourist infrastructure on the rock was modernized for Expo 2000. Among other things, the landscape park and a modern visitor center were created.

Pure Rhine romance: Loreley from the western bank on the B 9 with "Goethe" from Cologne-Düsseldorf.
Ascent to the Loreley: View from the top of the stairway over the Rhine towards St. Goarshausen.
View from the viewing gallery at the summit into the valley towards St. Goarshausen.

getting there

In the street

  • B 42 from Koblenz over Lahnstein or Wiesbaden, at the end of the town St. Goarshausen drive up the Forstbachstraße.
  • next motorway connection: A61 (Koblenz-Bingen) exit 42 Emmelshausen; from here on country roads down to St. Goar into the Rhine Valley; with the "Loreley" ferry to St. Goarshausen translate.
  • There is free parking in the Heide district. At the junction to the Loreley, turn sharply right into the Loreleyring and turn left twice in the village. At the end of the cul-de-sac there is a short path along the Rheinsteig, which in 15 minutes leads comfortably on the plateau without traffic to the visitor center.

By train

  • Railway line Koblenz-Wiesbaden on the right bank of the Rhine - next train station is St. Goarshausen, or on the left bank of the Rhine with the ferry from St. Goar, then Bus line 595 (Good Friday-October). From the "Rheinfähre" bus line 559 goes to "Loreley Abzweig".
  • The Rhineland-Palatinate ticket for € 24 to € 44 (1 - 5 people) is also valid for the Hessian section Wiesbaden - Lorchhausen.
  • The banks of the Rhine at the Loreley can only be reached on foot from the train station, about 15 minutes' walk.

By bicycle

  • On the continuous left bank of the Rhine Rhine cycle route to St. Goar; then with the "Loreley" ferry to St. Goarshausen translate.
  • On the right bank of the Rhine there is a cycle path right next to the main road, but it still has a few interruptions.
  • Loreley-Aar-Radweg - The cycle path, which is very demanding due to its height profile, on or next to the former small railway crosses the Taunus from St. Goarshausen via Nastätten to Hahnstätten for over 41 kilometers. From there you get to the Aartal cycle path to Diez to the Lahn.

On foot

  • Via the high-altitude hiking trail Rheinsteig which leads directly over the Loreley.

Marina

  • The sports harbor is located between the Loreley rock and the village of St. Goarshausen.

background

Loreley

Virgo Loreley: According to legend, the virgin Loreley is said to have beguiled the boatmen with her singing and thus lured them to the rocks in the river. The Rhine at the Loreley, only 113 m wide, is still a dangerous shipping route today. At the end of the regulatory dam between Katz Castle and the rock, the Virgin still sits as a monument today. Due to the narrow river, there is one-way traffic on the Loreley. The respective direction of travel is controlled by light signals that are on the bank. Incidentally, weakly motorized barges receive towing assistance in order to be able to master the turbulent Rhine.

For those interested, the political assignment: the viewing platform and the visitor center belong to Bornich, the banks of the Rhine belong to St. Goarshausen.

Poem by Heinrich Heine, written in 1824
The Lorelei
I don't know what is it supposed to mean
That I'm so sad
A fairy tale from old times
I can't get it out of my mind.
The air is cool and it's getting dark
And the Rhine flows calmly;
The peak of the mountain sparkles
In the evening sunlight.
The most beautiful virgin is seated
Wonderful up there,
Her golden attire glances,
She combs her golden hair.
She combs with a golden comb,
And sings a song;
That has a miraculous,
Powerful melody.
The skipper in the little ship
Seizes it with wild woe;
He doesn't look at the rock reefs
He just looks up at the heights.
I think, the waves devour
At the end the boatman and the boat
And that has with her singing
The Lorelei done.

Tourist Attractions

Loreley open-air theater concert
Aerial view of the Loreley
  • "Felsspitze" viewing platform - From the summit of the 193 m high slate rock you have a beautiful view of the Rhine Valley. The rock rises about 125 m above the river.
  • Loreley Landscape Park - The park is on the Loreley plateau. The facility has educational trails and circular hiking trails ready for visitors. Three partnership gardens from France, Great Britain and Japan can be visited.
  • Stepped path to the Loreley - The path leads from the B 42 directly onto the rocks. Those who use it for the ascent are very close to the Loreley. If you came from above, a descent to the Rhine is worthwhile. You can only feel the thickness of the rock from below. Incidentally, the path was renovated on the occasion of EXPO 2000.
The 1 lower stair entry: The staircase with about 120 meters of altitude (400 steps) branches off about 2 km south of St. Goarshausen from the federal highway 42. Here at the beginning of the harbor dam you can also find a generous one Parking space. There is a kiosk at the start of the stairs as a refreshment station. Here you can also get souvenirs (postcards, etc.).
- Walk to the Loreley statue: If you feel like it, you can also walk from the parking lot along the dam to the famous statue (about 750 m easy on a somewhat bumpy stone route).

