Recreation and family time - the youth hostels in Rheinhessen

On my trip through Rheinhessen (and a little further afield), I looked around four youth hostels and discovered the highlights that are particularly worthwhile for a vacation or a cycling or hiking stopover.

In a good mood and on the trail of culture - a guest at the most modern youth hostel in Rheinhessen

My journey begins in the state capital Mainz in the Rhine-Main Youth Hostel. Just outside the city center, but directly connected to the bus line, one of the most modern youth hostels in Germany awaits me.

Freshly renovated and colorful, it offers the ideal vacation accommodation for families. The entrance area and bistro are buzzing with activity and the table football table is the scene of a lively battle for victory. The newly designed, spacious outdoor area also makes the hearts of children of all ages beat faster. A good mood is the order of the day here!

Directly adjacent to the Volkspark, With a water playground, minigolf, disc golf and the "Flotte Lotte", which makes its rounds through the park, the leisure factor scores full marks for every age group. Mainz stands for joie de vivre and celebrations, and not just during the fifth season. Culture enthusiasts have a large and varied choice of concerts, theaters and numerous museums in the city. Especially recommended are the cathedral and the Chagall windows of St. Stephen; or we follow in the footsteps of the Romans and of course the most famous son of Mainz - Johannes Gutenberg.

Entertaining guided tours or a city rally for school classes and groups can be booked through reception. Particularly popular team-building offers for school classes are "Together we are a class", the "Island Rhine - Raft Tour" and of course "The Reporters of Mainz"; who wouldn't want to be a reporter in the ZDF city - it's possible here. The self-produced DVD of the film reportage is a great souvenir of the stay with the Mainzelmännchen in Rheinhessen.

Enjoyment should not be neglected under any circumstances: The view over the Rhine spoils visitors early in the morning at sunrise with a fantastic view towards the Odenwald. And if, despite the delicious full board, you still want to enjoy snacks in the bistro while socializing and playing board games, you've found the right vacation destination here.

As a stage destination on the Rhine Cycle Route between Bingen and Worms, it is definitely worth booking a long break with an overnight stay. An e-bike charging station is available free of charge so that your e-bike doesn't run out of breath, and your bike can be safely stored in the bike room. Hikers who want to RheinTerrassenWeg also have the accommodation just a few minutes' walk away on their route.

Families with small children have a full range of baby equipment at their disposal and vacationers with limited mobility will find barrier-free facilities. 

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Foosball tournament with tarte flambée, pizza or currywurst in the bistro. What more could you want...

Vacations in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley - surrounded by castles and Hildegard's legacy

My route takes me down the Rhine to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. Here is the Rhine-Nahe Youth Hostel in Bingen my next destination.

With a direct view of the Bingen Mouse Tower in the Rhine, the vineyards and Ehrenfels Castle on the opposite side of the Rhine - the Rheingau - and Klopp Castle in the immediate vicinity, you almost feel like a damsel or knight when you check in here. At the foot of the youth hostel, which is a few minutes' walk uphill from Bingen railroad station, was the home of the 2008 State Garden Show. The Park at the Mouse Tower, directly on the Rhine is still available to all visitors free of charge with a skating facility, water playground, sports fields and the Kulturufer.

Many regular guests spend their vacations here at the Rhine-Nahe Youth Hostel for the very popular family camps (Easter, Advent, New Year's Eve and Halloween program, as well as the family program Shining Children's Eyes). Family celebrations and children's birthdays are also very popular. The dedicated team accompanies all special celebrations and makes them an unforgettable experience.

In no other city is there so much about Hildegard of Bingen to discover like here. In the Museum on the river The Hildegard Forum on the Rochusberg is dedicated to communicating her messages and the holistic approach with lectures, exhibitions and seminars, and in the Villa am Rupertsberg we dive into the "Elevator to the past" directly into the world of the monastery. In the Catholic church in Bingerbrück, pilgrims and those seeking peace and quiet in the Hildegard Center have the opportunity to select their own devotions and songs via touchscreen, which are accompanied by different colored lights in the sanctuary.

For a day trip, the Ring ticket especially recommended. An adventure tour between mountain and valley, cable car and boat. Starting with the boat trip to Assmannshausen, the tour takes you up to the Niederwald hunting lodge by chairlift and on a 3 km hike to the Niederwald monument. Back down into the valley with the cable car to Rüdesheim and back to Bingen by boat or car ferry. An unforgettable excursion for the whole family with many views and vistas over the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tips for hiking and cycling enthusiasts: Numerous cycle routes run through Bingen, such as the pleasure tour along the Rhine - the Rhine Cycle Route.
Hikers can be entered directly into the Rhine-Burgen-Weg from the youth hostel, take the Soonwandsteig conquer or the Hildegard of Bingen pilgrimage trail discover for yourself.
The brave like to hike the Adventure trail Bingen Forest and cross the swaying planks above the Kreuzbachklamm gorge. A fantastic family experience and test of courage for young and old.

