Sixteen towers still stand guard above the vineyards of Oberwesel. In the Middle Ages there were twenty-one, linked by a rampart that protected one of the most prosperous towns on the Rhine; the ensemble now ranks among the best-preserved fortifications of the Romantic Rhine. Boats dock right at the foot of this stone crown, in the section of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley that UNESCO inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2002.

Walking the ramparts

The wall walk is open to all, and that is where to start. You move from tower to tower, each with its own silhouette, between slate roofs on one side and the wide ribbon of the river on the other. The Zehnerturm, the youngest of the family, houses a small exhibition; the Ochsenturm, standing alone facing the current, raises its round mass like a lighthouse on dry land. Allow an hour for a leisurely walk, views and photos included.

Two churches, two colours

The town can be read by its churches as much as by its towers. To the south, the Liebfrauenkirche blazes dark red, Gothic and proud, with a gilded altarpiece that is surprising in a parish of this size. To the north, the Martinskirche answers in immaculate white from its hill. Between the two, the lanes line up half-timbered houses, the courtyards of former convents (the town had nine in the Middle Ages) and winemakers' signs. The Kulturhaus completes the picture with its collections on Rhineland history.

The Schönburg, a sentinel turned inn

Above the rooftops, the Schönburg has watched over the valley since the 12th century. Burned by French troops in 1689 and rebuilt in the 19th century, it now enjoys a peaceful retirement as a hotel and restaurant: you climb up by a path through the vineyards for a coffee on the terrace, with the river below and barge convoys passing each other silently. The climb takes about twenty minutes and a few unapologetic breaks.

Castles at every bend

This stretch of the valley lines up fortresses at a pace UNESCO describes as unique in the world. Just upstream, Pfalzgrafenstein sets its white stone hull in the middle of the current, a fortified toll station that once held boatmen to ransom; Gutenfels answers it from the hillside. Each bend reveals more, proud ruins or romantic hotels, and passengers quickly learn to keep their cameras within reach. From the ramparts, you can follow this parade as a seated spectator, which remains the valley's ultimate luxury.

Riesling country

Oberwesel has lived from wine since Roman times, and its slate slopes produce taut, mineral rieslings that the cellars in the centre serve by the glass without fuss. In early September, the wine festival turns the square into an open-air banquet; the rest of the year, an impromptu tasting between two towers is all it takes to be happy. The Loreley, the river's most famous rock, waits just upstream; most itineraries pass it the same day, sirens optional.

Port call tips

The town is flat along the Rhine, except for the wall walk: expect steps and a few staircases for the heights, and bring a windbreaker, as the wind in the gorge rarely lets up. The cellars sell at estate prices and wrap bottles for travel. Finally, keep an eye on the departure time: the temptation to linger on a waterside terrace has already sent more than one passenger running.

Setting off with the current

When the ship resumes its journey, the towers file past one last time behind the vineyards, and everyone understands why the Romantic painters loved this bend in the valley so much. Oberwesel does not try to dazzle; it is content to endure. It is a lesson travellers take with them, somewhere between two sips of riesling and the memory of a wall walk open to the wide river.