Eltville am Rhein: Castle, Rose Garden and Printing Art

Eltville am Rhein can be considered as a travel destination through several clearly distinct themes: historic buildings, the history of printing, a rose garden and paths through the surrounding countryside. If you are looking for a hotel, these highlights can help you decide what kind of stay you would like. The cultural attractions focus on individual buildings and collections, while the garden and paths offer other perspectives on Eltville and its surroundings.

Castle, Views and the History of Printing

The Electoral Castle is Eltville’s historic landmark. Its features include the castle tower, courtyard, moat and official garden; visitors can also visit the museum in the tower. This historic site brings together both architectural features and a museum visit. The tower also houses a Gutenberg memorial with an exhibition on the art of printing and a historical collection on the town’s history.

The observation platform in the castle tower can be reached by climbing 123 steps. From there, the view extends over Eltville and the Rheingau, across Rheinhessen and as far as the Rhine-Main region. The tower therefore offers two distinct reasons to visit: views over several named regions and exhibitions on the history of printing and the town.

Public printing days take place several times a year at the Gutenberg Exhibition. Original prints are produced on a historic Florentine printing press, as in Gutenberg’s time, giving visitors a chance to discover the “black art” of that era. Check the specific dates before your visit. The printing days complement the exhibition with a demonstration of historical printing techniques.

Town History, Rose Garden and Paths

The Catholic parish church of St. Peter and Paul is a Late Gothic church, built approximately between 1350 and 1440, and houses important works of painting and sculpture. Remains of the town fortifications have also been preserved at the lower end of Leergasse. The fortifications were built after Eltville was granted town status in 1332. Together, the church and the remains of the fortifications offer different insights into the history of the town and its architecture.

The abundance of blooms in Eltville’s rose garden is particularly striking in the castle moat and along the Rhine waterfront. Unusual Japanese rose varieties grow in the rose garden’s Japanese bed in the castle moat. Rose enthusiasts will find a distinctive botanical feature there; the profusion of blooms can also be enjoyed along the Rhine waterfront.

An easy-to-walk path connects Eltville’s districts of Martinsthal, Rauenthal, Hattenheim and Erbach, as well as the neighboring municipality of Kiedrich, with Eltville’s historic old town. It passes through vineyards, forests and meadows, follows the Rhine waterfront and leads to wineries, wine taverns and restaurants. Unlike a visit to a single building, this route links a range of landscapes with wine-growing and dining destinations. It therefore offers another way to explore the area’s different themes.

Eltville in the Rheingau-Taunus District

In the wider Rheingau-Taunus District travel region, the right-bank Rhine railway line runs from Koblenz via Rüdesheim am Rhein and Wiesbaden to Frankfurt am Main. This connects Eltville to the Deutsche Bahn’s regional rail network. For specific journeys, check current connections and timetables with RMV.

Discover more destinations: Hattenheim, Martinsthal, Rauenthal, Erbach, Kiedrich, Taunusstein, Walluf, Aarbergen.

Return to the main travel overview: Rheingau-Taunus District.