Day Trip: Oberwesel and Schönberg

I like cities that know what they are. And the village of Oberwesel (with a population of 3,000 just 1 km from the famous Loreley Rock in the Rhine) knows what it is.

Here's the display in front of the town hall.


 "Wine-city Oberwesel," it reads on the side of the 50L cup. The black, imperial eagle harkens back to the Hohenstaufen family that ruled the Holy Roman Empire at the time it was established around 1200.

Oberwesel is flanked by two postcard-perfect thine towns: St. Goar to the north and Bacharach to the south. There are a handful of wine bars in the main street, and there is a city museum.

The reason I first came to Oberwesel, and the reason I keep coming back, is because of the Rhine Castle trail, which winds its way through town and up to Schönberg Castle.

The trail starts by the Liebfrauenkirche, and climbs steeply. The view is worth the trek. There is a restaurant and castle museum there as well. I really enjoyed my visit to the museum in 2019 (it was closed when I hiked there in 2022). There was lots of information about the castle's defenses and some interactive activities for the kids. How I wished I were 11 again when I got to shoot a virtual catapult there!

And if you're interested in a tale set in Schönberg Castle, be sure to read my tale, "The Seven Maidens of Oberwesel," to get a taste of the castle and its environment.

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