After an eventful day, a barbecue evening or a cozy campfire with bread on a stick, with a view of the Mäuseturm high above Bingen, is the perfect end to a successful day's vacation.

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Best view of the experience "Rhine in flames" - Nowhere can you get a better view than from the top of the youth hostel. Book your vacation now and enjoy the view!

With dragons and lanterns through the dark alleys - Rheinhessen Youth Hostel in the middle of it all

My next stop is in the Nibelungen City Worms. The modern Rheinhessen Youth Hostel in a historic building in the immediate vicinity of the St. Peter's Cathedral scores particularly well with tourists interested in culture. In the last two weeks of July, everything in Worms revolves around the "Nibelungen Festival". Top-class actors and an annually changing production transform the imperial cathedral into a lively backdrop dominated by the dramatic plot of the Nibelungen saga. If you have booked a room at the youth hostel, you can be in the middle of the action in just 3 minutes on foot.

Also Luther has left its mark here, the Luther Monument The starting point of the pilgrimage trail is right next to the youth hostel Luther Trail Rheinhessen, which runs for 44 km along the Rhine to Nierstein. It runs along the route of the Rhine Terraces Trailwhich connects the youth hostels in Worms and Mainz in a direct line. Directly along the Rhine, through vineyards and over the hills of the Roter Hang in Nierstein, you pass through small villages and hamlets and have the opportunity to take a spiritual break in special churches, such as the Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim or the church ruins in Hangen-Wahlheim. The Rhine Cycle Route offers cyclists ideal accommodation when exploring the Rhine Valley.

At Worms Youth Hostel, everything is geared towards groups and family vacations with children. The well-equipped rooms and the bright and modern rooms with historical elements, e.g. a chandelier reminiscent of an old castle, combined with modern elements give the city youth hostel full marks.

The bookable program items are very diverse: "Luther on a journey", "Home-baked bread from the gourmet bakery", "Knight's theater and other time travel", "Glass painting workshop" and many more make the school trip an unforgettable experience in the hospitable youth hostel on the Rhine. The children's eyes light up especially during the lantern parade through the dark alleyways in the winding corners of the historic old town, which they remember with courage and lots of fun long after the vacation is over.

Popular excursion destinations are the Wormser Tiergartenn, the Worms baked fish festival, Herrnsheim Castle with its castle park or the oldest European Jewish cemetery "Holy Sand".

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Close up "Jazz & Joy" experience - the courtyard of the youth hostel is transformed into a concert stage and as a guest of the youth hostel you sit in the "1st row" - you shouldn't miss it!

Adventure youth hostel with a view of the Salina Valley - Nahe Valley Youth Hostel in Bad Kreuznach

Situated high above the Nahe valley, I am a guest at the Nahetal Youth Hostel in the spa town of Bad Kreuznachwhich is located slightly beyond the borders of Rheinhessen. The youth hostel clearly scores points with active Hiking and cycling enthusiastsbut the area also has a lot to offer families and pleasure-seekers. The nature experience factor for vacationers is unique here and the panoramic view over the valley, through which the Nahe meanders, is hard to beat. Just a few minutes' walk away are the ClassicTour Rheingrafenstein. The hiking tour, which is classified as medium, is definitely the highlight for hiking guests at the youth hostel, and the youth hostel team provides all guests with comprehensive maps free of charge. As in all youth hostels, a packed lunch can be booked as an option so that you have provisions for the hiking tour and the excursion can begin.

There is ample parking for cars, and the hikes in the surrounding area can be reached on foot or by bus route 302, so the car can take a break during your stay. A popular hiking destination and a unique experience is the Ride on the hand-pulled Nahe ferrywhich connects Huttental with Bad Münster. In the Rotenfels, Rheingrafenstein and Ebernburg hiking areas, we find walking trails, moderately difficult half-day tours as well as challenging day tours that require fitness and surefootedness. The climbs on the premium circular hiking trails reward us with sensational views of the imposing cliffs and the Nahe valley.

Touring cyclists making a stopover to nearby Mainz or Bingen are also very welcome here, and the hilly landscape creates ideal conditions for challenging cycling tours. Mountain bike tours with a high experience factor.

Those who love relaxation will love the thermal baths and the largest Outdoor graders of Europe in the Salinental or the Bäderhaus. Here, relaxation at the highest level and wellness for body and soul are the order of the day.

Very attractive program items such as archery, acting, "Experience owls up close" with the falconer, a "Harry Potter Tour", "city building" with wooden blocks, a "puppet workshop" and much more can be booked as part of school trips.

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Four vacation camps in the summer and autumn vacations for 7-10-year-olds under the motto "City, Forest, Nature - Adventures in the Nahe Valley" are the highlight of the youth hostel's experiential education program. In the cell phone-free time, there is plenty of room for activities in nature with handicrafts, barbecues, an Olympics, forest bingo and hut building. The motto here is "Goodbye boredom!"