Although Bad Homburg isn't technically in the Rheingau, it is minutes north of Frankfurt-am-Rhein and is well worth the side trip.  For centuries, Bad Homburg was one of the German baths that was intimately connected with the royalty of Europe.  Visitors of include Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Russian writer Dostoevsky, Tsarina Alexandra of Russia (wife of Tsar Nicholas II, and King Edward VII (who gave the Homburg hat its fame).  The greatest attraction is the Kirpark or Spa, which is located in the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town).  Dating back to Roman times, the current incarnation, with 31 fountains, gained its fame in the 19th century.  Located between Paul-Ehrlich-Weg and Kaiser-Friedrich-Promenade, the Spa is a great starting point, with the tourist office located there.  Also worth visiting is the 17th century Schloss (castle), which was where the Kaiser stayed while in town.  The apartments are still furnished in 19th century style.  There is an admission fee.  More online information is available at the city's website (in German) and at Frommers.

Just north of Bad Homburg is the Römerkastel-Saalburg (Ph: 06175 93740), the remains of a Roman fortification built in second century as part of the line of fortifications protecting the Empire from the barbarians.  Originally protected by Kaiser Wilhelm II, these fortifications have been restored and you can still view the facilities, including the armories, parade grounds, and catapults.  A thirty-minute walk from here is Hessenpark (Ph: 011 49 06081 58854), a 135 acre, open-air museum that recreates the village life of the 18th and 19th centuries.  The park's website is www.hessenpark.de.

Located about 10 miles northwest of Frankfurt-am-Rhein, Kronberg is in the midst of the Taunus Hills.  An excellent starting point for hiking trips in the Taunus Hills, Kronberg is home to the Opel Zoo (Königsteiner Str 35, Kronberg, Ph: 011 49 06173 79749).  With over one thousand animals (including elephants, apes, giraffes and other exotics), the zoo is also home to over 100 rides, a nature path, and picnic area.  Their website is www.opel-zoo.de (only in German).  The city's website is www.kronberg.de (in German only). 

Actually located just east of the Frankfurt airport, Neu-Isenburg is the home of Zeppelinheim and the Zeppelin Museum.  In the 1930's, lighter-than-air ships were seen as the future of air travel.  This museum is dedicated to the history of these behemoths and includes giant models of the ships.   One attraction of note is the reconstruction of a small section of the promenade deck of the passenger airship LZ 129 "Hindenburg" with a view of Rio de Janeiro through the windows.   The museum is located at Kapitän-Lehmann-Str. 2 (Ph: 011 49 069694 390).  The museum is open from 1 - 5 on Fridays and 10 - 5 on weekends and admission is free.   You can e-mail them at zeppelin-museum@t-online.de.

Given its proximity to Frankfurt and the Autobahn, this is the most likely starting point for exploring the Rheingau by bike (Rheingauer Rielsing Radwanderweg), foot (Rheingauer Rielsing Radwanderpfad) or car (Rheingauer Rielsing Radwanderoute).  The paths and roads extend as far as Kaub in the Mittelrhein and usually follow the Rhein as most of the wine villages are on the river (with each frequently having wine tasting bars right on the riverbank.  Wiesbaden is the capital of the state of Hesse.  With tree-lined streets, elegant shops and several baths, it is a lovely town for spending the day just wandering around.  Wiesbaden hosts the largest wine festival in the Rheingau, the Rheingauer Weinwoche, each August (mid-month).  In addition, the Farmer's Market is held each Wednesday and Saturday in the Marktplatz.  Online information is available at the official town website and Frommers.

Influenced by the castle completed by the Archbishop of Mainz in 1480, Eltville is filled with glorious estates built by the aristocratic families of old.  This is definitely a town to take a break in and just wander around.  During the first week of July, Eltville hosts its annual Sekt Festival, celebrating the region's sparkling wine.

Two miles north west of Eltville is the former Cistercian monastery, Kloster Eberbach (Stiftung Kloster Eberbach, Eltville Ph: 011 49 06723-9178-0).  Founded by Bernhard von Clairvaux in 1136, movie fans may recognize it from Sean Connery's rendition of Umberto Eco's The Name Of The Rose.  You can view the monastery's collection of wine presses and sample the wines that the estate still produces.  The monastery is a frequent site of concerts and wine events.  Their website is www.kloster-eberbach.de.

Located about 15 miles west of Wiesbaden, this is the center of Rheingau winemaking.  Tradition states that Charlemagne looked across the Rhine from Ingelheim and ordered that vines be planted there.  Schloss Johannisberg (www.schloss-johannisberg.com) was originally built as a Benedictine monastery in the 11th century. 

An important producer prior to the 18th century, this estate was the site of a major turning point in German winemaking history in 1775.  During that era, the estate was owned by the Prince/Abbott of Fulda, who required that he give permission in writing for the harvest to come in.  In 1775, however, this "memo" was delayed for a couple of days, forcing the grapes to stay on the vine for a few extra days.  The result was the first Spätlese (SPATE-lay-zeh), or late harvest wine.

The German Ivory-museum (Otto-Glenz-Straße 1; Ph: +49 6062 919990)  The German Ivory-museum in Erbach is the only Museum of its kind.  The unusual museum exhibits any possible information about ivory.  Visitors learn about the valuable material and get to see a wide range of different works.  More than 2000 works of ivory-art from various countries and epochs are constantly exhibited.  The museum is open daily 10:00AM to 5:00PM (closed November to February).

Although Rüdesheim is a bit of a tourist destination, it's a great town for a break, especially along the Drosselgasse (Thrush Alley), where there is a plethora of wine bars and pubs.  Fair warning: this is area is highly "touristy." 

One of the oldest castles in Germany is located here.  Once the Castle Brömserburg in Rüdesheim served as an early customs authority along the river Rhine and as official seat, but today its halls and vaults are used as a wine-museum, the Weinmuseum Brömserburg (Rheinstr 2, Ph: 011 49 06722 2348).  The castle which was built in 12the century, offers the world's oldest wine-related collection, ranging from wine- and drinking-vessels made out of different materials over bottles and labels to tools and equipment used by coopers, cellar men and wine-growers. There is also a wine-distillery installed true to the original.  Next to offering information concerning the history of wine, the Brömserburg also gives visitors the opportunity to try different wines.