The 21 stages of the Rheinsteig Trail – along the Rhine

On the first stage of the Rheinsteig you hike from Bonn to Königswinter on the edge of the famous Siebengebirge. The starting point of the hike is the Bonn market square with its beautiful historic town hall. Past the university, you walk to the Kennedy Bridge and cross the Rhine. The path leads you… read more

On the second stage, the Rheinsteig takes you through the picturesque Siebengebirge. In order to save you a few meters in altitude on the ascent, it is best to take the Drachenfelsbahn to Drachenburg Castle again at the beginning of the tour and start your tour here. The Rheinsteig now leads over the… read more

On your third stage you follow the Rheinsteig through the southern foothills of the Siebengebirge and on to the steep rock faces of the Middle Rhine Valley. From Bad Honnef, the Rheinsteig leads you steadily uphill and around the Leyberg. If you like, you can also make a detour to the Leyberg here. The… read more

On the fourth stage, the Rhine Valley already shows itself from its most beautiful side. While the slopes on the opposite bank recede far and there are extensive meadows on the banks of the Rhine, you hike on the east bank over picturesque mountain ranges - panoramic views up to the peaks of the Eifel… read more

On your fifth Rheinsteig stage, there are views after views - in between you hike through vineyards and quiet side valleys of the Rhine Valley. The stage begins in Bad Hönningen. From here, the Rheinsteig leads you up to the Rheinbrohler Ley on quiet forest paths. The rock rises high above the Rhine… read more

On the sixth stage you will get to know a particularly beautiful landscape of the Middle Rhine Valley. Around the town of Neuwied, the slopes of the Westerwald retreat far from the Rhine and have thus created the Neuwied Basin. The Rheinsteig follows the ridge and so you can enjoy great views of the… read more

After the quite sporty first six stages, the seventh stage presents itself as a real pleasure hike. You hike the entire route over the ridge on the edge of the Neuwied basin and there are more meters in descent than in the ascent on the program - the perfect hike to regenerate your strength a little… read more

On the eighth stage of the Rheinsteig you finally leave the Neuwieder basin and get back to the slopes of the Middle Rhine Valley. Quiet forest paths and comfortable dirt roads alternate on today's stage. Of course, there are also a few particularly beautiful vantage points.



After a last look from the… read more

With a distance of less than ten kilometers, the ninth stage is one of the shortest stages of the Rheinsteig by far. But that's a good thing, because this way you have enough time to explore the impressive Ehrenbreitstein Fortress at the stage destination of today's tour.



From Vallendar you follow the… read more

Along the tenth stage, the banks of the Rhine are quite densely populated, so the Rheinsteig takes you a little off the Rhine Valley through quiet forest landscapes and into the Lahn Valley.



After spending the night at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, you first descend a few meters to the banks of the Rhine… read more

With a distance of just over eight kilometers, the eleventh stage is the shortest hike on the Rheinsteig. So today you can take it easy. After a short section along the Lahn, you hike back to the Rhine Valley via the Mehrsberg.



From Niederlahnstein, the path takes you upstream along the Lahn for a while… read more

On the twelfth stage you can get to know the Middle Rhine Valley from its most dramatic side. The Rheinsteig takes you the entire route along a high-altitude path above the steep slopes of the valley, which come close to the Rhine on both sides. The Rheinschleife directly below the Filsener Ley is particularly… read more

Along the 13th stage, the Rhine meanders leisurely through the valley that it has carved deep into the Rhenish Slate Mountains over the course of millions of years. Particular highlights of today's stage are the two castles of Liebenberg and Sterrenberg, which are better known as "The Enemy Brothers… read more

Highlights of the 14th stage are the impressive Maus Castle and the views from the vineyards near St. Goarshausen. Although Maus Castle is privately owned, it can be visited as part of a guided tour. A guided tour can be booked in advance and lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. You can find more information… read more

The 15th stage of the Rheinsteig is considered by many hikers to be the king's stage. With a route of more than 23 kilometers and around 770 meters in altitude in the ascent and descent, there is also a lot going on here. But you will be fully rewarded for your efforts with the most beautiful vantage… read more

After the hustle and bustle at the Loreley, wonderful forest paths, lonely hiking trails and fantastic views await you on the 16th stage of the Rheinsteig. At the end of today's stage, all wine lovers will get their money's worth, because Lorch am Rhein is a real wine town.



In Kaub you can take a look… read more

On the 17th stage it is now time to say goodbye to the picturesque slopes of the Middle Rhine Valley. Until the end of this stage you are still hiking on the mountain ranges of the Rhine Valley, but from the Niederwald high plateau the Rheinsteig leads you into the Rheingau. So that saying goodbye is… read more

The Rheingau welcomes you to the 18th stage. On today's tour, the Rheinsteig takes you a little away from the banks of the Rhine and over wooded slopes above the wide meadows and fields.



Today's stage begins at the mountain station of the Rüdesheimer Niederwaldbahn. Timetables for the Niederwaldbahn can… read more

The gently rolling landscape that you cross on the 19th stage is entirely devoted to winegrowing. It's a beautiful sight, especially in summer when the vines are lush and green. If this view makes you very thirsty, then you can already look forward to first-class wines in Kiedrich, today's stage destination… read more

The penultimate stage is just under ten kilometers long, so you can easily treat yourself to an extra glass of wine the night before. Today's tour takes you away from the vineyards and into the green mountains of the Rheingau.



You leave Kiedrich heading north and pay a visit to the castle ruins of Scharfenberg… read more