The Rhine River flows north from Switzerland through parts of Germany and France culminating in Netherland where it flows into the North Sea. Rotterdam the largest port in the world is located on the Rhine delta and is a loading and unloading port for cargo being imported into Europe from other countries and exports from Switzerland and Germany.
The Rhine is approximately 800 miles long. There is a 36-mile stretch of the river starting in Mainz and extending north to Koblenz. This UNESCO World Heritage which includes the Rhine Gorge is adorned with many castles.
Since ancient times the Rhine has been one of the busiest rivers in the world and a major European trading route.Many of the castles were “robber baron” castles, where the self-proclaimed princes would charge vessels passing by tolls. A form of extortion to aggrandize themselves. In the Middle Ages, emperors, popes, and these little princes were jockeying for power around Europe. In Germany, the emperors controlled the princes. But, in the 11th century, the pope established his power over the emperor. This allowed the little German princes to expand their holdings and build all these castles. That’s why most of the castles along the Rhine date from that era. A couple hundred years later, as the emperor began reasserting his control over the princes, these castles saw action.
While the castles survived these battles, most were destroyed later by the French, because they feared a strong Germany and they felt the Rhine was the logical border between the two countries. In the Romantic Age — the late 1800s — medieval things were in vogue, and many of the ruins were rebuilt. Today the Rhine castles are enjoyed as restaurants, hotels, hostels, and museums.
Our river cruise started in Amsterdam and headed south against the flow of the river towards Basel, Switzerland. This article is a pictorial guide depicting the fascinating castles with a brief history of each one of them. Terminating in the legend of Lorelei Rock.
Stolzenfels Castle
Stolzenfels Castle is located a few kilometers from Koblenz. This is a 13th century castle. Arnold II the Archbishop of Trier had Stolzenfels Castle built first and foremost because the Archbishop of Mainz had had Lahneck Castle built in 1232. This way, both archbishoprics on the mouth of the Lahn River were equally safeguarded against each other. However, in the Palatine War of Succession it was destroyed.
The Prussian crown prince, later King Friedrich Wilhelm IV had the castle rebuilt on a hill can today be visited as one of the most important works of Prussian Rhine Romanticism. The crown prince obtained the castle ruin in 1823 as a gift from the City of Koblenz – and had it developed to a luxurious residence with a regal range of rooms, by two of the most important German architects of this period, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and August Stüler. From this time on, the Stolzenfels Castle served the royal family as a summer residence.
Marksburg Castle
The oldest stonework in the current castle dates from the 12th century. The Eppstein family built a stone keep around 1100 and expanded it into a castle around 1117 to protect the town of Braubach and reinforce the collection of taxes for those traveling on the River Rhine. It was first mentioned in documents in 1231. In 1283, the daughter of Lord Eppstein died, and the Marksburg passed to her husband, Eberhard von Katzenelnbogen. They added the Gothic buildings that give Marksburg its imposing shape and appearance today.
The castle stayed in Katzenelnbogen possession until 1479. The Katzenelnbogen family already possessed several other Rhine castles, including Burg Katz. With the death of Count Phillip the Elder in 1479, the castle passed from the Katzenelnbogens to the Landgraves of Hesse. The Marksburg was expanded to include batteries and bastions for cannons which may have had something to do with the Marksburg not being damaged during the 30 Years’ War when other Rhine castles were attacked. The castle had some additions in the 17th and 18th centuries but maintained its medieval character. The Marksburg suffered its darkest hour when, in March of 1945, the castle came under direct shell fire by American forces fighting
Katz Castle
The castle stands on a ledge looking downstream from the riverside at Sankt Goar It was first built around 1371 by Count William II of Katzenelnbogen. The castle was bombarded in 1806 by Napolean and rebuilt in the late 19th century, in 1896–98. It is now privately owned, and not open for visitors.
Liebenstein Castle
Located above the village of Kamp-Bornhofen, Liebenstein castle was built in the 12th century by the counts of Kafemburg. The complete history of this medieval castle is somewhat sketchy. However, several sagas have been spawned. To follow is one such saga.
The castles Liebenstein and Sterrneberg, situated on the long stretch of peaks above Bornhofen are among the most popular on the Rhine.
The best-known version of the legends tells of the two sons of a count, whose names were von Sterrenberg and von Liebenstein, who cheated their blind sister when they divided up their father’s inheritance.
When it came time to apportion the gold pieces with a scoop, they turned it upside down when it was the sister’s turn to measure her share. While it felt like the scoop was filled to the brim, in fact only the bottom was covered. The blind woman used her share to have the cloister built at the foot of the castles.
The wealth acquired through treachery brought the brothers nothing but trouble. They became such enemies that they had a wall built to separate their castles.
One day, when the rich inheritance had been wasted, they tried to put their differences behind them. On that occasion, they agreed to meet for a hunting expedition early in the morning. The one who woke first was to waken the other by shooting an arrow at the other’s window shutters. What transpired next is a tragedy. At the very moment when the arrow was shot into the air, the targeted shutter was opened, and the bowman was horrified to see the arrow pierce his brother’s heart. The unintended killer of his own brother could find no peace; he travelled to the Holy Land and died there.
