The Rhine River is the main waterway of central Europe and western Germany. For a long time it served as the main trade route between north and south, and now there are several large port cities on the Rhine. And the Middle Rhine valley is even included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage - not surprising, because it is here that the most popular castles of the Rhine are located.
The Middle Rhine Valley is a picturesque hilly region. Vineyards are laid out on the slopes, and at their foot are tiny villages, as if descended from the pen of a children's storyteller. And on the tops of these hills, ancient medieval fortresses or luxurious neo-Gothic palaces are proudly located.
There are several dozen castles in the Rhine Valley, each with its own unique history. For example, the powerful citadel of Marksburg is the only medieval castle that has survived to this day in its original form. But the Stolzenfels castle lay in ruins for several centuries, but already in the middle of the 19th century it turned into a luxurious neoclassical residence of the Prussian king.
The Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is absolutely extraordinary - it is located on a tiny island in the middle of the Rhine. The famous pair castles Katz and Mouse, known as the "cat" and "mouse", are especially popular. By the way, they are also located very close to the infamous Lorelei rock. Another curious pair of castles are the old fortresses of Liebenstein and Sterrenberg, connected by a tragic legend.
In addition to the Rhine Valley, castles towering over the neighboring river - the Moselle - may also be of interest. It is in the Moselle Valley that the amazing Eltz Castle is located, which has been in the possession of the same family for more than five hundred years. It is impossible not to visit the picturesque town of Cochem, famous for its splendid castle surrounded by vineyards.
TOP 10 Rhine Castles
Drachenburg Palace
Drachenburg Palace
It is better to start your trip along the Rhine Valley from the north, not far from Cologne or the former capital of Germany - Bonn. Just on the opposite bank of the Rhine from Bonn lies the picturesque mountain region of Siebengebirge, which includes the famous Drachenfels rock.
This place is sung in the epic Song of the Nibelungs. It was here that the legendary hero Siegfried slain the fearsome dragon Fafnir. It is not for nothing that this rock is called the dragon rock. According to other legends, the untold treasures of dragons are hidden in the caves in the Drachenfels rock.
Now there is a funicular, the oldest in Germany - it was opened back in 1883. It connects the tiny town at the foot of the hill - Königswinter - with the luxurious Drachenburg Palace, located on its slopes.
Drachenburg is considered a masterpiece of neo-Gothic architecture and is the largest building of the 19th century in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is curious that this huge building, consisting of many graceful turrets with pointed spiers, was built in just two years. Now a park is spread around the palace, smoothly flowing into well-groomed vineyards.
And at the very top of the Drachenfels cliff - at an altitude of 321 meters above sea level - you can see the picturesque ruins of an older 12th century castle, known by the same name - Drachenfels.
A museum has been opened in the neo-Gothic palace Drachenburg. You can climb to the top of Mount Drachenfels on foot along a steep path or on a convenient old funicular. Unforgettable donkey rides are organized for children.
Stolzenfels castle
Stolzenfels castle
Stolzenfels Castle resembles a palace from a children's fairy tale. This luxurious neo-Gothic building is painted white. The fortress is surrounded by a powerful fortress wall, and in the very appearance of the castle, jagged turrets of various sizes stand out.
The main tower - bergfried - was built in 1244 and consists of six floors. It was completed many times, but partly it has been preserved since the Middle Ages. Then the castle belonged to the powerful archbishops of the city of Trier, and also served as an important customs post. Unfortunately, like many other defensive structures of the Rhine Valley, Stolzenfels Castle was destroyed during the Thirty Years War in the middle of the 17th century. Since then, the castle has been in ruins.
The revival of the castles of the Rhine Valley, including Stolzenfels, would have been impossible if not for the Crown Prince of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm. In his youth, he was fascinated by the beauty of these places and patronized the famous architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the creator of the style of historical romanticism that was popular at that time.
For twenty years - by 1842 - on the site of dilapidated ruins, the magnificent Stolzenfels palace, whose outlines repeated the medieval fortress, arose. The Crown Prince, who by that time had already become King Frederick William IV, immediately turned the castle into his residence. Here even the meeting of the Prussian king with the famous Queen Victoria took place.
Under Frederick Wilhelm, more modern buildings were also erected, including a small neoclassical palace. Now this entire complex has been transformed into a museum and is open to tourists.
- The premises of the main tower of Stolzenfels Castle are artfully decorated in a neo-Gothic style. The luxurious interior of the living quarters has been preserved here, reminiscent of medieval chambers. And the walls are decorated with paintings by Hermann Stilke, considered a masterpiece of 19th century German romanticism.
