Destination: The Rhinelands Age appeal: Not for young children When to go: The summer months.

As a girl brought up with four males, all football mad, I have long been aware of the agony and ecstasy of qualifying rounds, penalty shoot-outs, national pride and the Holy Grail of the World Cup. So it was exciting to have the chance to view some of the stadia where the 2006 World Cup games would be played in Germany.

We began our tour in Stuttgart. My previous visits to Germany had centred on Berlin, which although fascinating left an impression of dourness and grey architecture. Not so these lovely cities of the Rhineland, home of the German wine industry.

To celebrate next year's World Cup, vineyards in the area have produced commemorative wines. Like many Brits I had never rated German wines very highly, but on this occasion, I was not averse to the prospect of wine-tasting.

On our first night at the Mercure Hotel, Stuttgart, we met Stefan Schindler, our tour guide who not only put us to shame with his fluent English but also gave the lie to the belief that Germans have no sense of humour.

Our first day in Stuttgart, and a visit to the GottliebDaimler Stadium. Already very impressive, this stadium is being upgraded to accommodate 50,000 fans for the World Cup. And elsewhere in the city there will be huge screens broadcasting all the matches.

Other venues include a huge football globe in the Palace Square where cultural events will be held.

We enjoyed warm sunshine and cloudless skies, a perfect climate to explore this delightful city, which combines traditional German architecture with the ultra modern. It is famous not only for its car industries but also its spa mineral baths. It is one of the few major cities that wasn't destroyed in the Second World War.

We dined at the Cube Restaurant, a huge glass cube perched on the top of the contemporary art gallery, with views of the historic main square and stunning mountain vistas including the region's vineyards.

On the outskirts of Stuttgart among gentle hillsides dotted with picturesque hamlets is one of the oldest wine grower's co-operatives. The Fellbacher Weingartner, founded in 1859, still includes in its 150 member families some descendants of the original founders. Trollinger, Lembeger, Mullerrebe (Pinot Meunier) and white wines such as Kerner and Reisling are produced by the co-operative and have been selected to produce the World Cup wine for the city of Stuttgart.

Although I was converted to appreciating German wines, the cuisine was a different matter. Large solid helpings of meat starters and main courses with very little veg or salad was the norm.

The accommodation at the Hotel Schloss Edesheim almost compensated for the cuisine. The Maximillan Suite was magical, opulent and luxurious, the floor space was larger than the average detached house, plush drapes framed the ceiling-to-floor windows opening up to a balcony where the following morning I made sure I sat and drank my coffee while watching the sun rise over the nearby vineyards.

The next day we found ourselves at the Weingut Werner Anselman vineyard in the town of Edesheim, a short walk from the hotel. At nine o'clock we were presented with a large glass of sparkling wine and an hour later had tasted a further 12 varieties. I must say at this point I felt decidedly tipsy; perhaps I hadn't fully grasped the difference between wine tasting and wine drinking!

This vintner in stark contrast to the co-operative has recently opened a state-of-the-art, computerbased wine cellar. The contrast between the old vats and still-rooms with the clinical stainless steel and gentle hum of the machinery was quite a shock to the system. The wine produced is different but just as good with most of their produce being exported worldwide. They are also producing one of the four World Cup wines for the city of Kaiserslautern.

The Fritz Walter Stadium is named after the football legend of the 1954 German World Cup victory which did so much to restore the country's self esteem and national pride. Fritz Walter, himself a native of Kaiserslautern, played a vital role in securing the 2006 tournament for Germany although he sadly died in 2002. The stadium is not as hi-tech as others but it had real character, the seats are close to the pitch making it a communal atmosphere.

Our next hotel, the Wartenberger Muhle, Pfalz was truly state-of-the-art, each room was individually designed by a different artist all in a contemporary style. The accommodation was not large, but far from cramped and delightful in its quirkiness. And the food was delicious, the presentation of the food was an art form in itself. Each course was enhanced by little surprise chef specials between servings.

The following day brought more wine-tasting. By now I was confident enough to consider myself quite an expert. So I had no hesitation in declaring the wine from the Franz Kunsler estate the best, and by now I realised the standard of German wines was pretty high. Weingut Franz Kunsler is one of the Rhineland's most prominent producers of Riesling wines and also excellent red Pinot Noirs.

Traditionally the best wines are saved to the last and so it was with our tour.

Frankfurt has all the attributes of any bustling cosmopolitan city with skyscrapers and tower blocks reminiscent of New York or Chicago, yet somehow this blends with the old Frankfurt. The traditional architecture has not been swept away to facilitate contemporary needs.

At the heart of the city are the old historic buildings and I was privileged to stand on the balcony of the Romer building where successful German football teams traditionally show off their trophies.

I longed for more time to explore but our short stay didn't allow. We did, of course, visit the Commerzbank Arena football stadium, stunningly modern and boasting a retractable roof.

A brief tour, but one packed with experiences, surprises and pleasures. This was my first visit to the Rhineland region but I'm determined it won't be my last.

FACTFILE The 2006 World Cup runs from Friday, June 9-Sunday, July 9, 2006 with tickets starting at £24 for a group match. For tickets and further information visit the 2006 World Cup official website at www. fifaworldcup. yahoo. com Rooms at the Mercure Hotel, Stuttgart range from £34 to £122 per night Hotel Schloss Edesheim offers singles from £55; doubles from £90 and suites from £123 Flights from Manchester to Frankfurt with Lufthansa start from £77 including taxes For further information about travelling to germany visit www. germany-tourism.co.uk