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The Ahr

ahr

A love of life ...

... and enjoyment in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Gently rolling hills, craggy cliff-faces, deep forests and steep vineyards – hardly any holiday region in Germany has such a varied and characteristic landscape. At the same time the Ahr valley offers a huge range of leisure and fitness activities near to the Rhineland cities of Bonn and Cologne. In a region which enjoys more than 1,400 hours of sunshine annually, the opportunities offered by the Ahr and its surroundings attract every kind of guest – nature-lovers, wine connoisseurs, gourmet fans, health-conscious holidaymakers, culture-seekers and sports enthusiasts alike. People love to spend their time here at the Ahr – called by the Romantics the “wildest daughter of the Rhine“ – who place value on the experience of nature, the quality of life, health and fitness, wellbeing and enjoyment. Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is located in this unique landscape, surrounded by the vineyards of the Ahr valley. It is a town with two centres whose ambiences could not be more different but which still form a harmonious and charming symbiosis of old and new. Ahrweiler’s romantic half-timbered houses are surrounded by a completely preserved circular medieval wall, while in Bad Neuenahr you can enjoy the distinguished flair of the health-resort amenities and Jugendstil houses, the charm of the casino with its elegant salons, and the most up-to-date fitness facilities.

Romantic and historical
Celts, Germanic tribes, Romans, counts, archbishops and even the French have found their home here. The medieval walls with their tombstones, gates and towers date from the 13th century and are completely preserved. You can enjoy the sight of picturesque half-timbered houses in the pedestrianised town centre. Especially worth a visit are the Wolffsche Haus, a half-timbered building from 1621 with a richly decorated oriel window, and the Blankartshof, dating from 1680. The Marktplatz features the oldest early Gothic hall church in the Rhineland, St. Laurentius (from 1269), and the old town hall (late rococo, 1778). You can get to know Ahrweiler best on a guided tour.

Energising and enlivening thermal baths
The famous Bad Neuenahr thermal baths are situated in the charming spa quarter. Visitors can enjoy the marvellous bathing house, the casino, and the magnificent park and grounds, which are distinguished by ancient trees, with the winding Ahr running through the middle. Bad Neuenahr with its splendid white patrician houses is the younger partner of the pair of towns. It became known above all for its wellsprings, in particular the world-famous Apollinaris source. The ancient Romans already held the healing powers of the local waters in such high esteem that they settled here. Today Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is a booming health resort, especially because of its medical expertise. Most visitors come not only on account of the fine wine and the breathtaking landscape, but also for health reasons – the place has a reputation for having a medical infrastructure which is second to none in Germany. And after all, a dose of relaxation and wellness never did anyone any harm.

The Romans were also the first to appreciate the Ahr valley as a wine-growing region and to plant grape-vines there. Today this unusual valley in the northern part of Rheinland-Pfalz is one of the foremost red-wine producing regions in Germany. The local vintners are at the cutting edge of German winemaking. They have made the small, romantic Ahr valley into a commercial and culinary treasure-house. For this reason lovers of fine wine enjoy making a pilgrimage to the much-praised “red-wine paradise of Germany“.

Everywhere you will receive a friendly welcome, for hospitality along and around the Ahr has a long tradition. Unusual types of accommodation can be encountered everywhere. Rustic wineries, countryside locations, friendly holiday apartments, individual private rooms, good-quality mid-range hotels, charming bed-and-breakfasts with lovely views and agreeable hosts, luxury hotels with pool and sauna – whatever you choose, you’ll feel more like a friend than a visitor. And in the vineyards above Ahrweiler you can make a trip to the most secret and costliest building in the Federal Republic – the alternative seat of the country’s constitutional organs, to be used in times of crisis and conflict: the so-called “government bunker“.

 

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Campsites at the Ahr

Further tourist information is available on  www.ahrtal.de