Marksburg — Attraction in Loreley

Marksburg castle on an outcrop of rock south of Koblenz is claimed as the only castle on the Rhine that is substantially intact in its original form. This means it was not sacked, burned or fallen into ruin and so retains much of its medieval character. It is accessible by hiking or car and attended parking is available 5 mins away from the castle for 3E. A brisk walk uphill and you reach the gate. All tours were guided and we took an English speaking tour at 1pm. The guide was excellent, knowledgeable but not too much detail. The tour was up and down narrow stairs and through small doors so would not be accessible to mobility devices. We went through the castles various defensive positions, winery, kitchens , dining area, a bedroom, all furnished in medieval style, which was , by modern standards, basic, uncomfortable and cramped. Fascinated to see how people lived back in the bad old days. An interesting part of the tour was a garden area planted along one section of the battlements with the culinary and medicinal herbs of the times, and a separate area planted with poisonous plants used in the dark arts. An interesting collection displayed armour through the ages, starting with the ancient Greeks, Romans, Merovingians and Gauls, up through the middle ages till the advent of the musket and ball led to armour being abandoned altogether. No longer would warriors have to clank about in 40kg of chain mail and in order to kill each other. Of course no self respecting castle would be without a dungeon and a collection of devices for causing grief, which always seems to hold great interest for the kiddies in the tour party. They always ask their embarrassed parents how the rack works. The tour ended in the blacksmiths workshop with a huge bellows and forge which was unusual in being original. Most smithies in Europe burned down at some time in the past, but this one was in a stone part of the castle so escaped that fate. We really enjoyed our 1 hour tour. Thoroughly worth...

Such a lovely short hike up to the Marksburg castle! It had been an extremely hot week in Germany (95F) but the morning hike up to Marksburg Castle was a refreshing treat. We climbed the tree lined path overlooking the city and saw beautiful views all around - well worth the effort. And immediately upon reaching the uneven stone path to the large castle gate we felt we were stepping back in time. Keep in mind that though there is a trolley that will take you up the hill (you'll still have a bit of a climb after that), if you're in reasonably good health you'll find this is an easier and quicker walk than many hikes in southern Germany. Also, it's worthwhile to know that the floors inside the castle are sometimes uneven, so be careful of your footing and balance. Also, we would suggest that you get the English guided tour (if German is not your mother tongue) if you can get there at either 11 a.m. or 4 p.m. While we were in the German tour group (we couldn't make the English language times) we didn't understand too much (not surprising), but they did lend us a book with information. Even with the help of the guide book and the little bit of understanding I have from college German, I could tell that we were missing a good deal of the presentation that wasn't in the book. In spite of these concerns... If you love history and castles this will be a wonderful...

This was easily the finest castle tour in the magical time spent along Germany’s beautiful Rhein, and certainly the best guided tour (in general) I’ve taken in recent memory.

The guide, Hannah, was incredibly knowledgeable and engaged; somehow able to provide both the exact level of explanation for the stopping points, and also just the right amount of “meander time” for visitors to mull about and take pictures. This part is a bit biased: I’ve been learning German (much of the reason behind my visit) but was only 7 months in my education, so definitely not ready to have a conversation but also (I quickly found out) unable to understand much spoken German. However, Hannah commanded the language so well that - combined with her universal gesticulation while she explained - I could actually understand what was being said (I didn’t have to refer to the English summary courteously furnished at the ticket counter). I suspect that native speakers would agree. It really made a great visit one of the greatest.

Even if you’re not in it for the language, this place is a beautiful piece of Western history complete with all the amazing views of which Germany has no shortage. It’s very much the type of castle “you would expect” as an American learning Europe’s history at arm’s length, so there’s almost no possible way to leave...