Sailing across the Rhine on a raft, bathing in the forest between high-rise buildings, or hiking with wine and llamas – the Rhine-Main region has a lot to offer. We present six exciting micro-adventures.
November 18, 2024, 5:57 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Why wander into distant lands when the good lies so close? Goethe already knew that you don’t necessarily have to travel overseas to experience beautiful things. Small adventures, so-called micro-adventures, also lurk on your own doorstep – for example in the Rhine-Main region. These are ideal opportunities for a short change of scenery and to awaken real vacation feelings. Schwanheim, the Odenwald, Mainz, the Rheingau, and Frankfurt are particularly good places to escape from everyday life. Here are six special excursion tips for the Rhine-Main region.
6 excursion tips for the Rhine-Main region
Overview of
- 6 excursion tips for the Rhine-Main region
- 1. Excursion to the sea in the Schwanheimer Düne nature reserve
- 2. Hiking through the mythical landscape of the Odenwald Sea of Rocks
- 3. For a glass of wine with llamas in the Rheingau
- 4. A raft trip on the Rhine
- 5. Tropical feeling and forest bathing in Frankfurt’s Palm Garden
- 6. Hiking on the “Wisper Trails” in the Rheingau
1. Excursion to the sea in the Schwanheimer Düne nature reserve
Open sandy areas, silver grass, and gnarled pines – sounds like the sea? That’s right, but you can also find them in the Rhine-Main region. More precisely, in Schwanheim, west of Frankfurt. Here, you can take a leisurely stroll along the sandy, wooden boardwalk or stroll past orchards. If you let your gaze wander into the distance, you will dream of the beach and leave everyday life behind for a moment. If you’re lucky, you might even hear a little owl in the evening in spring. However, as the area is a nature reserve, you should not leave the well-maintained paths.
2. Hiking through the mythical landscape of the Odenwald Sea of Rocks
If you are looking for a different kind of sea, you will find it in Lautertal. Massive boulders stretch across the area of the Vorderer Odenwald, transforming it into a sea of rocks. According to legend, it was quarrelling giants who created this imposing landscape.
In fact, it was a series of geological processes. But some of the rock formations that can be admired along the narrow trails of Nibelungensteig or Alemannenweg seem mythical and out of this world. The circular walk is around eight kilometers long, with an elevation gain of around 400 meters.
3. For a glass of wine with llamas in the Rheingau
Another of our excursion tips for the Rhine-Main region is a hike with animal company. At the Kameliden-Eventhof Kisselmühle behind Wiesbaden, near Eberbach Monastery, you can hike through the Rheingau with llamas and alpacas at your side and get very close to the animals. Petting and feeding is permitted.
The animal companions are absolutely tame, sociable, and can keep up well. The tours take around two to three hours. A picnic break with Hessian specialties can be taken halfway through the tour, including a picturesque view of the Rheingau.
4. A raft trip on the Rhine
If you want to spend a little money on a particularly unusual micro-adventure, you can do so in Mainz. The Onwater Boat School takes visitors across the Rhine on a raft or houseboat. Relax on the sun deck or in the hammock, dangle your legs in the water on the bathing platform, and watch the sun go down – it’s a vacation experience.
During a break at anchor, you can try your hand at stand-up paddling. The trip lasts three hours and can be booked at different times. You can bring your own food and drink, and there is a fridge and toilet on board. The cost is 490 euros per tour for a small raft (10 people) and 790 euros for a large raft (16 people).
5. Tropical feeling and forest bathing in Frankfurt’s Palm Garden
Amidst the skyline of the Main metropolis of Frankfurt, a green oasis invites you to relax: the Palm Garden. Various show houses contain around 13,000 different plants, including exotic flora and fauna. So if you don’t want to miss out on palm trees or that tropical feeling this year, you don’t necessarily need to fly to South America or Southeast Asia. All you need to do is grab a picnic blanket, soak up the atmosphere of the plants, and watch the turtles splash around in the pond. Admission costs 9 euros for adults and is free for children and young people under the age of 18.
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6. Hiking on the “Wisper Trails” in the Rheingau
West of Wiesbaden, there is one of Germany’s unknown hiking landscapes: the Wisper Valley. This quiet and, at first glance, unspectacular landscape stretches along the small river Wisper from Lorch am Rhein to Heidenrod. Some call it tranquil, others call it an oasis of peace. For some years now, more and more hikers have been drawn to the so-called Wisper Trails. Those are 16 premium trails certified by the German Hiking Institute.
Beginners and advanced hikers alike have a wide choice of trails for a day trip. The “Wispertaler Krönchen” walking trail, for example, is just over five kilometers long and can be completed in 90 minutes from the Espenschied district of Lorch, with an elevation gain of 105 meters. However, hikers should bring more stamina for the “Glaabacher Almauftrieb”: Its almost 19 kilometers include 500 meters of ascent and descent. This results in a challenging five-hour day hike.
Text: Eva Kütscher ; with material from dpa