Nestled just north of the city of Wiesbaden in the Taunus mountain region is the town of Taunusstein. Raised up in the highlands, you can look down over the most scenic and most visited stretch of the Rhine valley with its extensive vineyards and majestic buildings. Or simply enjoy the quiet life strolling up here in the local highlands.
Once a heavily defended region due to its prime location, the town walls of this mountainside retreat have long been dismantled and the impressive stones have been masterfully reused to build the Wehen church. This small church also houses a historic Voigt organ and is certainly worth a look inside.
There is also an interesting ancient Jewish graveyard here, dating from the late 17th century — as old as the community itself. For more historical facts about the area and its cultural past, take a peek inside the local hunting palace — Wehener Schloss — which currently houses the town museum!
Needless to say, there is a certain amount of wine society here — and Taunusstein has many of its own vineyards. Well, we are in the Rheingau region after all! As everywhere else through the Middle Rhine, it hosts plenty of wine-tasting sessions through late summer so head for the nearest Weinprobierstand (wine tasting stand) and raise your glasses!
There are plenty of well celebrated festivals in the region, including the famous Fastnacht — The Carnival — which culminates in the crazy antics of that made Cologne so famous! All main towns have their fun during the year and here is no different!
The area around Taunusstein is also known for its walking, hiking and skiing and there are plenty of marked trails leading in all directions. A good place to start is in the nature park Rhein-Taunus where there are several easier trails to whet your appetite — or more likely encourage it! However, you won’t ever be far from a welcoming restaurant or cafe to sample some of the local food and drinks (other than wine)!
