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Marksburg Castle
The only hilltop*
castle on the Rhine
which was never destroyed, nor even damaged significantly, in war.
Perhaps what
prevented the kind of
destruction the others suffered is its defensible hilltop location
combined with a very tall keep. Until WWII, the only destructions it
suffered were caused by earthquakes and the normal ravages of time and
weather. (*Pfalzgrafenstein,
nearby Kaub,
also is very well preserved but is located in the middle of the river
rather than on a hillside or hilltop.)
The
Marksburg is first mentioned in 1231, although the lower parts of the
keep might date back to the previous century, perhaps constructed by
the Freemen of Brubach. For centuries, the castle was in the hands of
the counts of Katzenelnbogen, who built the Gothic structures around
the original keep.
Today,
Marksburg is the headquarters of the Deutsche
Burgenvereinigung (German Castle Association). Guided tours
are offered year-round (except Christmas and the day before) with
multiple language options available in printed form. Information about
the Marksburg in English can be found here.
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Marksburg
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