Marksburg Castle

Marksburg Castle is unique among Rhine castles: it is the only hill castle on the Middle Rhine that was never destroyed, remaining intact through centuries of war, neglect, and Romantic restoration. The castle perches above Braubach on a steep slate spur 160 metres above the Rhine. Its medieval core dates to the 13th century when the House of Eppstein built the original bergfried keep and the curtain walls. The castle was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries with the addition of the Palas residential wing, the inner courtyard with its Gothic arcades, and the defensive wall with battlements and a covered battlement walk. Renaissance additions in the 16th century include the large bay window and the outer gate. The interior, open as a museum, shows the complete medieval defensive architecture and living quarters: the fully furnished knights hall with a monumental Gothic fireplace, the banqueting hall, the castle kitchen with a walk-in fireplace and original cooking equipment, the torture chamber in the basement, the armoury with medieval weapons and armour, the chapel with its Gothic vaulting and 14th-century wall paintings, and the bedroom with a four-poster bed. The terrace views up and down the Rhine valley are among the best on the river. Marksburg is accessible from Koblenz by train to Braubach plus a steep 15-minute walk. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.