Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [434]
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A couple of blocks east, in a 14th-century palace, the Museum der Stadt Boppard ( 103 69; Burgstrasse; admission free; 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) has displays on local history and an entire floor dedicated to bentwood furniture (see the boxed text, above).
Along the riverfront is the eminently strollable Rheinallee, a promenade lined with ferry docks, neatly painted hotels and wine taverns. There are grassy areas and a children’s playground a bit upriver from the car-ferry dock.
A block south of the Marktplatz, the Römer-Kastell (Roman Fort; cnr Angertstrasse & Kirchgasse; admission free; 24hr), also known as the Römerpark, has 55m of the original 4th-century Roman wall and graves from the Frankish era (7th century). A wall panel shows what the Roman town of Bodobrica looked like 1700 years ago.
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Activities
For a spectacular view that gives you the illusion of looking at four lakes instead of a single river, take the 20-minute Sesselbahn ( 2510; www.sesselbahn-boppard.de; up only/return €4.20/6.50; 9.30am-6.30pm Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm or 6pm Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct) from the upriver edge of town up to the Vierseenblick viewpoint. The nearby Gedeonseck affords views of the Rhine’s hairpin curve.
The Klettersteig, which begins near the Sesselbahn, is a 2½- to three-hour cliffside adventure hike. Decent walking or climbing shoes are a must; optional climbing equipment can be rented at the Aral petrol station for €3. If you chicken out at the critical vertical bits, some with ladders, less vertiginous alternatives are available – except at the Kletterwand, a hairy section with steel stakes underfoot. It’s possible to walk back to town via the Vierseenblick.
The dramatically steep Hunsrückbahn train travels through five tunnels and across two viaducts on its 8km journey from Boppard’s Bahnhof to Buchholz (adult/child up to 11 years one-way €2.25/1.30, 10 minutes, hourly). From there many people hike back via the Mörderbachtal to Boppard, but Buchholz is also the starting point of an excellent 17km hike via the romantic Ehrbachklamm Gorge to Brodenbach (on the Moselle), from where you can get back to Boppard by taking bus 301 to Koblenz and then the train or bus 650 (€4.85, half-hourly until 8pm Monday to Saturday, hourly Sunday and holidays) to Boppard.
The tourist office organises wine tastings (5 wines €6; 8pm Thu Apr-Oct), hosted each month by a different Weingut (winegrowing estate).
Bikes can be hired from Fahrrad Studio ( 4736; Oberstrasse 105; per day €7.50; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat). The tourist office has lots of material on cycling options.
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Sleeping & Eating
Hotels, cafes and restaurants line the Rheinallee, Boppard’s riverfront promenade. To get there by car, follow the signs on the B9 to the Autofähre – that is, turn onto Mainzer Strasse at the upriver (eastern) edge of town.
Hotel Rebstock ( 4876; www.rheinhotel-rebstock.de, in German; Rheinallee 31; s €33-46, d €49-77, cheaper in winter; reception 7am-10pm Wed-Sun, 7am-4pm Mon & Tue; ) This family-run hotel, on the Rhine facing the car-ferry landing, has 10 bright, spacious rooms, many with river views and some with balconies. The restaurant (mains €10.50 to €17.90; open noon to 9pm Wednesday to Sunday) serves top-notch Rhenish and German dishes.
Hotel Günther ( 890 90; www.hotelguenther.de; Rheinallee 40; s €49-89, d €64-112, cheaper in winter; closed most of Dec; ) Watch boats and barges glide along the mighty Rhine from your balconied room at this bright, welcoming waterfront hotel. It’s owned by an American fellow and his German wife, which makes communication a cinch – and explains why the breakfast buffet includes peanut butter.
Hotel Bellevue ( 1020; www.bellevue-boppard.de; Rheinallee 41; s/d from €80/112, cheaper in winter; ) This classy, Best Western–affiliated hotel, built with grand art-nouveau flair in 1910, has 94 highly civilised rooms, half with views of the Rhine.
Weinhaus Heilig Grab ( 2371; www.heiliggrab.de; Zelkesgasse 12; snacks €3.50-7; 3-11pm