177. Europe Bicycle Trip--Castles Galore--Pfalzgrafenstein, Gutenfels,Schonberg and Katz Castles

I was an early bird today and up at 4:30 so I had a very early start on Day 63, June 18th,2014. I will be going along a very beautiful stretch of the Rhine River with the bicycle path along the water and hills going up on both sides of the river.

The vineyards of Bacharach

A memorial in Bacharach of a victory in battle for Prussia and the German motherland in 1813

A castle in the foreground (Pfalzgrafenstein) and a castle up on the hill (Gutenfels) above the town of Kaub on the river opposite my bicycle path

Close up of Pfalzgrafenstein Castle It as a toll castle shaped like a boat on Pfalz Island in the middle of the Rhine near the town of Kaub. The castle was built in 1326 to 1327. The point of the stone boat is upstream. Around the tower, a defensive hexagonal wall was added in 1338. Later additions were made in 1607 and 1755, consisting of corner turrets, the gun bastion pointing upstream and the characteristic baroque tower cap. A chain across the river forced ships to submit and uncooperative traders could be kept in the dungeon which was a wooden float in the well. They were held until a ransom was produced. The "Pfalz" was never conquered or destroyed withstanding not only wars but also the natural onslaughts of ice and floods by the river. After toll collections stopped in 1867, it continued to be used as a signal station for boat traffic for another century. In 1946, it became the property of the state-Rhineland-Pfalz which turned it into a museum and restored the color scheme of the baroque period. It is assessed by ferry.

Behind the toll castle is the town of Kaub and on the hill above is Gutenfels Castle

Close up of Gutenfels Castle-The name Gutenfels means "solid rock". It is 110 meters above the town of Kaub and was built in 1220. It was used with Pfalzgrafenstein castle in the middle of the river and with the fortified town of Kaub to provide an impenetrable toll zone for the Holy Roman Empire until Prussia purchased the area in 1866 and ended the toll in 1867. Today Castle Gutenfels is a hotel.

On the way to Oberwesel

Panorama view of Highway 9, the bicycle path and the Rhine River

Entering Oberwesel- Liebfrauenkirche (church) in the distance on the right and Schonburg Castle on the hill on the left

Schonberg Castle was built between 1100 and 1149. From the 12th century, the Dukes of Schonburg ruled over the town of Oberwesel and also had the right to levy customs on the Rhine River. In the 17th century the Schonburg line died out. The castle was burned down by French soldiers in1689 during the Palatinate wars. It remained in ruins for 200 years until it was acquired by the German-American family who bought  the castle from the town of Oberwesel in the late 19th century and restored it. The town council of Oberwesel bought the castle back from the Rhinelander family in 1950. Since 1957, the Huttl family have been living at the castle on a long term lease. They operate a successful hotel and restaurant there.

Zoom on Schonburg Castle

Old tower

A large barge passing in front of a double train tunnel on the other side of the river

The oxen tower (Ochcenturm) in Oberwesel, Germany is a medieval tower that dates back to the Roman period.

Kammerck Train Tunnel -289 meters in length next to Urbach

Even the ends of the train tunnels look like castles.

Approaching Sankt Goar

Katz Castle above the town of St. Goarshausen on the other side of the river

Close up of Katz Castle (Burg Katz)-The magnificent castle stands on a ledge looking downstream from the riverside at St. Goars. It was first built around 1371 by Count William11 of Katzeneinbogen. The castle was bombarded in 1806 by Napoleon and rebuilt in the late 19th century ,between 1896-98.It is now privately owned and not open to visitors.

Approaching Sankt Goar

Burg Rheinfels from a distance-Burg Rheinfels is a castle ruin located above the left (West)  bank of the Rhine in Sankt Goar. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. After expansions , it was the largest in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz. It was partially destroyed by French Revolutionary troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine and historically covered 5 times its present area. While much of the castle is  a ruin, some of the outer buildings are now a luxury hotel, wellness center and restaurant. There is also a museum.

Close up of Burg Rheinfels