Bingen am Rhein: Where the Rhine Enters the Gorge, the Maeuseturm, and Hildegard von Bingen's Legacy
Bingen sits at one of the most significant geographic transitions on the Rhine: the point where the broad Oberrhein plain ends and the river cuts into the narrow Mittelrhein gorge toward Koblenz. The Maeuseturm, a medieval customs tower on a rocky island in the river, is the town's most photographed landmark. Legend attributes it to the cruel Archbishop Hatto, supposedly devoured by mice as divine punishment. In reality, the tower served as a signal and toll station. About 24,650 people live in Bingen, which belongs to the Mainz-Bingen district of Rheinland-Pfalz.
Hildegard von Bingen, the 12th-century Benedictine abbess, mystic, composer, and polymath, is the town's most famous historical figure. She founded convents on the Rupertsberg near Bingen and at Eibingen across the river. The Hildegard Forum and the rebuilt Abtei St. Hildegard in Eibingen draw pilgrims and visitors. Pope Benedict XVI declared her a Doctor of the Church in 2012.
Mainz is roughly 25 kilometres to the east. Ruedesheim lies directly across the Rhine in Hessen. The UNESCO Oberes Mittelrheintal World Heritage site begins at Bingen and stretches downstream to Koblenz. The Nahetal wine region extends south from the town, following the Nahe river toward Bad Kreuznach. Bingen also serves as a starting point for the RheinBurgenWeg hiking trail along the left bank.
The Rheinhessen wine region, Germany's largest by area, lies on the plateau behind Bingen. The Rochusberg hill above town hosts the Rochuskapelle, a pilgrimage chapel that Goethe visited in 1814 and described in his writing. The annual Rochusfest has been celebrated since the early 17th century.
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Bingen sits at one of the most significant geographic transitions on the Rhine: the point where the broad Oberrhein plain ends and the river cuts into the narrow Mittelrhein gorge toward Koblenz. The Maeuseturm, a medieval customs tower on a rocky island in the river, is the town's most photographed landmark. Legend attributes it to the cruel Archbishop Hatto, supposedly devoured by mice as divine punishment. In reality, the tower served as a signal and toll station. About 24,650 people live in Bingen, which belongs to the Mainz-Bingen district of Rheinland-Pfalz.
Hildegard von Bingen, the 12th-century Benedictine abbess, mystic, composer, and polymath, is the town's most famous historical figure. She founded convents on the Rupertsberg near Bingen and at Eibingen across the river. The Hildegard Forum and the rebuilt Abtei St. Hildegard in Eibingen draw pilgrims and visitors. Pope Benedict XVI declared her a Doctor of the Church in 2012.
Mainz is roughly 25 kilometres to the east. Ruedesheim lies directly across the Rhine in Hessen. The UNESCO Oberes Mittelrheintal World Heritage site begins at Bingen and stretches downstream to Koblenz. The Nahetal wine region extends south from the town, following the Nahe river toward Bad Kreuznach. Bingen also serves as a starting point for the RheinBurgenWeg hiking trail along the left bank.
The Rheinhessen wine region, Germany's largest by area, lies on the plateau behind Bingen. The Rochusberg hill above town hosts the Rochuskapelle, a pilgrimage chapel that Goethe visited in 1814 and described in his writing. The annual Rochusfest has been celebrated since the early 17th century.
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