Ultimate Guide to the Fairy Tale Town of Bacharach, Germany

If you’re considering a trip to the Rhine Valley in Germany, you must visit the fairy-tale town of Bacharach.

Since first reading about Bacharach in our trusty Rick Steve’s travel guide, Marty and I knew we had to visit this charming little town on the Rhine River. 

I mean, Bacharach seemed like the perfect place for us to hub out of as we explored the castles and vineyards of the beautiful Rhine River, and boy were we right! 

This town checked several items off of our couple’s bucket list.

We fell in love with Bacharach and decided to write this guide for Bacharach, Germany, so you can too!

Bacharach lies along the UNESCO World Heritage portion of the Rhine River, which stretches from Bingen and Rudesheim north to the city of Koblenz.

From its beginnings, Bacharach was a major hub of the wine trade industry and so instantly had my attention.  

It has been said that kings around the region would only drink Bacharach wine.  

All of this trade, coupled with the fact that Bacharach also collected customs duties, made it a very wealthy town.

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Guide to Bacharach, Germany

Arriving in Bacharach

After leaving Munich, Marty and I boarded a train and headed for the gorgeous Rhine River town of Bacharach. 

As we walked from the train station into the town, I felt I was transported back to the 11th century. Walking down the cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered houses made my heart skip a beat.

Looking up, you can see Stahleck Castle on the hill, looming over the town as if protecting it.  

I closed my eyes and imagined this area before technology, cars, and life transported us to this place of non-stop entertainment and information overload.

Looking up at the endless vineyards dotting the hillside, I imagined a more relaxed and simple pace of life—a pace where it’s acceptable to sit for hours drinking wine while watching the world go by on the Rhine River.  

A pace that I could easily become accustomed to if I could convince my brain to escape the fast-paced world for a little while!

When to Visit Bacharach

We recommend visiting Bacharach in the summer. The summer months (June-September) are ideal for exploring the Rhine Valley.  

The boat tours are running, and the temperatures are pleasant.  

August is the wettest month, so avoid August if you don’t like the rain.

How Long to Stay in Bacharach

Depending on what you want to get out of your visit, how long you stay will determine.

Marty and I planned two nights in Bacharach, but I wish we had planned three because we really wanted to tour more of the castles and explore more of the small towns along the Rhine.

With 2 nights, you can explore the town of Bacharach, cruise the best part of the Rhine (from Bacharach to St. Goar), and take a train to some of the small cities to tour a castle or two.  

With more time, you could include a trip to the Mosel River Valley as well.

Where to Stay in Bacharach

In this charming town, you won’t find any big-name hotels.

You will find reasonably priced bed and breakfasts and charming individually owned accommodations.  

For this trip, we paid about 60 euros a night (the absolute cheapest on this trip to Europe) for a room at the bed and breakfast, Bistro Rene.  

Bistro Rene had three rooms; ours was the smallest, but we had a private bathroom and a balcony overlooked by the castle!  

Our hosts were knowledgeable, nice, and made a mean coffee.  You can’t beat that!

Find your perfect Hotel in Bacharach, Germany. 

We love booking with Hotels.com.  Not only do you get a great rate, but you earn free nights with every stay.

Getting to Bacharach and Around the Rhine

By Train

Bacharach is easily accessible by train. The non-stop express train connecting Koblenz and Mainz takes a gorgeous 50 minutes.

There are hourly regional trains that hit every town along the Rhine (Bacharach-St. Goar in both directions).  

The small stations are not staffed, so you will purchase your ticket at the machines.  

We found the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket to be the best bet for us.

The Rheinland-Pfalz ticket costs 24 euros for one person and 5 euros for another, which is much cheaper than purchasing separate tickets.

By Boat

While some people travel the Rhine River by boat, we travel the “romantic” portion from St. Goar to Bacharach.  

We bought our tickets for the Koln-Dusseldorfer (K-D) Line right at the dock in Bacharach and hopped on to enjoy our cruise.  Get your Rhine River Cruise Pass today!

By Bike

We saw many bikers during our time in Bacharach.

A 35-mile bike path runs between Koblenz and Bingen, and the six-mile portion between Bacharach and Bingen is flat, smooth, and scenic.  

While walking in Bacharach, we noticed several bike rental places, including Hotel Hillen.  It seems most people bike one way and take the cruise or train back in the opposite direction.

Things to Do in Bacharach

As I stated above, Bacharach is like stepping into an 11th-century village.  

