12 Viewpoints to Explore in Rhineland-Palatinate

Lahneck Castle is a medieval fortress located in the city of Lahnstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The 13th-century castle stands on a steep rock salient above the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine. Lahneck Castle was built in 1226 by the Archbishop of Mainz Siegfried III of Eppstein to protect his territory at the mouth of the Lahn, where the town of Oberlahnstein and a silver mine had come into his possession in 1220.

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.

Calmont is a steep hill above the Moselle river at a height of 380.6 m above sea level. It lies within the Moselle wine region and is home to the vineyards of Bremmer Calmont and Ellerer Calmont. Wth gradients of up to over 65º, it is among the steepest vineyards in the world. The area is popular for its hiking routes through the vineyards.

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.

Hambach Castle is considered a symbol of the German democracy movement. It is located on the mountain Schlossberg in the eastern outskirts of the Palatine Forest at an elevation of 325m. Archaeological finds shows that the area of Hambach Castle was used in late Roman times.

The Lorelei also spelled Loreley in German, is a 132 m (433 ft) high slate rock on the bank of the River Rhine in the Rhine Gorge at Sankt Goarshausen in Germany. The Loreley Amphitheatre on top of the rock is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The translation of the name Loreley is: 'murmur rock' or 'murmuring rock'. The heavy currents and a small waterfall in the area created a murmuring sound, and this combined with the special echo the rock produces to act as a sort of amplifier, giving the rock

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

Maus Castle is a castle above Wellmich in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It rests on Rhine's eastside, north Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen, opposing Rheinfels Castle at Sankt Goar across the river. Construction of the castle was begun in 1356 by Archbishop-Elector of Trier Bohemond II and was continued for the next 30 years by successive Electors of Trier. The construction was to enforce Trier's recently acquired Rhine River toll rights and to secure Trier's borders against the Counts of Katz

Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located above the left bank of the Rhine River in Sankt Goar, Germany. It was founded in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. The castle was damaged by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine, and historically covered five times its current area. While much of the castle is a ruin, some of the outer buildings now housed a luxury hotel, "wellness" centre, restaurant. and a museum.

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.

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.