Rhens on the Rhine: the King's Chair and historic town wall

Rhens lies on the Rhine between Boppard and Koblenz and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley. This historic town combines a defining chapter in the history of royal elections with a town wall, themed guided tours and a route leading up to the Rhine plateau. If you are looking for a hotel in Rhens, first consider whether you want to devote your stay mainly to the Old Town and its history, or whether you would also like to include Wolfsdelle. The places and activities below offer different options.

The King's Chair: royal elections and local history

From 1273, the electors held preliminary discussions about the election of German kings at the King's Chair in Rhens. In 1346, Charles IV was elected king there. The King's Chair is an octagonal stone structure in an enlarged throne-like form. Its present location on the Rhine heights also has a history of its own: in 1929, it was moved from the Nussbaumgarten outside Rhens to its current site. A guided tour to the King's Chair is one of the themed tours offered in Rhens. This monument brings together political history, a striking form and a later change of location.

Town wall, guided tours and Old Town

The Old Town and its medieval town wall are also the focus of guided tours. In Rhens, themed tours are offered on the Old Town, local history and the cemetery. Other town tours explore the architecture of this Rhenish half-timbered town, viticulture and wine culture, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Middle Rhine. A town wall tour covers the towers, gates, moat and dungeon. The Sharp Tower on the town wall in Rhens on the Rhine formerly served as a watchtower and customs tower, and later as a prison and torture chamber. The tours therefore cover different subjects, from local history and buildings to viticulture and wine culture.

Town walk and Wolfsdelle

The historic town walk is 1.6 kilometres long and passes through the historic town centre and along the town wall. The Wolfsdelle Dream Trail follows a different route: it starts at the Old Town Hall in Rhens, passes through the Viehtor gate in the medieval town wall and climbs to the Rhine plateau. The trail offers panoramic views across the Rhine from Marksburg Castle to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. It also passes through open traditional orchard meadows and reaches the Kriesenkopf on the Rhine heights.

The routes differ mainly in their focus: the town walk passes through the historic town centre and along the wall, while Wolfsdelle climbs from its starting point in Rhens up to the Rhine plateau. They offer two different options: a town walk with a stated distance and a route with a climb and Rhine panoramas.

Weekly market by the town wall

The Rhens weekly market is located by the historic town wall and offers views of the churches of St. Theresia and St. Dionysius. It invites visitors to stroll, shop and linger. Market details may change; check the latest dates before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Ditscheid, Nitztal, Vordereifel, Alken, Dieblich, Kaltenengers, Plaidt, Welschenbach

Go to the overview of the wider travel region: Mayen-Koblenz.