The Middle Rhine Valley forms one of the most famous landscapes in Germany. It is well known for its gorge-like valley, which is deeply incised into the Rhenish Slate Mountains, flanked by numerous castles and steep valley slopes with extensive vineyards. The Middle Rhine Valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002, forms a typical landscape palimpsest. Here we describe the Middle Rhine Valley structured by the dominant spatio-temporal scales that make up the most prominent landscape elements of the palimpsest: i) the dissected early Cenozoic planation surface, ii) the broad trough valley, iii) the incised gorge and iv) the recent geomorphic activity and human intervention. Special emphasis is given to the Rhine terraces that form a prominent staircase along the Middle Rhine Valley and have been subject to intensive research since more than one century. In addition, characterisation of recent processes and river dynamics are of crucial interest not only for the Middle Rhine Valley, as the Rhine connects the largest population centers in Germany including important infrastructure and is the largest waterway in Europe linking the European Alps and the North Sea.