Rhine River attractions

The Rhine Tower, at 789 feet (234 meters) high, is one of Düsseldorf’s tallest buildings and a defining feature of the city skyline. Visitors take a high-speed elevator to the top of the telecommunications tower, which has an observation deck and a revolving restaurant, both offering scenic views of the Old Town and Rhine riverfront.

Walking the Rhine River Promenade (Rheinuferpromenade)—a 2-tier walkway that traces the scenic Rhine waterfront—not only offers a tranquil retreat from the busy city center, but also links many of Dusseldorf’s top attractions. Plus, it’s dotted with benches, grassy picnic areas, and food vendors, making it the ideal place to spend a sunny day.

Step into the sensory world of Giovanni Maria Farina, the legendary Italian perfumer who created the original eau de cologne in 1709. The Farina Fragrance Museum chronicles the rise of the family’s perfume dynasty in Cologne and offers a fascinating insight into perfume-making throughout the centuries.

Among the most beautiful and best-preserved of all Rhine River castles, Burg Eltz is a storybook in stone, with Gothic towers and turrets rising dramatically from a rocky, forested crag. Owned by three branches of the same aristocratic family since the 13th century, it was one of the few Rhine castles to survive World War II unscathed.

A popular destination since Roman times, the spa town of Wiesbaden has long attracted visitors to its thermal waters. Today, a trip to the provincial capital—located between Mainz and Frankfurt along the Upper Rhine—reveals heritage architecture, glitzy shopping streets, and numerous wellness facilities.

A Prussian fortification built between 1815 and 1834, the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (Festung Ehrenbreitstein) is one of Germany’s best-known historic military landmarks. Poised some 387 feet (118 meters) above the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, the fortress is part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cologne’s EL-DE Haus—home to the NS-Documentation Center (NS-Dokumentationszentrum)—was a jewelry business until it was taken over by the Nazis in 1934. Transformed into a headquarters for the Gestapo secret police, it was used for interrogation and torture during World War II. Today, it stands as a monument to the victims of fascism.

Germany’s soccer legacy takes center stage at the German Football Museum (Deutsches Fussballmuseum) in Dortmund—a fitting tribute to the highs, lows, and cultural importance of the sport. Opened in 2015, the museum is packed with memorabilia, multimedia displays, and fun interactive exhibitions, making it a must for soccer fans.

Dusseldorf’s North Rhine-Westphalian State Parliament, aka the Landtag NRW, is a parliament building where many of the state’s democratic decisions are made. Serious stuff aside, most visitors come to see its clockwork-like architecture, where circles and curves abound. The contemporary exterior is best admired from up high; luckily, Dusseldorf’s premier viewing platform—the Rhine Tower—is next door.

Set on the banks of the Rhine River in Düsseldorf, the Museum Kunstpalast unites classical and contemporary art under one roof. Old masters sit alongside modern thought-provokers, and while there’s an emphasis on German artists, there are works from around the world, too. Here, you’ll find everything from Rubens paintings to virtual reality installations to European glassware and more.

SEA LIFE®Oberhausen is a family-friendly aquarium that is also home to the largest shark nursery in Germany. Visit a variety of animals, from otters to sharks to turtles, and learn about their habitats and behavior behavior with animal feedings and expert talks.

An indoor playground for families with younger LEGO®-obsessed kids, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Oberhausen lets you unleash your creativity with more than 4 million LEGO bricks. Smaller in scale than a full LEGOLAND, this center has several play areas, a 4D cinema, and a couple of rides for the youngest visitors.

With its fanciful pink façade and landscaped gardens stretching all the way to the banks of the Rhine River, Benrath Palace (Schloss Benrath) is one of the region’s most attractive Baroque palaces. Built in 1755, it’s just 20 minutes from downtown Dusseldorf, so a popular day-trip destination.

One of the largest castles overlooking Germany’s Moselle River, Cochem Castle (Reichsburg Cochem) boasts more than a millennium of history. Rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in the 19th century after a period of ruin, the castle is a popular destination for history lovers and families, particularly during its medieval and Christmas festivals.

Nicknamed “Cathedral Mountain” by locals, Mainz Cathedral is an imposing sight. Easily mistaken for a royal palace or a Disney castle, it’s a feast of eye-catching red sandstone topped with a bell tower and a trio of fairy-tale turrets. Inspired by Rome’s St Peter’s Cathedral, the landmark is an important center of worship and a historic monument.

