12 Best Things to do in Boppard Germany

Are you looking for the best things to do in Boppard Germany? Boppard is a gorgeous medieval town in the Rhine Valley World Heritage Site.

It is one of the most picturesque towns in the region, with a magnificent Romanesque church and a wealth of half-timbered houses to admire.

It’s also close to one of the best views in the Rhine Valley, which you can reach via a chairlift from the town.

In this guide I’ll show you the highlights of the town and all the top Boppard attractions not to miss. I’ll also advise on all the practicalities of visiting Boppard. We show you how to get there, and also where to stay and suggest places to visit nearby. Enjoy!

Boppard is a beautiful medieval town on the banks of the famous Rhine river. It has one of the prettiest historic centres of any of the Rhine river towns, rich in medieval architecture. Boppard is one of the livelier Rhine towns, bigger and busier than most of its counterparts upstream, with plenty of restaurants and wineries to entice you. It makes a wonderful base to explore the Rhine.

The Boppard chairlift also takes you to one of the scenic highlights of the Rhineland, the Bopparder Hamm, a horseshoe-shaped bend in the river. Boppard is a convenient base for exploring the Rhine Valley, and also the nearby Mosel and Lahn Valleys.  

There was some sort of settlement in what is now as far back as 13,000 years ago. Its earlier name – Baudobriga, which was used by the Romans – has Celtic origins, so the Celts would have also lived there for a considerable time.

While the frontiers of the Roman Empire expanded, Boppard, like other towns along the narrow Rhine Gorge, grew as an important trading centre.

The town was fortified by the Romans, most likely during the reign of Valentinian I, after the Germani wrested control of the right bank of the Rhine from them. The Romans departed in 405 AD to defend Roman territories in what is now Italy.

We know little of the history of Boppard until 643 AD, when we know that it was governed by the Franks.  It later became a free city within the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1309, Emperor Henry VII (Heinrich VII) handed control of Boppard to his brother, Archbishop of Trier. The Electorate of Trier already had other possessions in the Rhine Valley, and the local population was strongly against this.

This state of affairs continued for centuries. In 1497 the citizens of Boppard began an insurrection, which was suppressed by the Electorate’s army. Boppard remained under the government of the Electorate of Trier for most of the ensuing 300 years, until 1815 and the Congress of Vienna. Prussia then assumed control of the town.  

The Altstadt – Old Town – of Boppard is gorgeous.  The streets and alleyways are full of gloriously wonky medieval half-timbered houses, mainly from the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

Start at the Marktplatz, where there are some handsome houses close to the Severuskirche, and wander from there. You won’t have to venture far to find some wonderful old houses, and look closely to find some exquisite carved details. Take a look at our selection of images to get a flavour of it.

The main landmark in Boppard is the twin-spired Romanesque Severuskirche, which dominates the Marktplatz. It was built over the site of the town’s Roman baths. It’s one of the finest examples of Rhenish Romanesque, dating from the later part of this architectural period, into the 13^th century.

If you enjoy the likes of Maria Laach Abbey or the many Romanesque churches in Cologne, you’ll love this church. The tall spires are among the most elegant Romanesque buildings you’ll ever see. The interior is fine too, with some superb medieval frescoes, especially on the north wall of the nave.

The Electoral Castle (Kurfurstliches Burg) in Boppard  – right next to the riverfront – is home to the  town’s Museum.  The building, an extension of the Alte Burg (Old Castle) by Baldwin of Trier, houses exhibitions on the history of the Castle and town.

There is also a strong art collection and an exhibition of the works of local furniture maker Michael Thonet (1796 – 1871). He is best known as the inventor of bentwood furniture (made using wood bent into curves using steam). His No. 14 Chair was one of the first mass-produced pieces of furniture, and has been made since 1867.

While exploring the Rhine we stayed in the spa village of Bad Salzig, 7 km (4.5 miles) upriver from Boppard. Whenever we went outside we were treated to the sight of two Rhine river castles on a ridge across the river, within just 200 metres of each other.

The two castles – Liebenstein and Sterrenberg – are popularly known as the Feuding Brothers or Hostile Brothers. Like the tales of the Loreley mermaid luring ships onto rocks, this is most likely another Rhine myth. German poet Heinrich Heine wrote about the Loreley and also composed the poem Zwei Brüder (Two Brothers) about the castles.

His poem is probably the source of the story. There is no record of the two castle owners being either brothers or in conflict with each other. It’s possible that one of the castles may have been an annexe or extension of the other.

Regardless, after a few castle-free miles, the two castles together are a welcome sight, like two long-awaited London buses.