Although it offers modern amenities like Wi-Fi, cell service, and cars, this little village has retained its quaint charm.  

We enjoyed exploring this picturesque town, including the castle, churches, the old town wall and towers, the vineyards, and an AMAZING wine tasting.

Seeing the half-timbered houses on the quiet cobblestone streets is a great introduction to Bacharach.  The town is easily accessible on foot, so stroll around and get acquainted.

The town church is located just off of the square.  

Though not as impressive as most of the churches we have visited in Europe, it was still worth a visit. Inside, you will find brightly painted walls and Gothic arches.  

Be sure to notice the blue-and-white plaque hanging just outside the entrance warning that this building should not be targeted during times of war.

Down from the church, you will find the Posthof, symbolized by the golden horn hanging overhead.  

In the old days, the postman would blow this horn, and traffic would stop as the mail sped through the town.  As you enter, notice the beautiful door.  

History buffs will appreciate seeing a historical piece, a fascist eagle from 1936, over the door.

Stahleck Castle and Wernerkapelle Ruins

Steep steps alongside the church leading up to the town castle.  

Feeling ambitious and ready to burn off some of the German food we had been eating, Marty and I laced up our tennis shoes and climbed up to Stahleck Castle.  

On the way up to the castle, you will pass the Wernerkapelle Ruins.  What’s left of this enormous chapel is hauntingly beautiful.

After taking a break to view the ruins, we continued up the steep steps toward the castle.  

I must admit I had to stop several times to catch my breath.  

I think all those pretzels were catching up with me.  The trek was worth it, though.  

We had so much fun exploring the castle grounds.  Since it’s a hostel, we acted like we owned the place and walked around.  

Be sure to grab a glass of wine and sit on the terrace to enjoy the beautiful views earned on that hike!

The Old Town Wall and Towers

You can walk along the old town wall in several places in Bacharach.  We enjoyed walking the section of the wall down by the river.

To find this section, walk toward town from Riverfront Park, with the Catholic church on your left. Cross under the train tracks and head right up the stairs onto the town wall.  

At the top of the stairs, we turned left to see the old well, which is about 30 yards on the left-hand side.

We then continued along the wall to view the crane tower.  

This is where they would lower their amazing wine onto ships to be sent down to the river.

 After the crane tower, you will come to the Markt Tower, which was once one of the town’s original 14th-century gates.

We also enjoyed hiking through the vineyards up to the Tall Tower.  

To get to the Tall Tower, go up Rosenstrasse just past the well and follow the tiny slate-stepped lane up into the vineyards.

Wine Tasting in Bacharach

Since Bacharach is famous for its wine, you really should treat yourself to a tasting.  

A weinstube, or wine room, is a great place to do just that.  We chose to do our tasting at Weingut Karl Heidrich.  

This cute little winery had a nice outdoor dining area right on the main street in town.

They offered three different types of tasting flights: dry, sweet, or combination, for about 15 euros for six wines.  

The pours were big, and the wines were delicious.

Marty and I chose to pair our wine with an amazing meat and cheese plate.

We sat for hours drinking wine, laughing, and munching on food.  

A welcomed slow pace for us!

Where to Eat in Bacharach

Deciding what to eat in Germany is easy for us, and Bacharach was no exception. They had some incredible German cuisine to choose from!

We found the food in Bacharach to be reasonably priced and really good overall.

The Altes Haus, the oldest building in town, serves traditional German food in a historic atmosphere.

The Posthof restaurant and cafe in the Posthof courtyard have a nice outdoor seating area with a direct view of the chapel ruins above you.  

We grabbed a cheap pizza from Bacharacher Pizza and Kebap House for lunch.

We walked up to the old carousel that overlooks the river to eat, but it was closed. If you have ever eaten there, let us know how it is.

For dessert, visit Eis Cafe Italia on the main street and try some Riesling-flavored gelato!  

Or, be like Marty and hunt down the perfect apple strudel!

You cannot ask for a better German town to relax in and explore.  

It was so easy to allow ourselves to acclimate to the slower pace of life and just enjoy being together and on vacation.  

After exploring Bacharach, we venture into the Rhine and Mosel Valleys to tour an awesome castle and cruise the river.  

Read all about our Rhine River Cruise!  

Bacharach is a true gem and a town that we will return to.

Final Thoughts on Guide to Bacharach, German

I hope our guide to Bacharach has inspired you to visit this great region.

There is so much to do and see here that we are sure you will fall in love with it, too.

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