How to Traverse Germany’s UNESCO Route

Castles on the Rhine, unearthed Roman cities and other UNESCO World Heritage sites along Germany’s Rhine Valley can fill a week with attractions and experiences perfect for traveling families. Beginning in Frankfurt — easily connected to U.S. cities by several airlines — the route is easy to follow by train and/or bus.

From Frankfurt, it’s a 45-minute train or bus ride to Saalburg Roman fort, once a Roman military complex. Here you’ll find foundation walls of Roman buildings and reconstructed replicas of the sanctuary of Mithras, the grave house and the Jupiter column. Explore the fort and its village on a 45-minute walking route.

Break the two-hour train ride along the Rhine to Koblenz with a stop in St. Goarshausen, (the tourist office will store your luggage) and take a bus or hike to the Lorelei Plateau. Learn the romantic story of this legendary siren who lured ships to peril in the rapids below. This entire valley is a UNESCO site.

You can also take a castle tour by boat to well-preserved Marksburg Castle, a perfect fairy tale setting high above the river. Kids will love the medieval details: a drawbridge, gates, arrow slits, a stairway designed for horseback riders, furnished rooms and an armory filled with detailed replicas of armor from ancient to early modern times. The obligatory torture exhibit (what’s a castle without one?) is in the stables.

From Koblenz, worth a stay of several nights, you can cruise along the Mosel River, which joins the Rhine here, past idyllic little wine villages. If one castle isn’t enough for your kids, visit Stolzenfels Castle by bus, on the Rhine Cycle Path through charming riverside villages, or combine it with a river cruise on the Rhine.

The train line follows the river south to Cologne, where a few nights give time to admire one of Germany’s most outstanding cathedrals, visit the Chocolate Museum, stroll around the old city (a good place for shopping) and make some daytrips.

Learn all about emperor Charlemagne in Aachen, 33 minutes away by train. After a stop at interactive Charlemagne Center, explore the city with the emperor as your guide. Be sure to stop in a café or bakery to try Aachen’s famous lebkuchen.

Revisit the Romans with a trip to LVR Archaeological Park Xanten, site of the Roman city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana. Today it’s Germany’s largest open-air archaeological museum, with interactive exhibits and Roman craftsmen’s houses where ancient crafts come back to life. The amphitheater, a temple and an inn have been replicated, and the museum of artifacts reveals secrets about the lives of people who lived here in Roman times.