Rheinfels Castle

Rheinfels Castle

The mightiest castle on the Rhine

High above the town of St. Goar, on the dramatic stretch of the river Rhine famous for its castles, sprawl the vast ruins of Rheinfels Castle. In its day it was the largest and most powerful fortress on the entire river — so big that even today, ruined, its maze of walls, towers, tunnels and courtyards is the largest castle complex on the Rhine. Standing among its ruins, you can feel the scale of a once-unconquerable stronghold.

Built to collect tolls

Rheinfels was founded in 1245 by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, and like many Rhine castles its purpose was partly to control and tax the rich river trade. Boats passing along the Rhine had to pay tolls, and a strong castle could enforce this — making its owners very wealthy.

The counts used that wealth to make Rheinfels ever larger and stronger. When nearby towns and lords once joined together to attack the castle in protest at the tolls, Rheinfels withstood their long siege, proving its strength.

The great siege of 1692

Rheinfels' finest hour came in 1692. During a war with France, a huge French army — said to number in the tens of thousands — laid siege to the castle. Against the odds, the much smaller garrison held firm and drove the French away. Rheinfels was one of the very few Rhine fortresses that the powerful French armies of that age failed to capture.

This famous defence made Rheinfels legendary as an almost impregnable stronghold.

From fortress to ruin

Ironically, the great fortress that armies could not take was undone in a quieter way. About a century after its famous defence, French revolutionary forces occupied the area, and the castle was given up without a fight and then partly demolished, its stones even carted away for building. The mighty Rheinfels was reduced to the vast ruin we see today.

Yet enough survives — walls, towers, halls, and especially its remarkable system of underground tunnels and mine galleries — to make it one of the most impressive castle ruins in Germany.

A castle to explore

Rheinfels is a wonderful castle to explore, with its great extent of ruins, hidden passages and tunnels, and commanding views. Part of the site even houses a hotel, so guests can stay within the historic walls. The surrounding Rhine Gorge, with its many castles and the famous Loreley rock nearby, is protected by UNESCO.

Visiting today

Visitors can wander the extensive ruins of Rheinfels, explore its atmospheric underground tunnels (a torch is handy), and enjoy sweeping views over the Rhine and the castles on the far bank. Displays and a small museum tell the story of the great fortress and its famous siege. Vast, dramatic and steeped in history, Rheinfels Castle is the mightiest of all the castles of the Rhine.