Peaceful getaways an hour’s train ride from the big city

Andrew Eames discovers a world of tranquillity within easy reach of the big city

Cities are like a nation’s front door, but sometimes they can give the wrong impression about what lies within. Nowhere is this more so than in Frankfurt, Germany’s economic powerhouse, where rampant renewal has rendered the cityscape shiny and hard.

Penetrate beyond that front door, however, and take the train either an hour west to the Rhine Gorge, or an hour south to Heidelberg, and you’ll find two quieter worlds. The former is more active, the latter more cultural, but both are ideal for a gentle, relaxing weekend after your work in Frankfurt is done.

RUDESHEIM AND THE RHINE GORGE

The name “Rhine” is mostly associated with shipping and, for much of its passage through Germany, the waterway is lined with industry and burdened with freight. That said, one 65km section of its journey, within easy striking distance of Frankfurt, is recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Here it carves its way through the spectacular Rhine Gorge, where handsome towns nestle on steep forest-topped hillsides, and vineyards stretch over the south-facing shores.

The most accessible gateway town (to which there are hourly trains from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, timetables on bahn.com) is Rudesheim, a cheerful winemaking settlement with a clutch of traditional hotels snuggled away down cobbled