Rheingau

For the wine region, see Rheingau (wine region).

County of the Rhine district, The Rhinegraviate Grafschaft der Rheingau, Rheingrafschaft
State of the Frankish Empire State of the Holy Roman Empire
← 937–1866 →
The Rheingau shown on a 1905 map of Hesse-Nassau
Capital	Rheingrafenstein in Kreuznach; later Eltville
Government	Principality
Historical era	Middle Ages
- Established	ca 937 937
- Donation of Verona:    given to Abp Mainz	983
- Archbishopric dissolved;    to Duchy of Nassau	1806
- Prussia annexes Nassau    into Hesse-Nassau	1866 1866

The Rheingau (English: Rhine District) is the hill country on the north side of the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the western Taunus to the Rhine. It lies in the state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district. It is famous for Rheingau wines, especially the "Rheingauer Riesling," and its many wine taverns.

History

The Rheingau was as a Gau or county of the Frankish Empire, bordered by the Niddagau, the Maingau, the Oberrheingau, and the Lahngau; the counts of the Rheingau were known as Rhinegraves. The first Rhinegrave on record is Hato VI (937–960).

In 983, Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the Rheingau, together with other territories, to the Archbishopric of Mainz during the Diet of Verona. When the Archbishopric was dissolved in 1806, the Rheingau was given to the Duchy of Nassau.

As a result of the marriage of John III (1383–1428) to Adelheid, scion of the Wildgraves of Kyrburg, John V (1476–95) inherited territories in the Obersalm Wasgau, to the left of the Rhine (from the Nahegau, on the River Nahe and in the Alsace) from the Wildgraves and the counts of Salm, so that these territories also came to be linked to their name, with the counts using the title "Wild- and Rhinegraves of Salm".

Gallery

• 

  Rheingau valley with the River Rhine

• 

  Rheinberg castle keep ruins, near Lorch

• 

  View from the Niederwald-Monument into the Rheingau

• 

  Schloss Vollrads near Oestrich-Winkel

• 

  The Drosselgasse in Ruedesheim

Events

• The Rheingau Musik Festival takes place every year in July and August in many locations throughout the region.
• The Rheingau Wine Festival takes place in Wiesbaden every year in August.
• Most towns celebrate their own annual wine festival.

External links

• German wine regions: Rheingau
• Rheingau/Wiesbaden Area English & French Speaking community