The Ahr Valley is one of the most underrated areas of central Germany with an abundance of hiking and cycling trails, and vineyards! We stopped here as part of our two week road trip through Germany, between Monreal and the Mosel Valley! Of all the places we visited, the Ahr Valley was definitely one of my favourites! The landscapes here were incredible, with rows of mountains layered over one another, decorated with the pattern of the vineyards below. Hiking to the top of a mountain, sat outside a castle ruin, drinking wine from a vending machine is a moment I will never forget! In this guide to hiking the Red Wine Trail in Germany’s Ahr Valley, I will take you through the towns along the route, the best cellar doors to visit, restaurants and hotels!
The Ahr Valley is one of the largest red wine growing regions in Germany. The region is known for its focus on the Pinot Noir grape variety. Many of the wines you will taste here are only sold locally. This means that you will struggle to find them anywhere else in the future. This is a big part of what makes the Ahr Valley wines so special.
Hopefully with this guide you will be able to enjoy this region just as much as we did! So, let’s get started.
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In this Ahr Valley Guide
- How to get to the Ahr valley
- Where to stay in the Ahr Valley
- Hiking the red wine trail
- The villages along the red wine hiking trail
- Other things to do in the Ahr Valley
- Restaurants and cafes
- The best view points over the Ahr Valley
How to get to the Ahr Valley, Germany
The Ahr valley is very centrally located when it comes to transport. Located in Just 20 minutes south of the city of Bonn there is a train that travels down the line once an hour. Although I recommend staying in the Ahr Valley wine region for a few days, it is possible to take a day trip to Ahrweiler from Cologne.
Where to stay in the Ahr Valley, Germany
There are 7 little villages scattered along the Ahr Valley. I would recommend staying in the biggest town of Ahrweiler. Here you have very easy access to the train, the hiking trails, a number of restaurants and shops that are open a little later than the smaller villages! We stayed at Hotel Garni Eckschänke Hotel which was a very sweet place located right in the city centre!
Low budget option: Hotel Cafe Restaurant Schafer
Medium budget option: Dinoris Hotel
High budget option: Hotel Restaurant Hohenzollern
Hiking the Red Wine Trail – The Rotweinwanderweg from Ahrweiler to Altenahr
The red wine trail is a beautiful hiking trail that stretches along the Ahr Valley wine region from the town of Ahrweiler to Altenahr. The hiking trail is 35km long and takes you through rolling hills and red wine vineyards, threading through small picturesque towns and unique restaurants and cellar doors along the way. The red wine hike takes around 18hours in total including several stops at wineries and the villages. I would recommend splitting it up into 2 – 3 days if you intend on hiking the entire trail. We planned to hike for 3 days but were heavily affected by rain. We ended up hiking the route from Altenahr to Ahrweiler over 2 days instead. Our hotel owner told us that this was the most beautiful part of the rotweinwanderweg route and the trail section “worth hiking”.
The red wine trail is made up of 7 towns which are evenly spread along the valley. Many of these towns have a train station or bus stop so it is easy to hike only a small section and catch transport back or vice versa.
The villages along the red wine trail are:
- Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
- Walporzheim
- Dernau
- Rech
- Mayschoß
- Rech
- Altenahr
We hiked from Ahrweiler to Maysloß on the first day and then Altenahr to Rech the following day. The train goes directly from Ahrweiler to Altenahr once every hour and then from Ahrweiler to Dernau every half our so make sure to plan accordingly!
The villages of the Ahr Valley
The majority of the villages along the Ahr Valley are very small with mostly residential houses and several wineries and restaurants. During your visit you will not need more than 1-2 hours in each village to really explore the area. The villages are all accessible through the red wine hiking trail. Most of these are along the track and some only a short detour down the hill.
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Bad neuenahr-Ahrweiler is the biggest of the townsin the Ahr Valley. Originally two smaller villages, Bad Neuenahr and Ahrweiler, that have grown together over the years as the area has expanded. Ahrweiler is the older of the two villages with an old walled town housing many of the best restaurants, shops and landmarks. Ahrweiler is one of the best places to stay if you are visiting the Ahr valley or hiking the red wine trail. This is because it is central and has many hotels and bed and breakfasts to choose from.
Altenahr
Altenahr is located at the opposite end of the valley to Ahrweiler and is the first town along the red wine hiking trail. It is also the oldest area of the valley with the castle and first settlement dating back to 1100AD. This town is a lot bigger than the other villages and requires a little lengthier visit if you want to wander around the streets, visit the castle and explore some of the nature here.
Other Things to do in the Ahr Valley
The Ahrsteig
The Ahrsteig is another hiking trail that passes through the Ahr Valley. It is on the opposite side of the valley to the Red Wine Trail and gives spectacular views of the vineyards opposite. We only did a small section of this hiking trail which was from the town of Mayschoß to Rech via Saffenburg castle ruin.
If you arrive on a sunny day the best time to do this hike is in the evening as the sun sets over the valley and brings the colours of the grape vines to life. The walk takes around Saffenburg and although it’s not a long walk you will probably want to stop at the castle ruin for a break and maybe a glass of wine.
