famous Spätburgunder is produced from grapes grown on the terraces of the “Höllenberg” (Hell's Hill) and is noted for its velvety soft, full-bodied taste, which has made Assmanns-hausen famous as a “red wine town”. The 900-year old wine-growing traditi-on has been enjoyed by many famous guests. The traditional Hotel Krone has been host to Kaiser Wilhelm and Kaiserin Sissi of Austria. The flower-decked Rhine terraces of the restaurants and cafés with an unin-terrupted view of the famous river offer relaxation and culinary delights. High above the rooftops, the “red wine bower” offers a beautiful panoramic view across the vineyards and the Rhine. Just as the Höllenberg wines gleam ruby-red in the glass, so the Riesling wines produced from the Rüdesheim terraces appear fresh and golden. Wine-growing has a long tradi-tion here in Rüdesheim and justifies the reputation of the town as an important centre of fine Rheingau wines. This Rhineside town shows the histori-cally- minded visitor some of the skills of the noble Rheingau lineages and it presents some particularly remarkable masterpieces in the half-timbered style of building. Some varied and unique museums offer the visitor an interesting time, ran-ging from musical instruments that play by themselves and torture instruments in dungeons to the the two-thousand-year history of wine-growing in the Rheingau, not forgetting the Asbach Visitors Centre which informs visitors on the production of the world-famous Rüdesheim brandy. RÜDESHEIM AND I TS DISTRICTS 7 RÜDESHEIM AND I TS DISTRICTS On the foundation wall of the mona-stery founded by Hildegard of Bingen in 1165 stands the Catholic parish church of Eibingen where the remains of St Hildegard are preserved in a sump-tuous shrine. The skyline is dominated by the Benedictine abbey, named after the great female figure of the Middle Ages and constructed at the beginning of the 20th century. On the hills above Rüdesheim the out-lying districts of Aulhausen, Presberg and Windeck/Trift offer tranquillity and the opportunity to walk through forests and vineyards, over meadows and fields. The reconstruction of a pottery oven, a reminder of the pottery culture that dates back several centuries, can be admired in Aulhausen. Once a year the quiet area of Presberg resounds to the sound of engines during the classic cars hill-climb. The town's varied calendar of events takes the visitor through a whole year's worth of festivals and markets, concerts and cultural events, from the Rhine on fire to the festivals centred on wine. In December, the smells of mulled wine, punch and other spicy temptati-ons waft around the Old Town during the “Christmas Market of the Nations”. It would be a shame not to spend a few hours here. 6