ges ▁and ▁many ▁wine - v ill ages . ▁The ▁lower ▁half ▁from ▁Kob len z ▁( R h ine - kil ometer ▁ 5 9 3 ) ▁to ▁Bonn ▁( R h ine - kil ometer ▁ 6 5 5 ) ▁is ▁famous ▁for ▁the ▁formerly ▁vol can ic ▁Sie ben geb ir ge ▁with ▁the ▁Dra chen f els ▁vol cano . ▁Both ▁parts ▁together ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁rom antic ▁Rh ine ". ▁ ▁The ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁Valley ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁major ▁tour ist ▁att raction ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁home ▁to ▁some ▁ 4 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁The ▁valley ▁ow es ▁its ▁special ▁appearance ▁to ▁both ▁its ▁natural ▁shape ▁and ▁human ▁alter ations . ▁For ▁two ▁mill enn ia , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁routes ▁for ▁cultural ▁exchange ▁between ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁region ▁and ▁northern ▁Europe . ▁Situ ated ▁in ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁Europe , ▁it ▁was ▁sometimes ▁a ▁border ▁and ▁sometimes ▁a ▁bridge ▁between ▁different ▁cult ures . ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁valley ▁reflect s ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁With ▁its ▁many ▁out standing ▁monuments , ▁its ▁hills ▁full ▁of ▁v ines , ▁its ▁settlement s ▁crow ded ▁on ▁the ▁narrow ▁river ▁banks , ▁and ▁the ▁rows ▁of ▁cast les ▁l ined ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁hill ▁to ps , ▁it ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁ep it ome ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁rom antic ism . ▁It ▁inspired ▁Heinrich