The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is the 65 km (40 mi) southern part of the Middle Rhine, located between Koblenz and Rüdesheim in the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in June 2002 due to its natural beauty as a cultural landscape, its role as a major transportation route across Europe, and the special way buildings and terraces were designed to fit the steep slopes of the gorge.

The area’s rocks were formed during the Devonian period and are called Rhenish Facies. This is a type of sedimentary rock that contains fossils and is mostly made of slate. These rocks were folded significantly during the Carboniferous period. The gorge was shaped by recent geological uplift, creating steep river walls 200 m (660 ft) high. The most famous feature of the gorge is the Loreley.

The gorge has its own unique climate and has served as a path for species not found elsewhere in the region. For many years, the slopes have been terraced for farming, especially grape growing, which thrives on south-facing slopes. Most vineyards are part of the Mittelrhein wine region, though the southernmost parts of the Rhine Gorge are in Rheingau and Nahe.

The Rhine River has been a key trade route into central Europe since ancient times. Small settlements developed along its banks, and many of these old towns still feel historic today. As wealth grew, about 40 hilltop castles were built, making the valley a central area of the Holy Roman Empire. The valley was at the center of the Thirty Years’ War, which damaged many castles. These ruins are now a popular sight for cruise ships traveling along the river. In the 19th century, the valley became part of Prussia, and its landscape became a classic image of Germany.

This part of the Rhine plays a major role in folklore, such as the setting for the opera Götterdämmerung, which features a legendary castle on the Rhine. The annual Rhine in Flames festivals include fireworks at Sankt Goar in September and Koblenz in August. The best views of these displays are from boats traveling along the river.

Towns and cities along the gorge

Koblenz is located on both the west and east sides. Lahnstein is located on the east side. Rhens is located on the west side. Braubach is located on the east side. Boppard is located on the west side. St. Goarshausen is located on the east side and almost directly across from Sankt Goar, which is on the west side near the Loreley rock. Oberwesel is located on the west side. Kaub is located on the east side. Bacharach is located on the west side. Lorch is located on the east side. Assmannshausen is located on the east side. Bingen is located on the west side. Rüdesheim is located on the east side.

Gallery

• A view of Burg Katz with the Lorelei in the background
• An aerial view of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley near Sankt Goarshausen, showing the Lorelei at the bottom
• Koblenz, the northern entrance to the World Heritage Site, with the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
• Deutsches Eck, where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet
• Stolzenfels Castle, near Koblenz, a famous example of Rhine romanticism
• Marksburg Castle, the only hilltop castle in the Middle Rhine Valley that was never destroyed
• A view from the left bank of the Rhine near St. Goar, looking at the Lorelei
• A 2006 stamp depicting the World Heritage Site
• Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, located in the middle of the river at Kaub, with Burg Gutenfels in the background
• The Werner Chapel in Bacharach
• Burg Rheinstein, the first castle rebuilt in the 19th century
• Binger Loch, the southern entrance to the gorge; the Mouse Tower is on the left, and Burg Ehrenfels Castle is on the right
• The Niederwalddenkmal monument, featuring a statue of Germania, in Rüdesheim
• One of the oldest surviving church buildings in the World Heritage area, the Basilica of St. Castor in Koblenz
• A 2011 image of "Rhein in Flammen" (Rhine in Flames) near the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz
• Burg Stahleck Castle
• The Middle Rhine Valley near Kaub
• The Rhine Cable Railway in Koblenz
• The Rhine Gorge between Trechtingshausen and Bacharach