Along this section of the Rhine we are accompanied by new types of scenery with very different characters. On the right side of the Rhine, the Black Forest gives way to the gentler area of the Odenwald forest. The early spring transforms the region of the Bergstrasse into a sea of blossom and creates ideal conditions for cultivating fruit and vines. On the left side of the Rhine is the start of the Palatinate, with the Palatinate Forest and the German Wine Route, along which traditional, world-famous wine towns like Nierstein and Oppenheim are strung one after the other as far as Rhinehesse.

Get to know the uplands of the Palatinate and the grape varieties which are typically grown there: Rivaner, Muskat, Kerner and Scheurebe, to name but a few, and let yourself be carried away by the joyous way of life in the Palatinate at one of the many wine festivals.

Karlsruhe inspires a love of culture. You will find the city's charm not only in its fan-shaped  layout converging on the baroque palace, but also in its exceptional Centre for the Arts and Media Technology, where everyone is encouraged to join in. In Speyer life is played out on the streets in summer, with the colossal Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site (see picture), towering above. Another historical highlight along the Rhine is the Lorsch Monastery, whose King's Hall is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As well as fine wines, a fine vegetable is also cultivated along this section of the Rhine: asparagus. In Schwetzingen there is an asparagus market in the Schlossplatz every day during the asparagus season in May and June. The palace itself is host to the famous festival. However, if you crave a little nightlife you should visit Mannheim which, with all its lively students, is a city that never sleeps (see picture). In Worms you can immerse yourself in the mysterious world of the Nibelungen, best experienced either in the newly opened Nibelungen Museum or in the grandiose setting of Worms Cathedral during the Nibelungen Festival Plays.