📷 Photo by Joshua Kettle on UnsplashLoreley
Sankt Goarshausen, Germany
A slate rock above the narrowest bend of the Rhine, with a viewpoint over the castle-lined valley.
The Loreley is a 125-metre slate rock (193 metres above sea level) on the Middle Rhine near St. Goarshausen. The Rhine is only about 175 metres wide here and has a strong current. According to Rheinsteig, the name probably derives from “Ley” (rock) and “Loren” (to listen) and may refer to the rushing rapids and the echo in the narrow valley.
The legend of the woman who combs her golden hair on the rock and lures boatmen to their doom was shaped by Clemens Brentano (1800) and above all Heinrich Heine (1824); Friedrich Silcher set the poem to music in 1838. At the end of a narrow breakwater in the Rhine, the bronze statue of the Loreley sits on a rocky platform.
For the breakwater, drive to the car park about 2.5 kilometres south of St. Goarshausen and walk roughly 600 metres. The main path is rough and made of jagged slate, so sturdy shoes help; the sandy lower path is often underwater.
- Nearest town
- Sankt Goarshausen, Germany
- Category
- Scenic viewpoints
- GPS
- 50.1394, 7.7291
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in October. Cold, short days in December–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Getting there
- Germany: No motorway tolls for cars. No general motorway speed limit (130 km/h advised) and no tolls for cars.
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Camping LoreleyblickCampsite1 km from Loreley · 360 pitchesTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposalWi-Fi
- LoreleystadtCampsite3 km from LoreleyTentsCaravansDrinking waterShowersToiletsNo dogs
- Camping SonnenstrandCampsite10 km from LoreleyTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToilets
- Ferienpark GehaichnisCampsite12 km from LoreleyTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
- Campingplatz SonneneckCampsite14 km from LoreleyTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
- Green Camping am RheinCampsite16 km from Loreley · 45 pitchesTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposalDogs allowedWi-Fi
All campsites in Germany · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Loreley?
Loreley is in Sankt Goarshausen, Germany, at GPS 50.1394, 7.7291. It is about 4 km from Oberwesel.
Can you camp near Loreley?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Camping Loreleyblick, about 1 km away; within 25 km there are 69 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Loreley?
Loreley is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Castles of the Rhine and Moselle.
What is there to see near Loreley?
Places worth a stop nearby: Bacharach (10 km), Burg Eltz (29 km), Reichsburg Cochem (40 km) and Geysir Andernach (41 km).
When is the best time to visit Loreley?
The most pleasant months are usually May–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in October. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)