[1] Rheinfels Castle

Description

Built in 1245 by Count Diether von Katzenelnbogen in St. Goar, Rheinfels is now one of the largest castle and fortress ruins in Europe. Converted into a Renaissance castle by the Counts of Hesse and later expanded into an extensive fortress complex, Rheinfels has become one of the most important sites on the Middle Rhine. As one of the few strongholds on the Rhine, it was unsuccessfully besieged and not destroyed during the Thirty Years´ War and the War of the Palatinate Succession.
Visitors can explore the imposing ruins, take various guided tours, and visit the castle museum with its exhibitions on the castle´s history, on Romanticism and revolution surrounding Ferdinand Freiligrath, who lived in Sankt Goar for a time, and on various exhibits relating to the history of the town of Sankt Goar. Rheinfels Castle is also a “place of democratic history,” which you can learn about on two information boards on the castle square: in 1948, the so-called “Sankt Goar Circle” met at Rheinfels Castle and discussed practical aspects of state organization. Its recommendations were ultimately sent to the Parliamentary Council, which was responsible for the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.
High-quality accommodation can be found in the adjacent castle hotel. Hikers can reach Rheinfels Castle directly via the RheinBurgenWeg trail.