Bingen on the Rhine is located on the southern banks of the River Rhine at the mouth of the River Nahe in the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. Standing just 25 kilometres west of the cities of Wiesbaden and Mainz, Bingen is a quaint historic city and a popular tourist destination as it stands at the entrance to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a picturesque and culturally important area of Germany and a listed U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site. Bingen is located at the centre of four wine-growing areas and is noted for its premium wines. The township is also a busy river-port and is surrounded by the steep, vine covered, valley walls of the river as it curves towards the north and surrounds the historic Mouse Tower which is located on a small island. From the opposite bank Bingen is overlooked by the ruins of the 13th century Schloss Ehrenfels, and the township itself is dominated by the Schloss Klopp, today housing a restaurant and City Council offices.
With a population of just over 25,000 residents Bingen is an attractive centre and is always full of life with its busy small department stores, specialist shops, boutiques and markets. The pedestrian area is a great place for a stroll and the prefect area to buy a souvenir of your visit or a bottle of fine wine for which Bingen is noted. Bingen is a popular destination and the gateway to the ‘Romantic Rhine’, an area along the Rhine which stretches from Bingen in the south, 65 kilometres to Koblenz in the north. This area starts just outside Bingen where the Rhine carves its way through the Rhenish-Westphalian Slate Mountains, marking the entrance to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area is renowned for its natural beauty, vine clad slopes, good wines and its numerous medieval and romantic castles, it is a major tourist destination.
Home to the venerable St Hildegard, Bingen can trace its history as far back as the Romans who originally fortified the hill upon which the Schloss Klopp now stands. The settlement was known as Bingium which later became an Imperial Free City, joining the Hanseatic League in 1254. Each of the subsequent historical periods has left an indelible impression on the town through a number of landmarks that can still be seen today. The most famous of these are the 14th century Mouse Tower, or Mauseturm which stands on an island in the middle of the River Rhine, the 13th century Klopp Castle which is considered to be one of the oldest fortified areas along the Rhine, the 15th century St. Martins‘ Basilica which stands on the same spot as a much older Roman Temple, the 17th century St. Rochus Chapel which was built after a pledge was made to God to guard the community against further deaths from the bubonic plague, the 15th century Old Crane which was once used to load barges in Bingen's harbour and the Drusus Bridge which crosses the River Nahe and is considered to be one of the oldest stone bridges in Germany!!
The town is also home to the small Stefan George Museum which is housed in the Stefan George House. Stefan George was born in 1868 and died in 1933, with the museum documenting his life and work as one of Germanys‘ better known poets, and features his writing desk, parts of his library, editions of his books and sculptures. The Regional Museum of Bingen is housed in the former power station which stands on the banks of the River Rhine and contains three permanent exhibitions, the large machine hall of the station which is regarded as an industrial monument, a unique display of Roman surgical instruments and the Romantic Rhine display which brings to life the work of the famous Benedictine Nun, Hildegard of Bingen.
Bingen is also well known for its participation in the ‘Rhine in Flames’ Festival which lights up the night skies in July, and for its Wine Festival in September, which is considered to be the longest wine festival on the Rhine and includes wine tasting, an art market, a fun fair and a procession through the town. Bingen also comes alive during the ‘Swingin’ Jazz Festival’ and for one weekend every year the Schloss Klopp is transformed into an open air theatre to perform the Festival of Cultural and Culinary Delights!!
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