▁today , ▁there ▁are ▁only ▁ 1 0 9 ▁commercial ▁w iner ies ▁left ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 5 5 ▁counted ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁Tour ism ▁▁ ▁Young ▁British ▁arist ocr ats ▁on ▁their ▁Grand ▁Tour ▁to ▁Italy ▁discovered ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁German ▁rom ance ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁in ▁Germany ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁dream ▁destination . ▁ ▁Tour ism , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁induced ▁by ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁rom antic ism , ▁in ▁turn ▁promoted , ▁which ▁was ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁Köln - D üsseld or fer ▁company , ▁which ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁Rh ine ▁Railway ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁ ▁This ▁brought ▁ ▁a ▁new ▁economic ▁bo om ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁area , ▁which ▁continued ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁only ▁p addle ▁ste amer ▁still ▁remaining ▁on ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁is ▁the ▁Go ethe , ▁running ▁between ▁Kob len z ▁and ▁R udes heim . ▁ ▁German ▁and ▁the ▁foreign ▁tour ists ▁never ▁quite ▁lost ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine . ▁ ▁Interest , ▁however , ▁decre ased ▁notice ably ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁▁ ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁more ▁attract ive ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century