High above the River Rhine in Germany’s Middle Rhine Valley, Marksburg Castle began life as a fortified 13th-century Romanesque tower. Later expanded into a hilltop fortress, it draws visitors for being the only undamaged medieval castle along this scenic stretch of the Rhine—making it one of its standout historical gems.

First constructed in the 13th century and later rebuilt in 1823, Stolzenfels stands tall on a hill along the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley—showcasing its crenellated towers, drawbridge, and defensive walls. See Stolzenfels, one of many castles along the river, on a boat Rhine tour or explore its renovated interior and gardens.

The town of Bingen am Rhein serves as the southern gateway to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The riverside town boasts heritage architecture and a history that dates back to Roman times. Bingen is also celebrated as a wine hub, and its surrounding slopes are populated by vineyards.

Alpenpark Neuss is a large activity center featuring a variety of attractions that range from an 18-hole miniature golf course to a massive outdoor ropes course. There's also a funfussball course, which mixes soccer with golf, and a very popular indoor ski hall where visitors can ski throughout the year.

The Koblenz Cable Car (Seilbahn Koblenz) is the largest aerial tramway in Germany, gliding over the Rhine River between Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer and Greiffenklaustr on either side. From one of the 18 cabins, visitors can see incredible views of Koblenz, look out to the spot where the Moselle and Rhine rivers meet, and hop off for a visit to the excellently preserved Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

In a restored locomotive roundhouse, Classic Remise Düsseldorf is the ultimate destination for vintage and classic cars. In addition to a wide range of vehicles from different makes and models, the center is home to dealers, garages, services, shops, restaurants, and event spaces.

Part science museum, part adventure park, Cologne’s Odysseum is the perfect place to get kids excited about science. The hands-on exhibits, interactive displays, and puzzle-solving activities are designed to engage all ages, while adventure playgrounds and a high ropes course inject a hefty dose of fun.

The simple, red-bordered facade and domed bell tower of St. Stephan’s Church (Stephanskirche) conceals a magnificent series of blue stained-glass windows that bathe the church interiors in blue light. Created by Jewish artist Marc Chagall in the 1970s and 80s, the masterful glasswork was designed as a symbol of Jewish-German reunification.

The Lanxess Arena in Cologne is one of Germany's largest multifunctional arenas, hosting up to 20,000 people for events. From ice hockey clashes with the Kölner Haie to intense basketball battles with the Köln RheinStars and gripping handball showdowns with VfL Gummersbach, it's the ultimate destination for sports and entertainment enthusiasts.

Routinely voted one of the world’s best, most immersive theme parks, Phantasialand—near Cologne, Germany—may be small, but you’d never know it. With themed areas like Deep in Africa, Mexico, and Rookburgh, there are multiple worlds to explore (and new attractions are constantly added). From nearly record-breaking thrill rides to relaxing boat journeys, every kind of excitement lies within Phantasialand.

Inspired by the Paul Cézanne quote, “art is a harmony parallel to nature,” the Hombroich Museum Island (Museum Insel Hombroich) is a space where art and nature are indeed harmonious. This conceptual art museum is comprised of 52 acres (21 hectares) of idyllic parklands dotted with galleries, sculptures, and architectural monuments.

Established in the 19th century and spanning more than 700 years of art history, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum is one of Cologne’s oldest and most storied museums. Internationally renowned for its collection of medieval art, it’s also home to the best collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art in Germany. Now housed in a modern building, it’s both an architectural and cultural highlight.

One of many highlights along the UNESCO-listed Middle Rhine Valley, the small town of St. Goar (Sankt Goar) sits on the banks of the Rhine river. Along with its picturesque medieval buildings, St. Goar is most famous for its 13th-century Rheinfels Castle (Burg Rheinfels) and the landmark Loreley Rock, which stands opposite.

SEA LIFE® Königswinter takes visitors on an undersea odyssey filled with close encounters with an astonishing variety of sea creatures. The aquarium’s 36 pools are home to more than 2,000 sea creatures of more than 120 species, from exotic fish such as surgeonfish, paddlefish, and clown fish to turtles, rays, octopus, and moray eels.

For centuries, Rheinfels Castle was the region's largest, most important fortress. Now the imposing castle—one of many along the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley—is in ruins. The castle, located on a hill along the river’s left bank, dates back to the 13th century. Roam the grounds and learn its history at the on-site museum.