Rhineland-Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate is a state in western Germany famous for its vineyards, river valleys and castles. Its capital is Mainz. Home to much of Germany's wine production and the romantic stretch of the Rhine Gorge, it blends scenic beauty with a rich history.

The state is hilly and forested, traversed by the Rhine, Moselle and other rivers whose steep valleys are terraced with vineyards. The dramatic Upper Middle Rhine Valley winds through it. The climate is temperate, mild in the river valleys.

Rhineland-Palatinate is the heart of German wine culture, especially Riesling, with countless wine festivals, half-timbered villages and clifftop castles. Mainz is associated with Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press.

Created after the Second World War from parts of former Prussian and Bavarian territories, the region carries a deep history along the Rhine, a frontier and trade route since Roman times. Gutenberg pioneered movable-type printing in Mainz.