A Weekend Trip to Andernach, Burg Eltz and Geierlay Suspension Bridge
Recently, during one of the long weekends, we spent two days exploring three lovely locations in Rhineland Palatinate—Andernach, Burg Eltz, and Geierlay Suspension Bridge. We totally loved the experience, and in today’s article, I shall give my readers all the information they will need to plan a trip to these places.
We live in Darmstadt. All three locations above are quite close to Darmstadt. We decided to travel by car and visit these three places in this order:
Darmstadt—–Andernach—–Burg Eltz—–Mörsdorf ( where Geierlay Suspension Bridge is located)—–Darmstadt
Our trip looked like this, and the distances were as follows:
Darmstadt to Andernach: 138 km ( 1.5 hours by car)
Andernach to Burg Eltz: 31 km ( 37 min by car)
Burg Eltz to Mörsdorf, where the Geierlay suspension bridge is located: 32 km (36 min by car)
Mörsdorf to Darmstadt: 127 km ( 1.5 hours by car)
You can also reach these locations by public transport, which I have discussed further in the article.
We left around 9 am from Darmstadt, and around 10:30, we were in Andernach.
About Andernach:
Andernach is a lovely town along the Rhine in northern Rhineland Palatinate. Due to its history and location, this town attracts tourists throughout the year.
In appearance, it looks pretty similar to Cochem, which is yet another lovely town along the Mosel River. But Andernach does have its unique charm and attractions that set it apart from any other location.
Reaching Andernach:
By Car:
Andernach is well connected by road, and getting there by car is quite convenient.
We drove from Darmstadt to Andernach. We started around 9 am and were there by 10:30 am. We covered 138 km in about 1.5 hours.
If you don’t have a car in Germany, you can consider renting one from SIXT. We have rented their cars several times and found them of top-notch quality. The paperwork is hassle-free, and their service is great.
You might also want to read my articles:
How to get a driving license in Germany- Step-by-Step guide
My Experience with renting a car in Germany
If you arrive by car, check out all the parking options here.
By Train:
You can also reach Andernach by train. The name of the train station is Andernach Bahnhof. You can book your tickets on:
Omio.
Travelling within the Town:
The bus network in Andernach is Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel (VRM). The town is small, and in all likelihood, you will not need a public transport ticket to travel between popular tourist spots. But if you do, you can use their service. The official website is: https://www.vrminfo.de/
Accommodation in Andernach:
If you plan to stay in Andernach, you can check out your options here.
Experiences in Andernach:
There are three main experiences in Andernach, which one must not miss when in this town. We did all three, and we planned them in this order:
- Visit the Andernach Geyser
- Visit the Medieval Fortification and some more popular tourist spots
- Explore the riverside
You can also check out all the experiences in Andernach for tourists here.
Andernach Geyser:
Andernach Geyser, called Geysir Andernach in German, also commonly known as Namedyer Sprudel, is the highest cold water geyser in the world. It is located on the Namedyer Werth, a peninsula (called Halbinsel in German).
This geyser was detected during a drill conducted in 1903 to extract carbon dioxide for mineral water production. Since 2006, it has been open to tourists, and every year, many people visit this natural wonder.
One must buy a ticket at the museum/information centre to visit the geyser site. The visit includes a museum ticket and a ship transfer to the Namedyer Werth peninsula, where one can witness the eruption. An eruption lasts about 15 minutes, and the interval between two eruptions is about two hours.
The museum visit typically takes about an hour. Various exhibits in the museum explain this natural phenomenon in a fun way. A short docu-film and plenty of hands-on experiments form a part of the museum experience. Inside the museum building, there is a small cafe and a souvenir shop.
The to and fro ship transfer + a short 350 mt walk to the eruption site + stay at the eruption site takes about 1.5 hours. Therefore, overall, you must account for about 2.5-3 hours to visit the museum and the eruption site.
You can visit the museum before or after the ship tour, depending on your arrival time. However, please note that ship tours happen only four times daily and are cancelled on bad weather days. So, please check their official website for all the relevant information before you plan your travel. The website also has information about car parking, visiting hours, etc.
https://www.geysir-andernach.de/
We reached Andernach around 10:30 am, and there was a ship tour at 11:00, so we did the ship tour before the museum visit. After the ship tour, we visited the museum. Around 2:00, we were done with the visit.
We stopped by Ristorante Bellini for lunch. The food was delicious, and the service was great.
After lunch, around 3:00, we decided to stroll around the city. We first visited the old city and the medieval fortification.