Since 1995 Liebenstein Castle has been a family owned hotel and restaurant. The family are striving to preserve the castle for future generations.
Burg Rheinfels
The ruins of Burg Rheinfels or Rheinfels Castle are in Sankt Goar. The construction of this once impressive structure was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelbogen. Following expansions, it became the largest fortress in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz covering five times its current area.
In 1797 the French Revolutionary Army partially destroyed it.
Today some of the outer buildings are a luxury hotel, wellness center. There is also a museum in some of the more preserved structures.
Burg Katz
Schonberg Castle
Schonburg Castle was first mentioned in history between the years 911 and 1166.From the 12th century Lords of Schonburg ruled over the town of Oberwesel and had also the right to levy customs on the Rhine River. The most famous was Friedrich von Schonburg – a much-feared man known as “Marshall Schonburg”, who in the 17th century served as a colonel and as a general under the King of France in France and Portugal and later also for the Prussians and for William Prince of Orange in England.The Schonburg line died out with the last heir, the son of Friedrich of Schonberg.
The castle was burned down in 1689 by French soldiers during the War of Grand Alliance.
Schonburg castle remained in ruins for 200 years until it was acquired by the German American Rheinlander family who bought the castle from the town of Oberwesel in the late 19th century and restored it.
The town council of Oberwesel acquired the castle back from the Rhinelander family in 1950.
Since 1957 the Huttl family have been living at the castle on a long-term lease; they operate a successful hotel and restaurant there
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is toll castle located on Falkenau island in the Rhine River near the bank close to Kaub, Germany. Also known as “the Pfalz”, Pfalzgrafenstein Castle has never been destroyed since being established in 1326/27.
The area is part of the Rhine Gorge, which was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in June 2002.
To ensure tolls were paid, chain booms were raised across the narrow river passage near the castle. If the toll was paid, the chain would be lowered and the ship could pass, or else the ship would be seized, and the crew imprisoned in the castle dungeon. Passing ships could not use the wider channel on the other side of the castle due to a treacherous stretch of water downstream. The castle dungeon was a wooden raft at the bottom of a well. Prisoners were lowered by rope and would remain there until a ransom was paid.
Today, Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is preserved as a public museum, reflecting a reasonably accurately preserved and restored medieval Rhenish castle. It is accessible by ferry service from nearby Kaub, provided river conditions permit.
Stahleck Castle
Stahleck Castle is a 12th-century fortified castle in Bacarach. It stands on a crag approximately 160 metres (520 ft) above sea-level on the left bank of the river at the mouth of the Steeg valley, approximately 50 kilometers (31 mi) south of Koblenz, and offers a commanding view of the Lorelei valley. Its name means “impregnable castle on a crag”, from the German word stahel (steel) and ecke (here: crag). It has a water-filled partial moat, a rarity in Germany. Built on the orders of the Archbishop of Cologne, it was destroyed in the late 17th century but rebuilt in the 20th and is now a hostel.
Furstenberg Castle
Burg Fürstenberg resides along the River Rhine near Rheindiebach in a picturesque setting overlooking vineyards and the river below. The Archbishop of Cologne, Engelbert I, built the castle in 1219 to protect his property around Bacharach. Nearly 25 years later, in 1243, the castle came into possession of Wittelsbach Count Palatines as a fief of the archdiocese of Cologne. Besides protecting surrounding lands, it was used to levy tolls on boats traveling along the Rhine.
Around 1500, a three-quarter tower was added to the bend side of the curtain wall, allowing the wall to be flanked by firearms.
It proved turbulent for Burg Fürstenberg in the 17th century. During the Thirty Years’ War, the Spaniards attacked the castle under Ambrosio Spinola’s leadership in 1620. The castle was attacked again in 1632 by Swedish troops under King Gustavus Adolphus. However, the French ultimately destroyed it during the Palatine War of Succession in 1689. Burg Fürstenberg has steadily deteriorated to its current ruinous state for over three centuries.
Nollig Castle
Burg Nollig is located near the town of Lorch. It was initially constructed around 1300 as a half-timbered fortified tower. Later in the 14th century, the building was clad with heavy masonry. The wooden framework is still visible from the inside.
The floor plan suggests that the foundations of the castle are, in fact, the existing foundation walls of an earlier Roman fort. The castle was built as a counter-castle by the Archbishop of Mainz to balance power in the region gained on the opposite bank of the Rhine by Burg Fürstenberg. It functioned as a watch tower.
In 1936, the castle was bought by Fritz Wild, a gemstone cutter from Idar-Oberstein, who began a stylish renovation in 1939. The massive residential tower had reinforcements added as a shield wall, with large towers at the corners. The castle has no curtain wall, as the town walls performed this function.
The ruins of Burg Nollig have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley since 2002.