- The huge knight's hall is also worth a visit. Its low, vaulted ceilings display unique collections of antique weapons and drinking vessels from different eras.
- The rest of the rooms of Stolzenfels Castle are richly decorated with paintings from the personal collection of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and other decorative elements and jewels. The exquisitely designed neo-Gothic chapel from 1845 is worth a visit.
Around Stolzenfels Castle is a huge park, decorated with decorative terraces and flower beds. In the depths of the garden, you can stumble upon a romantic grotto and even a monumental viaduct.
Opposite the Stolzenfels castle is another famous castle of the Rhine Valley - Lanek, also rebuilt in the style of historical romanticism at the end of the 19th century.
Laneck castle
Laneck castle
Laneck Castle is located on a steep cliff overlooking the confluence of the tiny river Lahn and the mighty Rhine. This romantic building dating back to 1226 has a fascinating history.
Initially, Lanek Castle belonged to the powerful Archbishop of Mainz von Eppstein and even received the King of Germany, Adolf of Nassau, within its walls. However, this king was treacherously killed, and the Eppsteins began to weave a conspiracy against the new ruler. The conspiracy was revealed, the owner of the castle was executed.
There is a legend that several Templars who fled after the dissolution of the order in 1312 hid in Lanek Castle. In the following centuries, the archbishops of Mainz and numerous electors often stayed here.
Unfortunately, like many other castles in the Rhine Valley, Lanek was destroyed by Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War in the middle of the 17th century. From that moment on, Lanek Castle turned into a picturesque ruin, which, however, did not lose its attractiveness. The ruins of Laneck Castle, for example, inspired the great poet Goethe to create several poems.
The most heartbreaking story of Laneck Castle happened in 1851. The romantic ruins attracted many tourists, and one of them, a young Scottish girl, could not get out of the dilapidated tower and died of starvation, forgotten by everyone. Several years later, restorers discovered her skeleton, as well as travel notes, where she described her last days of life.
However, largely thanks to this tragedy, Lanek Castle acquired a modern look - at the end of the 19th century it was completely rebuilt, repeating the outlines of a medieval building. In its appearance, the unusual pentagonal crenellated tower, which is 29 meters high, stands out especially.
Now Laneck Castle belongs to the descendants of World War I admiral Robert Mischke. The upper floor of the castle is a private property, while the lower floors are a museum.
Marksburg castle
Marksburg castle
Marksburg Castle is famous for being one of the few fortified buildings in the Rhine Valley that have survived in their original form since the Middle Ages. Therefore, his story is especially interesting.
Marksburg Castle began its existence in 1100, and its modern building was built in 1283. Then it belonged to the powerful Counts von Katzenellenbogen, who owned many other castles in the Rhine Valley.
Nowadays, elements of the late Romanesque and Gothic styles can be traced in the exterior of Marksburg Castle. However, its outer wall was rebuilt much later, as military equipment improved and artillery spread. Then powerful round towers appeared.
The oldest part of Marksburg Castle is its main tower or bergfried. Built in 1237-1238, it consists of four floors, while tapering upward. Such an interesting structure contributed to a better view from the top of the tower.
Now Marksburg Castle is almost completely open to tourists - separate rooms are occupied by the administration of the German Castle Society, an organization thanks to which many castles in the Rhine Valley began a new life and were carefully restored.
- The top floor of the Marksburg castle houses the main living quarters - an office, bedrooms and children's rooms. It is also worth visiting the sumptuous late Romanesque main hall.
- A cozy chapel of St. Mark is located at the top of the tower. By the way, Marksburg Castle got its name only in 1437, when this chapel was consecrated. Before that, the castle was named like the nearby town - Braubach.
- Of particular interest are the service rooms: a wine cellar with low Gothic vaults, a warm kitchen with 18th century utensils. Tourists with iron nerves are invited to descend into the torture chamber.
- The jewel in the museum collection of Marksburg Castle are the exhibits displayed in the armory. Here you can see ancient weapons that have survived since the Gallic Wars.
Pfalzgrafenstein castle
Pfalzgrafenstein castle
The miniature fortress Pfalzgrafenstein is considered the pearl of the Rhine Valley. This stunning structure completely occupies the islet of Falkenau, which is just over a hundred meters long.
The castle is unique in that it has never been captured by enemy troops. It was built in the XIV century in an unusual shape - the entire castle, with towers, a fortress wall, defensive fortifications and other buildings, resembles a ship in its appearance. Palatzgrafenstein belonged directly to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and served as an important naval customs post.
By the way, the place where the fortress was built is no coincidence - a river rapids passed a kilometer from the island of Falkenau, and a chain stretched across the Rhine itself, forcing the ships to slow down and at the same time pay the due duty. The castle performed its customs functions until 1867, and then was converted into a lighthouse.
