BurgflotteLorch am Rhein
Houseboat rental · Lorch on the Rhine
Staying on the water in the Rheingau: a weekend, a proper break, or a few days of working — on two design houseboats in a quiet side arm, with the river right in front of the terrace. A roof terrace above the Rhine, four castles in view, from €179 per night.
02 · The place
Lorch am Rhein is the westernmost town of the Rheingau and lies in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002. Nollig Castle stands above the town, and further hilltop castles line this stretch of the valley. Freighters pass, the ferry shuttles across, the vineyards rise opposite — and you sit above it with your coffee.
03 · The marina
Marina Rheinlicht lies in a side arm of the Rhine, shielded by the Lorcher Werth island. That is why the water is still here while the current works outside. Both houseboats are firmly moored at the floating pontoon — they do not travel, they stay.
04 · The fleet · 1/2
For families with children
Two bedrooms, one with a bunk bed — the easy answer when children come along. The little ones sleep in their own room, the parents in theirs. Up to four guests sleep in the bedrooms; for the fifth and sixth there is a sofa bed in the living room.
from€179 / night
See dates
04 · The fleet · 2/2
For two couples or friends
Two full double beds in separate rooms — made for two couples or for friends. The two bedrooms are insulated against each other. For a fifth and sixth guest there is a sofa bed in the living room.
from€179 / night
See datesWhich of the two?
If children are coming along. The bunk bed saves setting up an extra bed, and the children have a room of their own.
If adults are travelling. Two equivalent double beds, no discussion about who sleeps where.
Layout, size, roof terrace, view and price are identical on both boats. The interiors are equivalent but differ in tone: Modern 1 has a dark kitchen, Modern 2 a light one.
05 · Free dates
The calendar shows which nights are still free. You choose your dates and book in the next step.
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Availability cannot be retrieved right now. The full calendar is in our booking system.
06 · On board
The layout is the same on both: an open living room with kitchen facing the river, behind it the bathroom and two bedrooms, above them the roof terrace. Same size, same technical fit-out, the same standard of equipment. From the pontoon to the bed there is not a single step; an outside stair leads up to the roof terrace.
The bathroom has a level-access shower, washbasin, WC and heated towel rail — plumbed like on land, no chemical toilet; at full occupancy all guests share it. What differs are the beds and the character of the interiors. That is why we show each boat separately.
Modern 1Double bed and bunk bed · dark kitchen
Modern 2two double beds · light kitchen
07 · Time on board
Most guests come for two nights and stay longer the next time. Three ways of using this place have emerged.
Arrive Friday evening, gas grill on the roof terrace, then the sky. Saturday the vineyards or the Lorelei, Sunday a lie-in and departure at noon. Two nights are enough for it to feel like a journey rather than an outing — for a birthday, an anniversary, or no reason at all.
From the third night something shifts. You start noticing which freighters run upstream and which down, when the ferry crosses, where the herons stand in the evening. No programme, no breakfast buffet, no neighbours above you — just moving water and a day that slows down.
A workation on the water: Wi-Fi that carries video calls, a dining table with room for two work stations, sockets where you need them, and a quiet no café can offer. Lorch station is a five-minute walk and Frankfurt a good hour by train — arriving on Sunday evening and leaving on Friday works without a car. If you want a week of focused work without returning to a hotel room in the evening, this is the place.
08 · The night
This stretch of the valley has stayed almost unlit. No promenade, no city washing out the sky — only the moon, when it feels like it. If you are looking for a night sky, this is where you find it: on a clear night the Milky Way stands over the valley, visible to the naked eye. Lying on the roof terrace and looking up is not a figure of speech here; it is the evening programme — a deck chair is enough, no telescope needed.
09 · The observatory
No observatory, no mountain ridge — these were taken right here, between the two boats, with a small telescope on the pontoon. That they work at all is the real argument for this place.
All images Burgflotte · DWARF 3 telescope · Marina Rheinlicht, Lorch on the Rhine
10 · Gallery
Swipe sideways · click to enlarge
11 · Location
Rheinuferstraße 3 — sheltered water behind the Lorcher Werth, in the middle of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Two parking spaces are included; the station is within walking distance.
Schematic sketch — not a navigation map. Plan your route (opens OpenStreetMap in a new window)
Rates
| Period | 2 guests | 4 guests | 6 guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| November – March | €179 | €235 | €291 |
| April – May | €199 | €255 | €311 |
| June | €209 | €265 | €321 |
| July – August | €229 | €285 | €341 |
| September | €209 | €265 | €321 |
| October | €199 | €255 | €311 |
Good to know
Check-in from 4 pm, check-out by noon. You get on board without a reception desk and are not tied to any hour. One request: if you arrive later than 8 pm, please let us know beforehand — otherwise our terms allow us to re-let the boat.
For two people a night costs between €179 (November to March) and €229 (July and August), depending on the season. From the third guest onwards €28 per person and night is added, so six guests pay between €291 and €341 per night. Final cleaning, bed linen, towels and utilities are included. The town of Lorch charges a tourism levy of €2.00 per person and night on top.
