Oestrich
First mentioned in records dating back to more than 800 years Oestrich has remained a tranquil wine village with charm and flair until today. Viticulture has a long tradition here, the elegant Riesling wines from the well-known vineyard sites from Oestrich such as Lenchen and Doosberg are among the Rheingaus top wines.
The wine loading crane on the bank of the Rhine from 1745 is the towns landmark, which can be seen from a far distance. With the help of a pivotable timber structure which was driven by a fly wheel moved by manpower, barrel after barrel was lifted onto the narrow Rhine ships. The crane of Oestrich operated until 1925. An impressive ensemble of half-timbered houses can be admired on the other side of the national road, which spontaneously evokes recollections of the Rhine Romanticism of the 19th century. The historical hotel Schwan is a restaurant at the same time. The distinctive, angular fortified tower of the late-Gothic church of St Martin with the so-called Gienaltar from the 16th century rises right behind the building. The old small streets in Oestrich with their estates, the historic market place, the town hall from 1584 and the old inn Krone are among the most picturesque places in the whole region.
Reichartshausen Palace, a former agricultural building belonging to Eberbach Monastery, is located at the gates of Oestrich. This was the place where the monks stored and from where they shipped their wine barrels, in order to transport them in a relatively secure and quick way by water. Reichartshausen Palace has housed the first private university since 1980, the European Business School, in this way revitalising the historic building by the young people who study there.