14 Notable Architectures to Explore in Rhineland-Palatinate

The Aula Palatina at Trier, Germany is a Roman palace basilica that was commissioned by the emperor Constantine I at the beginning of the 4th century. The Aula Palatina was built as a part of the palace complex. Originally it was not a free standing building, but had other smaller buildings attached to it.

Berwartstein Castle is located on the southern part of the Palatinate Forest. It was one of the rock castles defending Palatinate during the Middle Ages. The stairs, passages and rooms of the castle are carved out of the rock to form parts that are essential to the defence of the castle. The castle has a well that was hacked out of the rock to the bottom of the valley some 104 metres below.

Trifels Castle is a reconstructed medieval castle at an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft) near the small town of Annweiler, in tRhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is located above the Queich valley within the Palatinate Forest on one peak of a red sandstone mountain that is split into three. The castle is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The Reichsburg Cochem (Cochem Castle) had its first documented mention in 1130. In 1151, it was occupied by King Konrad III, who declared it an Imperial castle. In 1688, the castle was overrun by French King Louis XIV's troops in the course of the Nine Years' War or War of the Palatine Succession, and the following year, they destroyed it. The castle complex long lay in ruins and in 1868 it was bought by the Berlin businessman Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené and then reconstructed in the Gothic Re

Eltz Castle is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. It is still owned by a branch of the Eltz family that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The castle is one of the only three castles on the left bank of the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate which has never been destroyed. The castle sits on a 70-metre (230 ft) rock spur.

The Geierlay is a suspension bridge in the low mountain range of the Hunsrück in western Germany. It has a span range of 360 metres (1,180 ft) and is up to 100 metres (330 ft) above ground. A stream named Mörsdorfer Bach runs through the valley below the bridge.

Mainz Cathedral is a 1000-year-old Roman Catholic cathedral and site of the episcopal see of the Bishop of Mainz. It is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany. The interior of the cathedral houses tombs and funerary monuments of former powerful Electoral-prince-archbishops of the diocese and contains religious works of art spanning a millennium.

Maria Laach Abbey is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Laach, near Andernach, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The abbey was built in the 11th-12th century and was originally known as "Abtei Laach" meaning the "Lake Abbey" until 1862. The abbey church is considered a masterpiece of German Romanesque architecture, with its multiple towers, large westwork with arcaded gallery, and unique west porch.

The Marksburg is a castle above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The fortress was used for protection rather than as a residence for royal families. A stone keep was built on the spot in 1100 by the Eppstein family and expanded into a castle around 1117 to protect the town of Braubach and to reinforce the customs facilities. In 1283, Count Eberhard of Katzenelnbogen bought it and throughout the 14th and 15th century the high noble counts rebuilt the castle constantly. In 14

Rheinstein Castle was constructed in about 1317. Rheinstein Castle possesses a working drawbridge and portcullis, which are typical of medieval castle architecture. Rheinstein's courtyard is known as the Burgundy Garden after the Burgundy grape vine growing there. The vine, which is approximately 500 years old, still produces grapes.

The Schloss Koblenz or Electoral Palace was the residence of the last Archbishop and Elector of Trier, Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony, who commissioned the building in the late 18th century. It now houses various offices of the federal government. The building's interior is not accessible to the public. The Palace is one of the most important examples of the early French neoclassical house in Southwestern Germany.

First mentioned around 1271 A.D, Sooneck Castle is located in the upper middle valley of the Rhine. The castle was destroyed in 1282 after a siege by the troops of King Rudolph I. After rebuilding it 1346, it was destroyed again during the War of the Palatine Succession in 1689 by troops of King Louis XIV of France. The current structure was built between 1834 and 1861 as a hunting lodge.

Stolzenfels Castle is a medieval fortress castle turned into a palace, near Koblenz on the left bank of the Rhine. Stolzenfels was gifted to the Prussian Crownprince, Frederick William in 1823. He had it rebuilt as a 19th-century palace in Gothic Revival style. The original castle at Stolzenfels was built as a fortification, used to protect the toll station on the Rhine, where the ships had to stop and pay toll.

The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the oldest church in Germany, notable for its long life span and grand design. The central part of the nave was built of Roman brick in the early fourth century, the rest of the cathedral in different eras. The Trier Cathedral Treasury contains an important collection of Christian art and id a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Seamless Robe of Jesus, the robe said to have been w