Nowadays Liebenstein Castle is a small hotel with restaurant and café. You can also stay in apartments in Burg Sterrenberg, which also has a café and restaurant. They are close to the village of Kamp-Bornhofen.

Towards the end of the Romans’ domination of this part of Europe, they fortified Boppard. The Germani had occupied the opposite bank of the river, and the Romans had their rule and trade to protect.

The remains of the Römer Kastell in Boppard are much more extensive than I had anticipated. The stout thick walls and towers are a very impressive sight, and if you enjoy the Roman sites in Trier you’ll be intrigued by this fort. It’s free to visit, and an interpretation board helps you picture what Roman Baudobriga would have looked.

The riverfront at Boppard is one of the most pleasant along the Rhine. It helps that the railway happens to be 200-300 metres from the river so that the town isn’t separated from the river by the tracks.

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants along the way, some attached to Boppard hotels. It’s a great spot to while an hour or so away, either over a meal, a bottle of wine or a glass or two of beer.

If you have a head for heights, the Boppard chairlift is a must-do.  The lift serenely hauls you up above the vineyards to the top of the hill to the west of Boppard. And from here you get to enjoy some outstanding views.

It’s a 20-minute trip each way, a 240-metre climb in total. At the top, turn right and follow the signs to our next Boppard things to do – see immediately below.

From the hilltop station of the Boppard Seilbahn, turn right and walk a few minutes along the ridge to the Gedeons Eck restaurant. The outdoor tables are in pleasant shade, and offer an extraordinary view of the horseshoe-shaped bend of the Rhine below.

You can order a classic German meal there or just opt for a glass of wine or beer as I did. A magnificent spot.

It’s another five-minute walk beyond the restaurant to the Vierseenblick viewpoint. From there the view of the river is partly obscured, so you can see four separate sections of water, hence the name.

The open panoramic view from Gedeons Eck is better, but this is still well worth the short extra walk.

Cycling along the riverside path is a wonderful way to see the Rhine.  We didn’t do so ourselves, but I spoke with a couple who rode from where we stayed in Bad Salzig to Boppard, then caught the ferry and continued north to Braubach and Marksburg Castle.

The path is well-maintained and signposted, and you can cycle in either direction along the length of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

One of the best ways to enjoy the Rhine Valley is a cruise along the river. This is a great way to enjoy the stunning landscape, with its pretty villages, steep hills, vineyards and romantic castles.

This two-and-a-half-hour cruise from Boppard takes you through some of the most spectacular Rhine scenery. You travel as far south as the famous Loreley rock just south of St Goarshausen, and see several Rhine castles, including the picturesque Burg Katz, imposing Burg Rheinfels and Burg Maus, a rival owned by the Electors of Trier.

If you’re flying long haul to Germany, the most convenient place to arrive is Frankfurt, with Cologne-Bonn a good alternative.

Boppard – and the Rhine Valley in general – is very easy to reach from either airport. It’s over two hours from Frankfurt Airport to Boppard, and this involves two changes, sometimes three.

On average the journey from Cologne-Bonn Airport is 20-30 minutes quicker, and often involves a single change, at Koblenz Hbf.

If you’re travelling from elsewhere in Europe, bear in mind that many flights  – especially with Ryanair and Wizzair – go to Frankfurt-Hahn, which is close to the Mosel Valley and the Rhine. You can get to Boppard from there by bus and train, with one change.  It can take three hours to reach Boppard.

If you’re travelling by car, Boppard is only an hour’s drive from Frankfurt-Hahn. We recommend discover cars who offer a comprehensive listing of all car rental options.

Trains to Boppard Germany are frequent, with two regional services and additional high-speed services calling there every hour.  Bear in mind that you need tickets for Boppard Hbf, the main station as opposed to Boppard-Bad Salzig or Boppard-Hirzenach, which are further upriver.

Journey times to Boppard from other German cities include:

Cologne to Boppard – between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 50 minutes.

Bonn to Boppard – between 55 minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes

Frankfurt to Boppard – between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours

Mainz to Boppard – between 48 minutes and 1 hour 10 minutes

If you head upstream from Boppard, the next town you reach is St Goar, another good base for exploring the Rhine Gorge. It’s below mighty Rheinfels Castle, the largest Castle in the Rhine Valley, and from the town you get a great view across to Burg Katz, one of the most picturesque Rhine castles. The famous Loreley cliff, source of many a Rhine legend, is also just across the river, south of the village of St Goarshausen.

Beyond there, the town of Oberwesel Germany is rich in architectural treasures, with two outstanding medieval churches. It also has a superb set of town walls and towers, and is surrounded by vineyards covering every square inch of the steep hills.

David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times.  David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.

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