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is painted white. In the 16th century, it was additionally fortified with powerful towers, and in 1755 it was crowned with graceful roofs typical of the Baroque era.
Now the Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is open for tourist visits. The six-story tower has preserved its ancient interiors; it is also worth going down to the frightening dungeon at the lowest tier of the tower. Debtors and merchants-seafarers were kept in this prison, who refused to pay the due duty. However, such brave souls were not enough, since during severe storms and floods, the dungeon of the Pfalzgrafenstein castle was completely under water!
You can get to the Pfalzgrafenstein castle by ferry from the neighboring large city of Kauba, above which there is another customs post, like the Pfalzgrafenstein castle, which was directly subordinate to the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The customs office was located in the powerful medieval castle of Gutenfels, built in the first half of the 13th century. At the end of the 19th century, it was completely redesigned and modernized, and the building of the former fortress now houses a luxury hotel surrounded by vineyards.
Reichenstein castle
Reichenstein castle
Reichenstein Castle is located on a steep slope. It has a rich history, while the exact date of its construction remains unknown, but most likely at the beginning of the 13th century it already existed. Fun fact - in those days, the castle was owned by robber knights, who instilled fear in the merchants who traveled through the Rhine Valley.
Subsequently, the Reichenstein castle was recaptured and passed into the hands of the powerful archbishops of Mainz. Like many other castles in the Rhine Valley, it was destroyed by French forces in 1689 during the War of the Palatinate Succession. It was restored at the beginning of the 20th century. Reichenstein Castle was the last castle in the Rhine Valley to be completely rebuilt in the then popular style of historical romanticism.
Now Reichenstein Castle is open to tourists. The entrance to the castle is via an old drawbridge. In the living rooms of the castle, the unique furnishings of the past centuries have been preserved, especially the spacious knight's hall with stained-glass windows, located on the top floor of the castle. In addition to ancient interiors, you can also see a collection of weapons and armor. The castle chapel with its unusual wooden altar is also worth a visit. By the way, there is also a luxury hotel on the territory of the castle.
Reichenstein Castle is located exactly in the middle between two other curious castles:
- A couple of kilometers to the north is the monumental Zoonek Castle, built at the same time as Reichenstein. Also destroyed in 1689, it was rebuilt according to medieval canons thanks to the Crown Prince of Prussia, Frederick William IV, who was fond of romanticism. In the exterior of the castle Zoonek stands out a powerful keep and a high crenellated main tower - bergfried. The castle is surrounded by a fortress wall. Now Zoonek Castle is open to tourists - its halls are exquisitely decorated in a neo-Gothic style with the addition of more modern furniture from the Biedermeier era. The walls are decorated with a variety of valuable canvases from the personal collection of the Hohenzollern dynasty.
- A couple of kilometers to the south, on a steep cliff, is the romantic Rheinstein Castle, one of the oldest castles in the Rhine Valley. It was built in the 10th century, but it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Like Zoonek Castle, Reinstein was rebuilt in the style of historical romanticism in the middle of the 19th century, at the same time a splendid neo-Gothic chapel appeared here. Now this romantic castle, where Queen Victoria and the last Russian empress Alexandra Feodorovna stayed, is especially popular as a wedding venue.
Sterrenberg Castle
Sterrenberg Castle
The history of Sterrenberg Castle is almost a thousand years old - the first mention of it dates back to the 11th century. In 1315, he went to the powerful Elector of Trier, while a real duel broke out for the possession of the castle. However, at the end of the 16th century, the castle was abandoned and stood in ruins for another three hundred years. Surprisingly, the powerful fortress wall and the main tower of the castle - bergfried remained intact and preserved in its original form.
In the seventies of the XX century, the Sterrenberg castle was restored, many rooms were completely rebuilt. At the same time, a luxurious restaurant, furnished in a neo-gothic style, opened.
And in the immediate vicinity of this castle, there is another ancient fortress - Liebenstein Castle. It was built at the end of the 13th century by the owners of Sterrenberg Castle to strengthen their positions. Over the past centuries, only the huge main tower of the castle has been preserved - it consists of 8 floors and reaches 17 meters in height. This powerful medieval building dates back to the XIV-XV centuries.
Now a cozy park is open on the territory of Liebenstein Castle. Only ruins remained of the main castle buildings, carefully refined and incorporated into the design of the garden. And in the building of the medieval tower there is an elite hotel with a restaurant.
The castles Sterrenberg and Liebenstein are connected by a tragic legend, it is believed that two brothers lived in them, quarreled for life because of their love for a beautiful lady who ended her days in a monastery. However, according to historical documents, no enmity between the castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein has been recorded, moreover, they belonged to the same owner.
