If you follow me on Instagram – which of course, I highly recommend – you probably know that I went on a hiking trip to Eltville recently. And seeing as this blog is a combination of my own personal diary, travel & advice posts, it makes sense I tell you all about it. This is the tour we took, keep reading to find out what happened!
Starting Point: Eltville-Erbach
From Frankfurt main station we took a train to Eltville-Erbach, making the most of the Deutschland-Ticket. If you want to explore Eltville itself, get of a station earlier. We, however, only cared about hiking the vineyards, and thus started in Erbach. From the station, we walked down to the Rhine, and enjoyed lovely views of the river banks. If you’re lucky, you might spot a rather colorful bird – the Alexandrine parrot – that at some point escaped captivity and made itself a home in the Rheingau. But even if you’re not into bird watching, there are plenty of other things to see, or simply views to soak in.
Pitstop: Hattenheim
If you’re hiking on a hot day as we were, a pitstop in Hattenheim is a must! Not only is it a beautifully picturesque little village, there also are some cute little restaurants and vinotheques. But fear not – there is wine absolutely everywhere along the way. After all, wine is what the Rheingau is famous for!
Hiking Through the Vineyards
From Hattenheim we headed straight for the vineyards. The hike itself is pretty easy, the vines are on a little bit of an incline of course, but nothing to challenging if you’re hiking regularly (or keep fit in another way). Something to be wary of though is the fact that there is very little shade along the paths. Again, this makes sense, as the vines probably need a good amount of sunshine. We were hiking on a pretty toasty day though and did feel the heat by the end of it. So make sure you pack plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat of some sorts!
If you’re following along the same route as we did, you’re going to come across a little black hut – the perfect place to stop for some refreshments. You get to enjoy a lovely glass of wine and a snack with the perfect view over the vineyards as well as Eltville. And you’re probably going to want to take a little break, because after this hut, there is a nice long(-ish) incline to get to the top. So it’s probably a good idea to hydrate before, especially on a hot day.
The good thing though: once you have managed this “climb” up the hill, it’s pretty easy going.
The Perfect Day of Hiking
I genuinely enjoyed hiking through the Rheingau. It’s completely different to all the hikes I’ve done before, which usually tend to be a lot more mountainy. This however was a nice change, pretty easy terrain and so much nature to enjoy. And there weren’t a lot of people either, so nice and quiet. If you get the chance, I highly recommend going to Eltville & hiking your way around!
Another thing I absolutely have to mention: Schloss Reinhartshausen, the restaurant we went to after our hike. If you want some seriously good food, you have to go there! But make sure your leave room for dessert – the yoghurt tureen was incredible!
Lots of Love,
Lena
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.