Sooneck Castle
Burg Sooneck was constructed as early as the 11th century and takes its name from the nearby Soon Forest. It was built, along with Burg Reichstein, Burg Heimberg, and Burg Vauzburg, to protect the area around Niederheimbach, which was owned by the abbey of Cornelimunster.In 1254, Burg Sooneck and Burg Reichstein castles were besieged by the League of Rhenish Towns to end attacks by robber knights who enriched their coffers with tolls and taxes collected on the Rhine. After the territory around Niederheimbach was purchased in 1270, peace was restored between the Archbishop of Mainz and Phillip von Hohenfels. However, unrest would return upon violating the treaty with Phillip’s son, Dietrich von Hohenfels. As a result, Burg Sponeck was destroyed in 1282 by troops of King Rudolph I, who then imposed a ban on rebuilding the castle.
In 1346, the Elector Heinrich III of Mainz granted Johann, Knight Marshall of Waldeck, with Burg Sooneck, Burg Reichenstein, and Burg Heimburg. After the prohibition of construction was withdrawn by Emperor Charles IV in 1349, Burg Sooneck was rebuilt with its corner turrets of the Keep and Great Hall representative of the style during the middle of the 14th century.
In 1689, Burg Sooneck was destroyed by King Louis XIV’s French troops during the War of the Palatine Succession, along with the other castles on the left bank of the river Rhine.
In 1774, ruins of the castle were granted to residents of Trechtinghausen, who established vineyards inside and outside the castle grounds. In April of 1834, the castle ruins were purchased by members of the Prussian royal family, and the restoration of Burg Sooneck castle began in 1842. It represented the third Rhine castle to undergo rebuilding by the Prussian royal family, following Burg Rheinstein and Schloss Stolzenfels, rebuilt to become more grandiose and romantic. In contrast, efforts regarding Sooneck concentrated on restoring the castle to a functional state, in addition to utilization as a royal hunting lodge.
Apart from King William visiting the castle in 1863 and 1875, it was never used as a hunting lodge as intended. Eventually, the castle passed to state ownership in 1918. After World War II, Burg Sooneck was placed under the control of the Administration of the Castles of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, who still manage the castle’s upkeep.
Reichenstein Castle
Situated on a rocky ridge, Burg Rheinstein rises approximately 270 feet above the River Rhine in the Lorelei Valley. Originally built as a customs post for the German Empire, it was called the Vogtsburg or Feitsburg. Castle construction began after 1290, probably under the Archbishop of Mainz, to monitor the reconstruction ban on nearby Burg Reichenstein, which King Rudolph of Habsburg had destroyed in 1286 after being used as a robber baron’s nest of the Lords of Hohenfels. Rudolph von Habsburg founded the Noble Knighthood and renamed the castle Konigstein. A second period of building was undertaken at the castle around 1330. But, by 1344, Burg Rheinstein began to lose its strategic importance in the region when the Electoral Palatinate renounced Reichenstein in favor of Mainz.
From the 14th to 17th century, the castle was leased to the Archbishops of Mainz. However, it began to fall into disrepair after 1572 when it became unprofitable for Anton von Wiltberg, Chamberlain in Mainz, to maintain its upkeep.
On March 31st, 1823, the castle ruin and its foundation stone were purchased by Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig, Royal Prince of Prussia and nephew of King Friedrich Wilhelm III. After that, the castle was rebuilt under the direction of the famous architect Claudius von Lassaulx, who completed the rebuilding in 1829. The castle was renamed Burg Rheinstein due to its imposing rocky location above the river Rhine.
In 1842, the castle became a favorite residence of Prince Frederick, who hosted many heads of state at the castle, including Queen Victoria of England and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia. Plans were also drawn up for the chapel and crypt, which would be built within two years.
Since 1975, Burg Rheinstein has been privately owned by the opera singer Herman Hecher, who repaired and restored the castle over 19 years to regain its glory from days long ago.
Lorelei Rock
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is home to many legends and stories, but perhaps the most famous of all is that of Lorelei– the beautiful and melancholy siren whose song enchanted passing sailors.
The name Lorelei first appeared in the romantic ballad by Clemens Brentano in 1801 about a pretty woman disappointed by love called Lore Ley, from the village of Bacharach. Spurned by her lover, she wanted to die. Men were fascinated by her beauty, end even the bishop could not ignore her grace and charm. He sent her into a convent, but the journey was interrupted by the cliff. She wanted to look once again at her beloved castle and her lover, and in desperation and despair, she jumped into the river. Brentano wrote several variations on the same theme and in his Rhine myths and fairytales, the Lorelei appeared as the sad Frau Lorelei, sitting on a cliff and combing her long, blond hair.
In Heinrich Heine’s 1824 version, fishermen passing below would be so fascinated by the lovely maiden Lorely combing her hair on the cliff top, that they would neglect to watch out for the treacherous rocks and strong rapids and drown. The ballad was put to music by Friedrich Silcher ‘Song of the Lorelei’ and has since become famous across the world.