Last time in Mainz, I headed south to the college town of Heidelberg (you can read here), home to a breath-taking Renaissance castle north of the Alps. And, this time, I make a journey to the west, visiting one of the most beautiful wine regions in Germany, Rüdesheim am Rhein.

To kick-start the day, I savor a scrumptious breakfast buffet at Hyatt Regency Mainz, just in time capturing an amazing sunrise above the tranquil Rhine River. It’s about 7:15 in the morning.

Going from Mainz to Rüdesheim is no difficult task; take a train to Wiesbaden and transit to Rüdesheim station. However, due to temporary construction work, I have to stop at Geisenheim and hop on a shuttle bus.

Nestled in the Rhine Valley, Rüdesheim is a popular tourist attraction famous for its winemaking industry, especially of Riesling wine. To go inside the town, you’ll pass through Drosselgasse, a 144-meter-long narrow cobblestone street lined with decorative restaurants, open-air taverns, and souvenir shops. It’s once built for boat owners to move items from the river to their homes. My favorite store is located adjacent to a cable car station. Though it’s not December yet, the shop sells all things Christmas that makes you feel like Santa is coming to town.

Then it comes to the highlight of the trip: a cable car tour. There’s a range of packages on offer, and I pick the Ring Tour (€15), which includes a cable car ride up to the Niederwald recreational facilities, a chairlift down to Assmannshausen, and a cruise back to Rüdesheim. Having a pint-sized, two-passenger-seat cable car all by myself, I can fully embrace the serene, surreal vibe surrounded by golden vineyards glistening in the sun.

After a morning of traveling, I have already worked up my appetite, and fortunately, there’s a restaurant up on the summit, named Am Niederwald. It’s warm and cozy inside, with only a few tables of customers. I order Cheese Swabian noodles with mixed salad, paired with a glass of Riesling. I have no idea what Swabian noodles are, but I guess I can’t go wrong with pasta. The noodles are quite chewy, doused in a rich sauce, but it’s too salty that I have to stop eating at a certain point.

The trail to the chairlift station takes around 40 minutes and it’s a scenic journey filled the mesmerizing colors of the fall season.

Make sure you arrive the chairlift station by 5:30pm before it closes. Swinging my feet high above the vineyards, I hold my GoPro and phone tight in my shivering hands, worrying that they’ll be dropped in the blink of an eye. It’s worth to take the risk though; the picture-perfect scene in front of me is too captivating. Occasionally, the passengers going up beckon to me and raise the question that I’ve been asked a million times: “Why are you alone?” “Because I love traveling alone.” But it seems not many people are satisfied with my answer.

It’s around 5pm when I land in Assmannshausen, so I make a beeline for the ferry station. Before returning to Rüdesheim, the cruise stops by Bingen am Rhein, the birthplace of Saint Hildegard von Bingen, one of the most influential medieval composers. I wish I’ve time to peek in, but there’s a train to catch, and my trembling body is longing for a hot shower in my house of slumber tonight.