Wine weekend in the Ahr Valley: wines and walks

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Latest update: 23 July 2025

Countless grapevines everywhere. Not in huge, horizontal vineyards, though, but in small clusters in every direction, carefully positioned vertically on steep rocky slopes. The view in the Ahr Valley never gets boring. The Ahr wine region is one of Germany’s smallest but makes a huge impression. I’m excited to tell you what you can experience there.

Left skeptical, returned enchanted

My best friend and I want a long weekend away, but not too far from Amsterdam. Requirements: reachable by car. We’re taking a wine course (at Passion4wines in Amsterdam) and immediately think of Alsace or somewhere else in France. But that’s actually quite a drive, so we head to Germany instead. We spot the small Ahr wine region, where they mainly grow spätburgunder grapes (pinot noir). We’re curious, but also a bit skeptical about German wines.

From Amsterdam, it’s officially about 3.5 hours driving, but with German road work and traffic jams, travel time quickly adds up. We forget about that when we finally drive into the Ahr Valley. Our sighing and moaning about travel time and stau turns into sighs of admiration. It’s early summer, so the entire Ahr Valley is colored green. And the steep rocky slopes with grapevines are impressive – I’ve never seen anything like it.

Floods in the Ahr Valley

But among all that overwhelming green, I also see yellow cranes, orange bulldozers, construction barriers, and lots more building activity. In 2021, the Ahr River overflowed its banks. This happened in several places in western Germany and the Netherlands, but the Ahr Valley was the epicenter. The villages are all located right next to the river. It was one of Germany’s most significant natural disasters, and in the Ahr Valley alone, 135 people died. The footage from the disaster is intense: the river drags along everything from cars to furniture. And afterwards, destruction, mud, and sadness remain. Recovery work is still ongoing. The Guardian has a good and visual article about it online, read it here.

We Ahr open

The tourism board’s message is clear: We Ahr open. The region is happy to see tourists return. And yes, there’s still construction and building everywhere, but don’t let that stop you. I really have a wonderful weekend in the Ahr Valley and find it even more impressive because of the tangible impact of the floods. Literally tangible because of the construction work and empty buildings, and also figuratively tangible through the residents’ stories. They’re rebuilding everything and are happy to welcome visitors again.

So, if you’re having doubts, definitely go. This is also a call to younger travelers because besides the Ahr Valley being very green, it’s also a bit too gray in the restaurants and on the hiking trails.

But what can you do in the Ahr Valley?

Ahr wine region: spätburgunder

I’m in the Ahr Valley mainly for the wines this time, and I focus on the stretch between Altenahr and Heimersheim. The entire area is about 1,347 acres (545 hectares), and they mainly plant spätburgunder. There’s also room for frühburgunder and riesling, but the Ahr is primarily a red wine paradise.

Thanks to the steep slopes and soil of slate and grauwacke (a type of sandstone), spätburgunder feels right at home here. The winemakers in the Ahr Valley create beautiful wines from it.

Wine tastings in the Ahr

So yes, in the Ahr, you must go wine tasting. And there are quite a few places where you can do that. The smartest thing is to book several tastings before you leave. Then you know for sure you can get in. Also, many wine houses have a shop where you can walk in to taste something and, of course, also buy wine. I choose to make some reservations in advance and note a few tips so I can visit specific wine houses when I have time.

Winery Mayschoß-Altenahr

Winery Mayschoß-Altenahr has three locations in the Ahr, and I visit the one in Mayschoß. You can get a cellar tour without an appointment (daily at 11 am, 2 and 5 pm) for a friendly price: €4 ($4.30) per person. The tour is in German, but the video is also in English, Dutch, and other languages. My German skills really let me down and I unfortunately have to admit that I only learn halfway during the tour that the word ‘flut’ doesn’t refer to a champagne flute, but the floods.

A visit to Mayschoß-Altenahr is interesting because it’s the world’s first cooperative of winemakers. The wine-growing association has existed since 1868 and now has 460 members and owns 346 acres (140 hectares) of vineyards. The visit is limited to the wine cellar, and at the end, you can choose a wine to taste. Of course, there’s also a shop so you can stock up for home.

Google Maps location

Winery Meyer Näkel

At Meyer Näkel winery you can currently (2025) do a wine tasting, but unfortunately not get a tour. They’re still busy with recovery work after the floods. The entire 2020 harvest disappeared. The two sisters who now run the family winery got trapped in the wine cellar, managed to escape, and held onto a tree for eight long hours to survive. Days later, 9 of their wine barrels were found, equal to 280 bottles. They renamed this discovery the Lost Barrels. Very clever.

If you want to do a tasting, reserve in advance. You can find available dates on the website. A tasting costs €15 ($16) per person, but if you buy lots of wine, it’s free. The tasting can be done in English and German, and you can indicate which wines you want to taste. I find the spätburgunder wonderfully aromatic and full of flavor and am very curious about the Illusion blanc de noir – but I’m told I should let it age for another two years before it’s at its best.

Google Maps location

Weingut Deutzerhof

Weingut Deutzerhof has the most beautiful location of the various wineries I visit. It is in the valley, surrounded by rocky slopes full of grapevines. It’s really impressive.

The wine tasting here costs €29.50 ($32) and you book online in advance. We’re served eight wines, and besides the red spätburgunders, I’m also impressed by the sekt from spätburgunder (sparkling white wine from blue grapes), and I really like the frühburgunder too: softer than the spätburgunder.

The tasting is in German, but especially for me, they speak nice and slow German so I can follow everything well. Everything can be done in English, it depends a bit on the group what’s convenient.

