Adlerturm
Meet your guide at Adlerturm, the Eagle Tower next to the river, a Gothic corner tower of the old town fortification. Built in the 15th century, it once was located directly on the Rhine. From there immerse into the charming Old Town with its crooked cobble-stoned streets. Walk up Marktstrasse and get to the Market Square. In the middle of the square you will discover a fountain decorated with the statue of a wine-drinking man. View the Catholic Parish Church of Saint James built in the 14th century and reconstructed with quarry stone from the Rhineland after its almost complete destruction in 1944. Next we continue to Klunkhards Estate, one of the architectural pearls of the old town: this slightly curved half-timbered building dates back to the 16th century and was formerly owned by one of the highly-esteemed families of Rüdesheim. Walk along the pedestrianized area on Oberstrasse, the „upper street“, and pass in front of the Medieval Torture Museum which illustrates the history of punishment and torture in the Middle Ages as well as the time of witch-hunting in Germany. Get a glimpse of the cable cars departing from the station Oberstrasse and gliding smoothly over the vineyards up to Niederwald Monument with its main figure Germania. It was erected between 1877 and 1883 to symbolize the re-establishment of the German Empire. Stroll down Drosselgasse, the famous picturesque lane amid the old town and definitely the heart of Rüdesheim. Formerly built for boat owners to settle into town, it nowadays provides beautifully decorated restaurants, wine-taverns and in summer never-ending music performances. Your guide will also take you to Brömserburg Castle, originally the residence-stronghold of the bishops of Mainz built in the 10th century. In earlier times it was situated directly on the banks of the Rhine, completely surrounded by water and its more than 2 meters thick walls successfully withstanding any attack. Brömserburg is actually one of the oldest castles in the Rhine Gorge World Heritage site. Nowadays, it houses an outstanding wine museum which informs how winemaking has evolved throughout the ages and exhibits an extensive collection of wine presses. In Rüdesheim, some of the vineyards are right in the middle of the town’s center thus giving it an amazing rustic charm and blending perfectly with the historic buildings. In the immediate proximity of Brömserburg you will find Boosenburg tower from the 9th century dominating all other buildings in the city with its 38 meters high Romanesque defensive construction. Returning to Oberstrasse up the slope, you will discover some more beautiful aristocratic residences with half-timbered architecture. The most attractive of them undoubtedly is Brömserhof which was constructed in 1542. Brömserhof today is the site of Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet providing a vast collection of fascinating musical instruments dating back 3 centuries. End your tour here listening to the carillon played every half hour in the courtyard by bells made of original Meissen porcelain.