30 % down payment, due within seven days of the booking confirmation; the balance is due 14 days before arrival. If you book less than 14 days before arrival, the full amount falls due at once. In addition, a security deposit of €400 is pre-authorised on your credit card and released after your departure, provided no damage or missing items are found.
Yes. If you withdraw 60 days or more before arrival we charge 10 % of the total price; after that the rate rises in steps up to 80 %. If we manage to re-let the period, the charge is waived accordingly. The full scale is set out in our terms. There is no right of withdrawal for holiday accommodation booked for a fixed period (§ 312g(2) no. 9 German Civil Code).
No. Both houseboats are let without pets and are smoke-free — including the roof terrace.
Not officially barrier-free. The way leads over a gangway onto the floating pontoon; its incline depends on the level of the Rhine. Inside the boat everything is on one level, without a single step — older guests and families with a pram manage well. An outside stair leads up to the roof terrace.
No. Both boats lie stationary and firmly moored at Marina Rheinlicht. They are accommodation, not vehicles — no boat licence is required.
Outside the marina at your own risk; not inside the harbour basin. There is no ladder and no shallow entry, so anyone who wants to swim has to manage from the bank. For children and non-swimmers the Rhine here is not a bathing water — plan it as a view instead.
Yes, two free parking spaces belong to each boat, about fifty steps from the pontoon.
Yes — a workation on the water is a serious alternative to the home office here. The Wi-Fi carries video calls, the dining table seats two work stations, sockets sit at the seating areas, and air conditioning and heating keep the room comfortable all year. The berth is quiet: no through traffic on the pontoon, no neighbours above or below you. Lorch station is a five-minute walk away and Frankfurt a good hour by train — arriving on Sunday evening and leaving on Friday works without a car.
Yes. Lorch station is a five-minute walk away and is served by the right-bank Rhine line; Frankfurt is a good hour away. You do not need a car on site — bakery, supermarket and restaurants are in the town.
That is exactly what it is made for. Two nights are enough for the stay to feel like a journey: arrive Friday evening, vineyards or the Lorelei on Saturday, a lie-in on Sunday. For birthdays, anniversaries and similar occasions the roof terrace is the favourite — it sits above the water, out of sight.
Lorch lies in the middle of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Walking and cycling routes start at the bank, the vineyards rise on the opposite side, and Nollig Castle is about half an hour on foot — a short but steep climb. Rüdesheim is twenty minutes away, the Lorelei thirty-five. If you would rather do nothing at all, you stay on the roof terrace — that is expressly provided for.
Above all in the sleeping arrangement: Modern 1 has one double bed and a bunk bed, Modern 2 two full double beds. Layout, size, roof terrace, view and price are identical on both. The interiors are equivalent but differ in tone — Modern 1 has a dark kitchen, Modern 2 a light one. Both boats are shown with their own photographs in the “On board” section.
Yes, we let from two nights — all year round, with no exception in high season. For a weekend for two that is exactly right: arrive on Friday evening, stay until noon on Sunday.
The two bedrooms sleep four. For the fifth and sixth guest there is a pull-out sofa bed in the living room. Bed linen and towels are included for every guest. Children count as guests, whatever their age.
Yes, and it is one of the reasons to come. This stretch of the Rhine valley has almost no street lighting: on a clear night the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye. The roof terrace is the observing spot — a deck chair is enough, a telescope is not needed. Every photograph in the “Observatory” section was taken from the pontoon.
The Rhine rises and falls; that is part of it. If the berth has to be closed because of flooding, drifting ice or an order by the marina, we refund the full amount for the affected period — with no cancellation charge. We watch the gauges and get in touch early if something is coming.
A glass of wine with six people: gladly. Individual day visitors are welcome too, though they may not stay overnight. A party with outside guests is not possible — neither the harbour rules nor our terms allow it. Quiet hours in the marina run from 10 pm to 9 am, indoors and out. That is the price of the calm you came for.
Each boat has a bathroom with a level-access shower, washbasin, WC and heated towel rail — plumbed like on land, no chemical toilet. There is no bathtub. At full occupancy all guests share this one bathroom.
The berth itself is quiet: no through traffic on the pontoon, no neighbours above or below you, no road noise across the water. In fairness: the right-bank Rhine line runs through the Middle Rhine valley — one of the busiest freight railways in Europe — and trains run at night as well. If you are very sensitive to noise, you should know that. The boats are well insulated; with the windows closed little of it comes through.
The boat lies in still water, access is level, and the roof terrace is railed all round. Even so: children must be supervised in the harbour and on the pontoons, and we strongly recommend a life jacket for non-swimmers on deck and on the walkways. With its bunk bed, Modern 1 is the boat for families.
Book direct without platform fees: 30 % deposit, the balance 14 days before arrival. You choose dates, number of guests and total price in the next step, in our booking system.