Old City and Medieval Fortification of Andernach
We walked along the medieval walls and the historic old city. We passed the Round Tower (Runder Turm), Old Town Wall (Stadtmauer), City Museum, Gate of Koblenz (Koblenzer Tor), Rhine Gate (Rheintor), and Bollwerk (memorial for the soldiers who died in both world wars).
Here are some pictures we took as we explored the town on foot.
It took us about 45 minutes to explore the town on foot.
Explore the riverside:
Then we moved further to enjoy the riverside. If you have visited Cochem, you will find the riverside at Andernach quite similar.
There is a lovely lawn along the river, and on a good weather day, you will find people basking in the sun, cruising on the river, relaxing at a Biergarten, or just jogging/strolling along the riverside. The riverside is absolutely stunning, and you must not miss the chance to spend some time there.
Around 4:00 pm, we left Andernach and headed towards Burg Eltz.
Burg Eltz is 32 km south of Andernach and can be reached by car in about 30 minutes.
We were at the parking area of Burg Eltz around 4:30 pm.
Burg Eltz
Burg Eltz is a 12th-century Hilltop castle in Wierscheim, Rhineland Palatinate. It belongs to the Eltz family, which has owned it for over 800 years. It is one of the fortifications in the Eifel mountain range that has never been conquered by force. The castle is open to the public and is a popular tourist destination.
Reaching Burg Eltz:
By Car
If you arrive by car, your destination must be Parkplatz Burg Eltz. This is the parking lot, 1.5 km from the castle.
After parking the car ( there is a fee of 4 Euros, and you can park for as long as you want), you can either hike up to the castle OR take the shuttle bus (which costs 2 euros/person). The walk takes about 20 minutes, and by bus, you can reach there in 5 minutes.
By Public Transport
The nearest big railway station is Koblenz Hauptbahnhof. From there, you reach Hatzenport. From Hatzenport, take a bus 365 and alight at Burg Eltz, Wierschem. From there, you hike to Burg Eltz.
You can book your tickets on private tour from Frankfurt to Burg Eltz. Its duration is 8 hours. It includes to and fro travel by bus/minivan and access to the castle.
Visiting Burg Eltz
As mentioned above, the only way to reach the castle is on foot or by shuttle bus.
If you choose to hike, you can either follow the hiking path ( Fußweg in German) and reach the castle OR walk along the road (used by the shuttle bus). The hiking path is uneven and can be slippery on rainy days. But it is lovely since it passes through the forest so you can enjoy nature and greenery.
But if you are with a stroller or have mobility issues, you are better off walking up the road the shuttle bus uses. You can obviously choose to use the shuttle bus if you don’t wish to walk.
The castle becomes visible in the last 50 meters of the hike because it is nestled between forest and dense vegetation. In this backdrop, Burg Eltz looks stunning and majestic. A path leads to the castle’s gate.
You can see the castle from the outside OR buy a ticket to see it from the inside. If you buy a ticket, you get to see the treasury (called Schatzkammer), and a tour guide takes you on a tour (which lasts about 30-40 minutes) and shows you a few rooms inside the castle. The tour takes place in German and English.
If you want to enjoy the hike and take pictures with the castle in the background, you need not buy an entry ticket to the castle. There are good spots outside the castle where you can take lovely pictures.
However, buying a ticket makes sense if you wish to know more about the castle and visit its rooms. Also note that only with a ticket can you enter the castle premises, use the washrooms, access the cafe and souvenir shop, etc.
After visiting the castle, you can either walk to the parking area/Bus Stop OR take the shuttle bus.
We arrived at Burg Eltz just about 5 minutes before 5:00 pm. Since closing time was nearing, we were not hopeful we would be allowed entry. But luckily, they were still selling the tickets. We entered the castle at 5 pm. We first visited the Schatzkammer. We also took the time to freshen up/ use the washroom, etc, and at 5:30, we were led by a tour guide for the tour that lasted about 45 minutes. We wanted to enjoy a cup of coffee at the cafe inside the castle, but unfortunately, it was closed then. We purchased some souvenirs from the shop, took some pictures and headed out. We took the shuttle bus and reached the parking lot.
The official website of Burg Eltz is: https://burg-eltz.de/de/startseite. Check their website before your visit for opening times and other important information.
Our final stop for the day was Mörsdorf. We planned to check in at a holiday home there and visit the Geierlay Suspension Bridge the following day.
So, we drove about 32 km, which looked like about 40 minutes and reached Mörsdorf.
Here, we checked into a Holiday Home called Pension Platten. The holiday home was lovely, and the owner was kind and helpful. The location of our stay was quite good ( I will talk about it further in the article). It had a well-equipped kitchen, which allowed us to make dinner at home, comfortable beds, and a parking space. So, overall, it was a comfortable stay.