Viewpoints to the Loreley

  • 1 Loreley view "St. Goar" - From the left bank of the Rhine St. Goar from there you have a delightful view of the rock. The point is located about 500 m south of the village directly on the B 9. From the footpath and bike path on the river side, you can safely admire and take pictures of the rock. In addition, a promenade was built in 2008. There is a small parking lot for cars and coaches.
  • 2 Three castles view - About 2 km downstream on the right bank of the Rhine in the Patersberg district of St. Goarshausen is the Drei-Burgen-Blick. From here you can see the three castles (Burg Katz, Burg Maus and Burg Rheinfels) and the Loreley rock. The light signals for shipping traffic that control the one-way street on the Loreley are also easy to see. The Drei-Burgen-Blick is one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the Middle Rhine, especially at the event Rhine in Flames - The Night of the Loreley, on the 3rd Saturday in September: 21st Sept. 2019. Getting there: From St. Goarshausen train station you can use the Rheinsteig climb up to the lookout point from the north. Alternatively, this is also possible via the Rheinsteig from the south from the valley on the Forstbachstraße. The result is a small round tour of around 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours of walking, depending on the breaks and the "step".
  • 3 Loreley view "Maria Ruh" on the left bank of the Rhine Arable. The lookout point is "only" about 600 m southwest of the Loreley on the opposite side of the valley. But: From the Loreley it's over ferry about 10 kilometers of road. The ascent is via St. Goar on the left bank of the Rhine. Here you will find the lookout point on the edge of the high plateau at a height of about 240 m. In 2005 the area around the viewpoint was redesigned into a landscape park. You can stop off at the "Loreleyblick" restaurant. More information about the lookout point is on the community website of Can be found arable.
View from the "Maria Ruh" viewpoint near Urbar over to the Loreley

Loreley visitor center

The visitor center is located on the plateau at the large car park (parking fee 1 euro per day).

Opening hours:

March: daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March to the end of October: daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
October 31 to November 6: daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
November 6th to February: Fri, Sat and Sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Entry: Adults € 2.50; Children € 1.50; there are group discounts

Contact: Loreley Visitor Center; On the Loreley; 56346 St. Goarshausen Tel. 06771-599093; Fax 06771-599094; www.loreley-besucherzentrum.de (As of 04-2012)

Thematic exhibition

  • Geology of the Loreley - Earth history of the slate rock
  • Flora and fauna on the mountain
  • Middle Rhine wine region with a historical look back since Roman times
  • shipping on the Rhine
  • Life on the Middle Rhine - historical insight into everyday life in the valley
  • Tourism history on the Middle Rhine- "Rhine romanticism" since the 19th century
  • Myth room - Artistic exhibition on the Loreley with pictures
  • "Meeting point Middle Rhine" - Tourist information about the Middle Rhine Valley and the Loreley; Wine tasting and sales, bistro

activities

  • Enjoy the view from the rock
  • Concerts and open air festivals - From June to August on the open-air stage www.loreley-freilichtbuehne.de Concerts and festivals take place in a wonderful atmosphere. A concert or festival on the Loreley is a special experience and attracts guests from all over the world. The grandstand is so big that everyone can find a great place.
  • Rhine panorama - From the Loreley Original Panorama Terraces Loreley Original Panorama Terrace from there you have a spectacular view of the Rhine valley to the castles Katz and Maus and St. Goarshausen. In summer the sunsets are known far beyond the borders of the Rhine Valley [http://www.loreley-biergarten.de Loreley Original Panorama Terrasse].
  • "Loreleybob" summer toboggan run - 400 m long sheet metal track; in operation annually from March to the end of October: daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in suitable weather (no rain); See also daily opening times www.loreleybob.de. Single trip € 2.50; Children (3 to 14 years): € 2; There is a discount for groups and multi-trip tickets

accommodation

The next place with accommodation is in the Rhine Valley St. Goarshausen (about 3 km from the rock).

There are also overnight accommodations near the summit plateau:

trips

Zollburg Pfalzgrafenstein at Chew

literature

Web links

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