Gutenfels Castle, Medieval castle in Kaub, Germany
Gutenfels Castle stands 110 meters above Kaub, featuring defensive walls and towers that overlook the Rhine River and surrounding valleys.
Built in 1220, the castle served as a strategic toll collection point alongside Pfalzgrafenstein Castle until Prussia acquired the territory in 1866.
The castle represents medieval military architecture of the Hohenstaufen period, with its design reflecting the building traditions of Rhine fortifications.
The castle functions as a private property with restricted access, though visitors can view its exterior structure and photograph it from multiple vantage points.
The name Gutenfels, meaning solid rock, was given to the castle in 1504 after it successfully withstood a siege by Landgrave Wilhelm of Hessen.
Location: Kaub
Inception: 1220
Website: http://rhinecastles.com/hotel-burg-gutenfels
GPS coordinates: 50.08779,7.76558
Latest update: May 11, 2025 11:08
Rhineland-Palatinate preserves centuries of European fortification architecture across a region shaped by river valleys and forested highlands. Medieval castles like Eltz Castle rise above the Moselle loop at Bremm, while Pfalzgrafenstein Castle sits on a Rhine island at Kaub, where it once controlled river traffic. Roman foundations lie beneath later structures such as Limburg Monastery near Bad Dürkheim, and Romanesque abbeys like Maria Laach demonstrate monastic design from the 11th century. The landscape ranges from the Teufelsfels rock formation in the Hunsrück to the ruins of Hardenburg, among the largest fortress complexes in the state. From the Rhine Valley with Stolzenfels Castle and the Loreley to the Palatinate fortresses of Hambach and Trifels, these sites document the region's strategic importance. Pyrmont Castle stands beside a waterfall near Roes, while the ruins of Frankenstein Castle near Kaiserslautern show medieval defensive works. Natural formations like the Kaltwasser Geysir at Andernach and the Geierlay Suspension Bridge at Mörsdorf complement the historical structures, providing access to the geological features between the Rhine, Moselle and Nahe rivers.
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