Google Maps location

More wine tasting

I didn’t book a wine tasting at Weingut Nelles (Google Maps location) but drop by the shop on a whim. We try a few sips before choosing a wine to drink in the garden. It’s a beautiful, quiet place and up to four people can always walk in during opening hours for a tasting.

I also make a short stop at Erwin Riske (Google Maps location), because during the weekend I’m in the Ahr Valley, the vineyard is celebrating its hundredth anniversary. It’s in the middle of a residential area and there’s a big party with a bouncy castle, music, and wine. For the occasion, they’ve set out a couple of bottles that survived the floods, mud included.

Another tip I’ve often received is Jean Stodden (Google Maps location), but I’ll have to save that for next time.

You can also taste local wines at virtually every restaurant. In fact, the restaurant probably belongs to a winemaker, like restaurant Thüres from Weingut Sermann (Google Maps location) or the restaurant at Weingut Kloster Marienthal (Google Maps location).

Also, keep an eye on the region’s event calendar, which announces fun activities. From tastings to hikes and parties. Check the calendar.

Wine hike in the Ahr: Rotweinwanderweg

The Rotweinwanderweg is a beautiful hiking route along and through the vineyards. In total, the route is 22 miles (35 kilometers), but you can of course just walk a part of it. Officially, there are three parts:

• Part 1: Altenahr to Dernau (6.2 miles/10 km)
• Part 2: Dernau to Bad Neuenahr (10.4 miles/16.7 km)
• Part 3: Bad Neuenahr to Bad Bodendorf (5.5 miles/8.9 km)

I choose the first part because I think it’s a good distance and because it’s supposed to be the most beautiful part of the Rotweinwanderweg. I obviously haven’t walked the other parts, but I can absolutely confirm that this is really a beautiful stretch.

Where’s the wine during the hike?

To be honest: it’s a bit different from my fantasy. I had imagined that I would find small terraces or cafés at various places on those 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) where I could order a glass of wine and continue. That’s not the case. It looks like there used to be a little bar in some places, but it’s now abandoned. It is possible to descend to a winery occasionally, and there’s even a wine vending machine twice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t recognize our Dutch driver’s license, so we can’t get through the age verification and must make do with brought water.

Burg Are castle and vineyards: the route

But aside from the lack of wine, it’s a stunning hike. In Altenahr, it immediately starts off tough with a climb to the ruins of Burg Are castle, which is also the hardest part of the hike.

Then we walk along and through vineyards on the rocky slopes. We have views of the Ahr Valley villages and hardly encounter other hikers. The trail speaks for itself; you just follow the path along the vineyards. Sometimes a stretch is more sheltered thanks to the forest, but bringing a water bottle is not an unnecessary luxury. It’s quite a walk and a large part is sun-drenched in early July.

Wine terraces I missed

At Dernau, we leave the route, but you could continue walking quite a bit further. If you do, it looks like you’ll encounter terraces in the vineyards there – the ones from my fantasy. For example, Weingut Försterhof (Google Maps location) and Schumachers Weinwiesenwirtschaft (Google Maps location). It’s also nice to descend to Weingut Kloster Marienthal (Google Maps location) for a flammkuchen in the inner garden. So note to self: start in Dernau next time, because I definitely missed this!

Public transport and parking

We parked our car for free in Dernau in the morning (here, to be exact) and took the bus to Altenahr from there. By the way, I found it quite pricey: €5.10 ($5.50) for a one-way ticket per person. We start the Rotweinwanderung here. If you take the stairs up here and follow the grape cluster symbols, you’re in the right place.

Dining tips in the Ahr Valley

Weingut Kloster Marienthal

I mentioned it earlier: Weingut Kloster Marienthal (Google Maps location). This is really the perfect place for a nice lunch. It’s at the rock walls full of grapevines and has a beautiful inner garden. The menu is limited, so just order that flammkuchen—you’re in Germany after all. And the name Weingut says it all. They make wines here that you can, of course, also order on the terrace.

WeinLounge

The WeinLounge (Google Maps location) may be more of a drink tip, but they also have food. And I just think it’s too cool a place not to mention. In a park along the river, they’ve created a city beach with brightly colored beach chairs and palm trees. You can chill here and enjoy a glass of wine in the summer months.

Thüres

You can go to Thüres (Google Maps location) for lunch or dinner. This restaurant belongs to Weingut Sermann. So yet another chance to taste wine! The restaurant is small inside, so it’s especially lovely on warmer days when you can sit on the terrace. They have a nice, affordable menu. On the lunch menu is the house specialty: gebratenes weißbrot. That’s white bread marinated according to a secret recipe, fried in oil with onions and bacon. Simple. German. Delicious.

Landgasthof Poststuben

Suppose you want to go out for a fancy dinner. In that case, I recommend Landgasthof Poststuben (Google Maps location), a tip from my wine teacher. The wine list is endlessly long, hence the tip, haha. But also because the food is very tasty. When we arrive, we get a handwritten menu in German. Now, our German isn’t fantastic, but we really can’t decipher this handwriting. Luckily, the English menu is typed out. We go for the German dishes on the menu, but you can also order an entrecote or risotto, for example. The service is very correct and the food delicious. Only the wait time was a bit long, but hey… It’s vacation, right?

Where to stay

Uhmmm… Well, I didn’t actually stay overnight in the Ahr Valley itself, but in the village of Königsfeld about twenty minutes’ drive away. I was instantly in love with the FeWo-Karitz apartment. A wonderfully spacious apartment with a large terrace where you can drink your morning coffee in the sun and have a nice barbecue in the evening. So if you don’t mind driving a bit to the Ahr Valley (and it’s a beautiful route through the forests), book FeWo-Karitz! The owner puts a bottle of wine out for you.