8 Palaces to Explore in 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.

It is a castle above the town of St. Goarshausen and was first built around 1371 by Count William II. The castle stands on a ledge looking downstream from the riverside at St. Goar. It was bombarded in 1806 by Napoleon and rebuilt in 1898. It is privately owned and not open to visitors.

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle was a toll castle on the Pfalz Island in the River Rhine near Kaub, Germany. It worked in concert with Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub on the right side of the river. Due to a dangerous cataract on the river's left, every vessel would have to use the fairway nearer to the right bank, thus floating downstream between the mighty fortress on the vessel's left and the town and castle on its right. A chain across the river drawn between those two fortifications

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.

A ruined castle standing on a hilltop slopped with vine gardens. The archbishops of Cologne and Trier were joined owners of the castle from the 13th century, resulting in each half of the castle having its own towers, buildings, and entrances. The castle fell into despair in the early 16th century and was partly restored in 19th century. It is open to the public in certain months of the year, for an entry fee.