The history of Germany has always fascinated me and I am always on the lookout to know more. Cities like Munich, Nurnberg, Berlin speak the history of world war II whereas Rothenberg and the Romantic Road take you through Bavaria’s heartland. This route is stunningly beautiful with picturesque villages, castles, walled cities, and churches. My favorites are the Rhine and Mosel valley which almost feels like a storybook with fairy tale castles, quaint villages, and lush green vineyard along rolling mountains and Romantic Rhine. Though they are beautiful, these medieval towns are very hard to negotiate with a wheelchair. We did a road trip along Rhine valley to enjoy those picturesque villages.
The main scenic route is from Bacharach to Koblenz and Koblenz to Trier. Even though these places are very beautiful but not very wheelchair accessible. Steep hillside villages, narrow pathways, stairs, and cobbled places make it very inaccessible for wheelchair users. Driving down the valley with stopovers is a better option to check out this beautiful route. You can go from Bacharach to Koblenz and then start driving down the Mossel valley from there. You can also do the whole trip by boat enjoying both sides of the river banks. St Goar to Bacharach is the most scenic part. Those are the most visited places. The cuckoo clock shop in St.Goar is my favorite one. The Mosel valley has a different beauty. You can drive down the valley enjoying the lush green rolling wineries. There are some passenger ferries between Koblenz and Trier. Cochem is the most visited place which has a majestic castle and the streets are very picturesque. You can drive down to Trier and visit Eltz Castle.
♿️ Wheelchair Accessibility ♿️
- A road trip or a boat cruise is a better idea to experience the valley at its best.
- The quaint villages of St Goar and Bacharach can be managed by a wheelchair. You will need to venture to the Castle in St. Goar by car as it has very uneven terrain and no ramps.
- Almost all the stores have a couple of stairs to enter. So a portable ramp might work.
- There are options to drive in both the side of the river bank. There are fully accessible car Ferries which will take you to the other side and you can enjoy the beautiful view of the castle and wineries.
- The wheelchair accessibility in the hotels here is not very good. It’s a good idea to stay in Frankfurt or Koln. Weinhotel Landsknecht hotel in St Goar is a moderately wheel accessible hotel with a couple of steps that can be negotiated. Make sure to call and book the room at the ground level. The parking is on-site
- There are a few accessible parking near Boppard Promanade just along the River. You can park your car there and click pictures.
- In Boppard, the old part of town is most of it flat and is easily accessible with a wheelchair.
- The main town of Koblenz has some accessible parking too
- In Mosel valley, you can park the car on the shoulder and take pictures. There are roadside food places where you can stop for a bite.
- The main town of Cochem along the riverside is moderately flat and has some wheelchair parking