Learn the history of the Marksburg Castle in Germany.
The Rhine River in Germany is dotted with ancient castles, especially the section between Bonn and Mainz. Along this stretch of waterway, which is only 35 miles in length, there are more castles than in any other river valley in the world...just my kind of place! Although we passed several dozen castles during our half day boat excursion, we limited our castle visits to just four.
Created as purely defensive structures, they were devoid of all romantic notions, yet they are fascinating nonetheless.
These castles were constructed by powerful rulers over sacred and secular territories, on hilltops and in the lowlands as moated castles to protect their manorial estates.
In most cases, the harsh work of breaking the stones and erecting the massive walls and turrets was done by feudal serfs.
Since Roman times the Rhine valley has been a line of communication of vital strategic importance. In the Middle Ages the German emperors used it for their frequent progresses into Italy and merchants sent their goods along it, up and down-stream. Anyone owning a castle overlooking the valley was in a strong position, since he was able to survey and regulate the flow of traffic and levy tolls on merchants.
One such castle is Marksburg. This castle, towering on a high crag above Braubach, is the only fully preserved medieval fortress on the Rhine. At the beginning of the 13th century, it was first known as "Braubach Castle," and belonged to the Lords of Eppstein. During the 13th century it passed into the possession of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, who turned it into a fortress.
From 1479 to 1803 the Marksburg, as it had come to be known, was under the uninterrupted rule of the Landgraves of Hesse and thereafter, until 1866, of the Duchy of Nassau.
In 1866, the castle, together with the town of Braubach, passed to Prussia and in 1900 it was purchased by the Association for the Preservation of German Castles. Restorers set to work, fitting it out as a typical fortress of the late Middle Ages. Thus it stands today.
Only those with stout legs should attempt the steep climb to Marksburg. Our visit was on our final day in Germany and we were completely worn out from nine straight days of sightseeing. We took a cab, roughly ten bucks, well spent.
Located around a triangular courtyard are three asymmetrical wings of the building. The south side, from which enemy attacks were expected, is protected by the Kaiser Heinrich Tower.
Behind a no less mighty wall is the east wing, with magnificent living quarters and together with a kitchen, women's apartments, and the Knights' Hall on the upper floor. The ancient keep rises from the center of the courtyard. It has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside.
Marksburg has been called a "superb example of a medieval fortress and a irreplaceable cultural monument" and I would certainly agree.
We stayed in the small village of St. Goar, which was handy for both train and boat travel. In fact, we could see three castles from our hotel room window, pure bliss! As a final side note, St. Goar has its own ruined castle, called Rheinfels.
