The regions around Rhine and Moselle in Romantic Germany are a treasure chest filled with historical places and UNESCO World Heritage sites whose status provides both international recognition and special protection.
One of the most impressive churches in the Western world is Speyer Cathedral, built as the burial place for the Salian Emperors. It is considered to be a major work of Roman architecture on German soil and never ceases to amaze visitors with its almost thousand-year-old, impressive grandeur. The crypt has remained unaltered to this day. It is the burial place of eight German emperors and kings, four queens and a number of bishops.
In Trier, the former Roman city of "Augusta Treverorum" – also known as "the second Rome" – many buildings and monuments still provide evidence today of the former importance of the city on the Moselle. The Porta Nigra, the amphitheatre and the Imperial Baths are unique relics of the Roman Empire and form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes the cathedral and the Liebfrauenkirche or Church of Our Lady.
The entire Upper Middle Rhine Valley is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a captivating combination of beautiful natural countryside and important cultural landscape. The landscape with its cliffs, the River Rhine, steep vineyards, castles and historic towns and villages has a distinctly dramatic feel to it. The romantic Middle Rhine Valley between Bingen and Koblenz is steeped in myths and is a fabulously beautiful part of Rhineland-Palatinate!
The Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes is regarded as an exceptional monument, testimony to the Roman era and its culture. Built some 2000 years ago, the Limes separated the Roman Empire from the rest of the world along a length of 550 kilometres, between Regensburg and Koblenz. Today the German Limes Road runs where the Roman border wall once crossed the countryside, passing reconstructed towers and forts, museums and Roman monuments.
In November 2015, UNESCO recognised Vulkaneifel nature park and geopark (Natur- und Geopark Vulkaneifel) as a UNESCO Global Geopark. UNESCO Geoparks place a special emphasis on the geological, natural and cultural heritage of a region. They offer opportunities for environmental education and contribute to sustainable regional development with the active involvement of many stakeholders. Vulkaneifel nature park and geopark offers active discovery tours, including guided tours, all year round.