The official website of Pension Platten is https://www.pension-platten.de/.
You can check out other stay options here.
The following day, we planned to visit the Geierlay suspension bridge. We picked some freshly baked bread and pastries from a nearby bakery, enjoyed them in our home and then got ready.
About Mörsdorf:
Mörsdorf is a small, lovely and quiet town in the Rhein-Hunsrück district in Rhineland-Palatinate. Their official website is: https://moersdorf-hunsrueck.de/. Its most important landmark is the Geierlay suspension bridge, which was built to generate more income for the town through tourism.
Reaching Mörsdorf:
By Car:
Mörsdorf is well connected by road and reaching by car is the most convenient way.
By Public Transport:
If you wish to reach Mörsdorf by public transport, the nearest main train station is Koblenz Hauptbahnhof (Koblenz Main Station). From there, you walk to Hauptbahnhof West, Koblenz. From there, you take a bus to Bahnhofstraße, Kastellaun. From there, you take bus to reach your desired destination in Mörsdorf. For example, if you wish to visit the Geierlay visitors centre, you alight at Geierlay-Besucherzentrum, Mörsdorf (Hunsrück).
You can book your journey on:
Deutsche Bahn’s official website.
Geierlay Suspension Bridge:
The Geierlay is a suspension bridge in the low mountain range of the Hunsrück. It was opened in 2015 and has since become a popular tourist attraction. It spans 360 metres (1,180 ft) and is up to 100 metres (330 ft) above ground. It connects the villages of Mörsdorf and Sosberg. A stream named Mörsdorfer Bach runs through the valley below the bridge.
If you plan to visit the bridge, you can stay in Mörsdorf or Sosberg.
However, please note that the visitor centre is located in Mörsdorf. There, you will find a parking place for your car, information terminals about the bridge, a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and public facilities like a washroom, ATM, etc.
Reaching Geierlay Suspension Bridge:
By Car:
If you arrive by car, you can park at any of these parking lots in Mörsdorf.
If you wish to reach the visitor’s centre, put Besucherzentrum Geierlay on the navigation system.
After parking your car, you walk up to the bridge (Note: the only way to reach the bridge is on foot).
By Public transport:
You can check out all the public transport options here. There is a bus stop right outside the visitor centre. After alighting at the bus stop, you walk towards the bridge.
The path, which is approximately 1.8 km, passes through lovely canola oil fields and forests. On the way, a couple of information terminals make the walk more informative and interesting. Also, the town, with its windmills, looks absolutely picturesque.
It takes about 25 minutes to reach the bridge on foot.
The bridge looks absolutely stunning, and the view of the valley with its river looks amazing.
Benches are laid out where you can relax and enjoy a picnic. On the Sosberg side, there are fewer benches, but you find a public washroom there.
After crossing the bridge, you can take the hiking trail and visit the valley below. Note that sometimes, if the weather is bad, some of the hiking trails are closed. But on a good weather day, you can easily spend an hour or two hiking in the adjoining forest and valley, depending on your enthusiasm.
Since the bridge gets pretty crowded as the day progresses, we planned to visit it as early as possible.
Since our holiday home was pretty close to the bridge, we let our car stay parked at the holiday home.
We reached the bridge in about 30 minutes. We were there by 9 am. We were probably the first visitors for the day, and the bridge was all to us. Since we reached early, we could take lovely pictures and enjoy the calmness and quietness of nature.
After crossing the bridge, we hiked in the forest for about an hour. As we were walking back to the town, we could already see the crowd increasing. Therefore, I would suggest that my readers visit the bridge early in the morning or late evening to avoid crowds. Note: The bridge is open 24/7. There is no ticket to access it.
The official website is https://geierlay.de/. It contains all the information that you will need to plan your visit.
After spending about 3 hours, we returned to our hotel room. We packed and checked out. Our drive to Darmstadt was about 1.5 hours, and we reached Darmstadt around lunchtime.
This brought us to the end of a lovely weekend.
You can add the following destinations to your itinerary if you have more days.
- Cochem: Read my article about our Day Trip to Cochem.
- Koblenz: Read my article: A day trip to Koblenz – My experience
- Trier: Read my article: 5 Best places to visit in Trier
- Bacharach: More information can be found here.
Note that all these towns and cities require one day each when you visit them at a relaxed pace.
You can plan an itinerary around these places.
Day 1: Burg Eltz and Cochem
Day 2: Geierlay and Bacharach
Day 3: Koblenz
Day 4: Andernach
Day 5: Trier
I hope my readers have found this article useful.
Check out my Travel and Holidays page for information about other destinations.
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