Saffenburg a castle ruin dating back to 1100. It exists today only as a view point and cellar door. On the edge of the ruins looking over the Ahr valley you will find a number of wooden benches set up as an open air wine tasting area. By the tables you will find a vending machine where you can purchase a bottle of chilled wine and glasses to drink with the sunset. If you can, bring your own wine glasses as those from the vending machine cost around €3.50 each.
Wine Tasting
There is so many delicious wines to be discovered in the Ahr Valley. What makes these wines so special is that the majority of them are only sold locally. You are unlikely to be able to purchase an Ahr valley wine anywhere outside of the region. The Ahr Valley is known for their red wines and specifically Spätburgunder, otherwise known as pinot noir. However, one of our favourites was the Maysloß Altenahr Riesling. This was the white wine we bought from the vending machine at Saffenburg during our hike along the Ahrsteig. It was the perfect fresh, light white to be drinking with the sunset.
Wine Terminology
Winery: Weingut
Vineyard: Weinburg
Wine tasting: Weinprobe
Dry: trocken
Half dry: half trocken
Pinot Noir: Spätburgunder (this is the grape variety you will find most in the Ahr Valley. It makes up 61% of all the grapes grown in the region).
The best restaurants, bars and wineries in the Ahr Valley
Germany is not known for their cuisine and we had eaten quite a few less than average meals before arriving in the Ahr valley so we didn’t have high expectations for the restaurants in the area. However, we were pleasantly surprised on a few occasions!
Along the red wine hiking trail you will find a number of small restaurants and wineries that are open from 10/11 in the morning until around 5 in the evening! You don’t need to reserve a table at these restaurants which gives you a lot more flexibility to take the hike at your own pace!
If you want to eat dinner at a specific restaurant you are best to reserve a table in advance – especially during the weekend or high season! We did eat at a few other restaurants but I have chosen not to include them in this list as this selection are definitely much more worthy of a visit!
Hotel Zum Stern / Gaststätte Sternchen GmbH
Located right in the centre of the old town of Ahrweiler, this restaurant is a great spot for lunch and dinner! The menu is quite extensive and has some quality traditional German dishes!
Weingut Kloster Marienthal, Dernau
One of the most picturesque restaurants/ wineries in the Ahr Valley, Weingut Kloster Marienthal is located in the ruin of an old monastery. Located on the red wine trail between the towns of Walporzheim and Dernau, this is definitely a restaurant you should visit during your stay in the Ahr Valley! We ate a seasonal flammkuchen made with chanterelle mushrooms and pecorino cheese, and a delicious apple cake!
Michaelishof GmbH, Mayschoß
This outdoor courtyard at the bottom of the Ahr valley served some of the best food we tasted in the region. Sitting surrounded by grape vines it was the perfect lunch stop while hiking the first section of the red wine valley train from Altenahr to Rech. We ate goulash soup and tasted the local wines!
Pizza Straßenverkauf, Ahrweiler
You can never go wrong with pizza is something we have learnt over the years travelling, and this is no exception! This pizzeria is in the center of Ahrweiler and owned by a lovely couple. We visited here two nights in a row for dinner and enjoyed the outdoor seating perfect for people watching on the picturesque main walking street of the old town.
Hofgarten-Restaurant
For the kindest personnel and delicious wines definitely visit Hofgarten-Restaurant in the town of Dernau! You feel almost transported to the Mediterranean as you take a seat surrounded by marble statues with grape vines hanging overhead. Even on a rainy day it was an oasis! We ended our second day of hiking here before catching the train back to our hotel in Ahrweiler!
The best views along the Ahr Valley
The views in the Ahr Valley are something else. I had never imagined we would find such magnificent views like this on our visit to Germany. Striped rolling green hills engulfing little villages, castles and, in the right weather, pockets of pure white mist. The majority of the best views in the Ahr Valley can be seen along the Red Wine Hiking trail as well as along the Ahr Steig. These are some view points to look out for along your hike!
Saffenburg castle ruin, Mayschoß
Saffenburg is a castle ruin placed across the river from the town of Maysloß. This historical site was first settled in 1081, however, the current ruins are from quite a few years later. Towering over the town of Mayschoß, this castle offers views over the red wine hiking trail from across the valley. Here you can see the perfect vineyards dotted with wineries along the section from Altenahr to Mayschoß.
I recommend coming up here in the evening and enjoying the sun set over the valley with a glass of wine from the vending machine at the top of the hill. The hike up is steep but easy and only around 15 minutes from the train station in Mayschloß. You can either hike down the same way or take the longer route through the forest down to Rech. This section of the Ahrsteig shows you a bit more of the natural landscape. You end up on ground level wandering through vineyards until you reach the town of Rech.
Burg Ahr, Altenahr
Burg Ahr is another castle ruin located at one end of the red wine hiking trail in Altenahr. The trail actually begins here and although it doesn’t pass directly through the castle it is only a short detour to visit. Burg Ahr is a ruin dating back to around 1100 when it was built by Count Dietrich I of Ahr. There is little left of the ruin today but you are able to walk up to where the tower once was and discover one of the best views in the Ahr valley.
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