Although the Nahe (Naw-haw) Valley is hardly a tourist Mecca, there are a number of sites to visit if you need to take a break from the wineries.

The city of Bingen, at the junction of the Rhine and the Nahe, came into being as a strategically important to the Romans.  Bingen was the home of one of the most incredible women in history, Hildegard von Bingen.  It was here on the northern banks of the Nahe, that the Benedictine Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) founded her cloister upon the grave of the holy Rupertus. It is remarkable to note that in her "Physica", Hildegard von Bingen includes more than 250 plants and many folk remedies and "natural" medicinal methods of treatment.  A scholar, artist, and composer (you can get CD's of her music at most major music stores), she was one of the most dominant and influential women of the Middle Ages (if she had been a man, she would have rivaled the Pope in influence).  The Historisches Museum am Strom (Museumsstr 3 Ph: 06721 990654) has an impressive display on her or you can also visit the Hildegard Forum (Ph: 06721 181000), which has additional displays on Hildegard, including a restaurant that serves foods reflecting her nutritional teachings. 

For bike riders, Bingen is the starting point of the Radweg Nahe, a 37 mile posted bike route that follows the Nahe River southwest to the town of Kirn.  Bingen is also the site of an eleven-day festival every September, when the city hosts the Winzerfest. 

The spa town of Bad Kreuznach is the center of the Nahe wine region.  With a lengthy history as a center for baths and spas, Bad Kreuznach is where the region's best restaurants and hotels are.  Among the sites worth exploring while in town are the Dr. Faust Haus (reputed to be the residence of the magician Johannes Faust in the 16th century), and the Kurviertel, or Spa Quarter.  Another unique site in Bad Kreuznach is the Brückenhauser (Bridge Houses) which date back to the 1400's and are represented in the town's coat of arms. 

The Römerhalle (11, Hüffelsheimer Straße) is of particular note.  The museum, built on a former smallholding, exhibits artifacts from excavations carried out in Kreuznach and the surrounding area, where a Roman villa was also uncovered. Of particular interest are the 13th century mosaic floors, including one depicting Oceanus, the sea god in his element, and one depicting gladiators in combat. A Roman heating system (hypocaust) has also been uncovered for display. From here, you can enjoy a stroll in the park with its tropical trees and ponds, and visit the castle park museum.

Just outside of Bad Münster are the Rotenfels, cliff towers that sore 200 meters above the valley.  A fabulous side trip for those who enjoy the outdoors and can handle some exertion, the view from the top of the cliffs is breathtaking and well worth the effort.

The bubbling salt-water springs there were already used as a "Badebronnen" (bathing spring) before the year 1500, long before the little city developed into a world famous spa.  35 million years ago in the Oligocene period, the Rheingrafenstein and the Rotenfels were the highest hills of an archipelago not far from the shore.  Today, this area is a large nature reserve, with 100,000 hectares of land.

Idar-Oberstein is at a narrows, between rocky cliffs and the banks of the Nahe. Since every square meter of land is at a premium here, the river has been covered over in the town. As a result, since 1986, the Nahe flows underneath the town for several kilometers.

The world famous Felsenkirche (1482-1484), the construction of which is traced to a story of fratricide, is built upon a vertical rock wall high above the old town. It gives the town a unique atmosphere. The steep steps leading up to the Felsenkirche are climbed by countless visitors from all over the world every year. Their efforts are more than rewarded by a view of the impressive artwork. Examples are the gothic winged altar of 1410 and a beautiful Stumm organ from the year 1756. The setting of the old and the new castles high above the Felsenkirche, give the visitor a feel for how proudly enthroned above their town the lords of Dhaun and Oberstein castles were, in the middle ages.  Deceptively small when viewed from town Felsenkirche is capable of holding up to 500 people at a time. 

The town is also well known for its agate cutting. Originally, the agate cutters worked on semiprecious stones from the region (commercial mining 1375-1875) in their small cutting shops along the streams which flowed from the Idarwald and Hochwald into the Nahe. Today, the gems are imported from all over the world. With time, agate cutting evolved into a large jewelry industry dealing with precious stones and pearls as well. Idar-Oberstein became an international center for the jewelry industry.  The Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum (Precious Stone Museum) exhibits various types of stones from around the world in both their raw and finished forms.