Marksburg Castle

The banks of the Rhine river in Germany, are dotted with ancient castles, especially the stretch between Bonn and Mainz. Along this stretch of the waterway, there are more castles than any other river in the world. Created as purely defensive structures, they lacked any notion romantic contrary to what many think. What is certain is that they are fascinating constructions.

These castles They were built by the rulers of the time in their territories. They were built in the hills and in the lowlands so that they were surrounded by water in this way, it was easier to protect these great stately protections. In most cases, the work of building these stone moles was extremely hard and was done by the feudal servants. One of the most important castles in the area is known as Marksburg.

This castle has a completely medieval structure. It was built in the early 13th century, and was known by the name of was first known as «Braubach». It belonged to the Lords of Eppstein. A short time later, it became the property of the Earls of Katzenelnbogen, who made it a true fortress. From 1479 to 1803, Marksburg was under the uninterrupted rule of the landgraves of Hesse and, subsequently, until 1866, by the duchy of Nassau.

In 1866, the castle, along with the city of Braubach, became part of Prussia and in 1900 it was purchased by the Association for the Conservation of German Castles. The restorers had to do a long and hard job of rehabilitation. Only those who are in excellent physical shape dare to climb the steep hill leading to Marksburg.

Marksburg Castle: The Rhine’s Iconic Watchman (December 2024)