Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz in German) is the one of 16 Bundesländer (federal states) of Germany. Its capital is Mainz. It is reputed for its rugged landscapes, as well as its wines from the valleys of the Moselle and Rhine. Indeed, this state produces 2/3 of all German wines, and is the only state to have a wine minister.
Rhineland-Palatinate borders on (clockwise from the North) the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Alsace (France), Saarland, Luxembourg and Belgium. The Rhine forms the border with the states of Baden-Württemberg and Hesse.
It has a surface area of 19,847 km², a population of 4,053,000 inhabitants, and is divided into 3 administrative regions (Regierungsbezirke), divided into 24 districts (Kreise) and 12 urban districts (kreisfreie Städte). The 24 districts are further divided in 163 Verbandsgemeinden (administrative units unique to the Rhineland-Palatinate), themselves subdivided in nearly 2200 Ortsgemeinden.
In 2002, the Rhine Gorge (the 65km section of the river between Koblenz and Bingen) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for for its unique combination of geological, historical and cultural elements.
History
Settled by Celtic and Germanic tribes in ancient times, the region was conquered by the Romans and remained part of the empire for four centuries.
In 413, the city of Worms became the capital of a short-lived Burgundian kingdom, immortalised in the Medieval epic poem Niebelungenlied ("Song of the Nibelungs"), on which Richard Wagner based his longest and most famous opera, Der Ring des Nibelungen.
By the end of the 5th century, the Rhineland-Palatinate was annexed to the Frankish kingdom by Clovis (466-511). The name "Palatinate" comes from "palace" and is a reference to the Aachen residence of the other great Frankish monarch, Charlemagne (742-814).
From the late Middles Ages until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, what is now Rhineland-Palatinate belonged to the a multitude of small states, including the County of Sayn (many historical subdivisions), the County of Sponheim, the County of Salm (numerous subdivisions), the Electoral Palatinate (many subdivisions), the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, the Duchy of Nassau, the Duchy of Luxembourg, the Bishopric of Worms, the Bishopric of Speyer, the Bishopric of Mainz and the Prince-Archbishopric of Trier.
Three of the seven Prince-Electors (Kurfürsten in German, i.e. the members of the electoral college electing the Holy Roman Emperors), came from what is now Rhineland-Palatinate : the Archbishop of Mainz, the Archbishop of Trier and the Count Palatine of the Rhine. Adding the nearby Archbishopric of Cologne, the relatively small Rhineland region had a disproportionate power compared to its size within the Empire. This is probably explained by the facts that Rhineland was the core of the Frankish kingdom and of Charlemagne's Empire.
Touristic places
 Bernkastel-Kues
Cochem
 Koblenz
Landau in der Pfalz
Mainz
Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
Speyer
Trier
Worms
Moselle Valley
One of the most scenic part of Germany, the Moselle Valley is renowned for its wine, its charming little towns with half-timbered houses, and its medieval castles.
From Trier towards Koblenz, the principal places of interest are Bernkastel-Kues, Traben-Trarbach (spa town), Marienburg -an-der Mosel (amazing views from the castle), Zell-an-der-Mosel (wine town), Bad Bertrich (spa town), and Cochem.
Castles in Rhineland-Palatinate
Moselle Valley
From West to East
Burg Landshut (ruins)
Marienburg
Reichsburg Cochem
Burg Eltz
Rhine Valley
From North to South :
Burg Nürburg (ruins)
Schloss Stolzenfels
Burg Lahneck
Marksburg
Burg Liebenstein (ruins)
Burg Sterrenberg
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, Kaub
Burg Sooneck, Niederheimbach
Burg Reichenstein
Hambacher Schloss
Villa Ludwigshöhe, Edenkoben
Reichsburg Trifels
Madenburg (ruins)
Burg Landeck (ruins)
Schloss Bergzabern
Burg Berwartstein
Lahn Valley
Schloss Schaumburg
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