Today you will arrive in either St. Goar or St. Goarshausen, where a hotel stay has been arranged for you.
Note: If you are staying in St. Goar, you will need to cross the river to St. Goarshausen the following morning.
The route starts in St. Goarshausen. If you spent the night in St. Goar, you will first need to take the ferry across the Rhine to reach the starting point.
Today, you’ll pass one of the most famous highlights of the Rheinsteig: the Loreley. This 132-meter-high rock rises above the narrowest section of the Rhine and offers spectacular views. Ever since the poet Clemens von Brentano paid tribute to the Loreley, it has become one of the region’s most iconic attractions.
The stage from St. Goarshausen to Kaub is one of the longest and most demanding on the Rheinsteig. In return, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most varied landscapes along the trail. As the Rhine winds through the valley, the scenery constantly changes, with plenty of ascents and descents along the way.
Today, you'll be crossing the state border between Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. Kaub, a place where rafting is quite popular, is primarily known for its Pfalzgrafenstein Fortress. You might almost think a stone ship has dropped anchor here. Apart from the Marksburg, the Zollburg is the only fortress along the Middle Rhine that has never been destroyed. General "Vorwärts" Blücher used the small island in the pursuit of Napoleon's troops on New Year's Eve 1813/1814 for his legendary crossing of the Rhine.
The length and elevation changes make stage 17 demanding. In the beginning, the route goes up through the vineyards of Lorch and then continues along the edge of the same vineyards. This gives you a continuous view of the Rhine Valley. A steep descent and ascent follows near Assmanshausen, after which you cross the Osteinschen Park. If you have time to spare, the church of Lorch is still worth a visit.
At the Rüdesheim Cable Car station, you can choose to take the gondola down to Rüdesheim or continue on foot by taking the stairs to finish the trek. You can check the timetables and seasonal closing dates here.