The castles Sterrenberg and Liebenstein are also important points of the famous Rhine Trail - a hiking trail that runs through hills and vineyards along this extraordinary river.
Rheinfels castle
Rheinfels castle
The huge Rheinfels Castle is considered the largest of all the castles in the Rhine Valley. At the same time, during its heyday, it occupied an even larger area - about five times more than modern scales.
Rheinfels Castle - as well as the pretty Katz Castle opposite it - belonged to the powerful Counts von Katzenlenbogen. It served as their personal residence and also served as an administrative and customs center.
Rheinfels Castle was repeatedly fortified to withstand numerous enemy attacks. Ultimately, it was completely destroyed during the French Revolution. Now Rheinfels Castle has been transformed into a luxurious castle-hotel Romantik Hotel Schloss Rheinfels, but an impressive part of the architectural complex has not been restored.
Picturesque ruins make up the museum part of Rheinfels Castle. The entrance to the museum is through the old clock tower, which has been preserved since 1300. A medieval wine cellar, considered the largest in all of Europe, is also open to visit. Now this spacious room is used as a concert hall - it can accommodate about 400 people. The former castle chapel houses the Rheinfels Castle History Museum, where a model of the original old building is presented.
Katz Castle and Mouse Castle
Castle Mouse
Unlike the peaceful castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein, there was a real war between the Katz and Maus castles. Both of these castles rise on the hills above the Rhine, the distance between them is just over three kilometers. Their names themselves - Katz, which translates as "cat" and Mouse, which means "mouse" - indicate that during the Middle Ages serious passions were seething here.
The first to be built was Castle Maus - in 1356, the powerful archbishops of Trier decided to stake out their rights to the Rhine Valley. This did not please their "rivals" - the no less influential Counts von Katzenellenbogen, who in a couple of years, in response, erected their own defensive fort. From that moment, rivalry between the two ancient families began.
Of course, Mouse Castle had a different name, but few people already know it. And folklore included the statement of Count von Katzenellenbogen, who compared his fortress with "a cat attacking a tiny mouse." So these two names have survived for centuries - Katz castle (cat) and Mouse castle (mouse).
Subsequently, however, the castle of Mouse was more fortunate - for some time it served as the residence of the Electors of Trier and was never captured by enemy troops. But the Katz castle did not withstand the onslaught of the Swedish troops and the army of Napoleon. Now only a 40-meter main tower and a dilapidated fortress wall remain from the medieval Katz castle. The castle is closed for tourists.
As for the Castle of Mouse, it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century, while retaining its medieval appearance. In its appearance, a powerful fortress wall stands out, over which an elegant tower rises, which is 33 meters high.
In the immediate vicinity of both castles, there is the Lorelei rock, shrouded in a tragic halo, which is very popular among tourists. The beautiful Lorelei lived here - the legendary maiden of the Rhine, who with her magical singing charmed the sailors, and they were shipwrecked. However, this romantic cliff really presented difficulties for navigation, as it was located at the narrowest point of the Rhine channel. Now a statue of Lorelei is erected at the foot of the cliff, and there are numerous restaurants and small museums nearby.
Moselle castles
Eltz Castle
Another important artery of Germany, the Moselle River, is a tributary of the Rhine. These two rivers entered German folklore as Father Rhine and Mother Moselle. The Moselle flows into the Rhine in the large city of Koblenz, creating the famous arrow called the German Corner. The Moselle Valley became famous for its luxurious vineyards and, of course, ancient castles, the most popular of which are Eltz and Cochem.
The world famous Eltz Castle is located in a picturesque valley. This huge complex consists of several castles built in the XV-XVII centuries and connected together. Eltz Castle has never been captured by enemy troops and has been preserved in an almost authentic form. In its appearance, the famous half-timbered architectural structures stand out, but the interior design deserves special attention - many of the halls demonstrate the unique interior of the 15th century. Here, for example, you can see luxurious Gothic beds, Flemish tapestries, paintings by the Old Masters, ancient weapons and armor, and even medieval toilets!
Cochem Castle
The powerful castle Cochem rises above the city of the same name, connected with the fortress by a steep ascent. At the time of its power, Cochem Castle enjoyed imperial status and belonged to the royal dynasty of the Hohenstaufen. The appearance of the castle is distinguished by its 40-meter tower and a thick wall, the age of which reaches thousands of years. However, some parts of the castle were badly damaged and therefore rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style already in the 19th century. The interior of the castle features Renaissance furniture, antique armor, hunting trophies, oriental ceramics and much more.
