Rheinstein Castle, Gothic spur castle in Trechtingshausen, Germany

Rheinstein Castle stands on a rocky spur about 90 metres above the Rhine, its grey-brown stone walls rising in several sections. A tall square tower with a crenellated top and a round tower with a flagpole flank the upper part, while a lower walled section and a small turret with a steep dark roof sit below. A slender octagonal turret with a pointed roof stands on the rock face.

Built around 1316/17 as the Vaitzburg for the Archbishopric of Mainz, the castle guarded the ban on rebuilding Reichenstein, which the Hohenfels had sold to the Palatinate in 1290. It lost strategic value in 1344, decayed from the late 16th century, and was the first ruined Rhine castle rebuilt, by Karl Friedrich Schinkel's plans for Prince Frederick of Prussia, completed in 1829.

The chapel displays a wooden Gothic altarpiece showing the Last Supper, while stained glass windows from the Middle Ages decorate the knight's hall. These artworks show how religious life and knightly culture were deeply connected in this place.

The castle offers guided and self-guided tours in German and English, with a cafe serving local dishes and a gift shop on site. Access may be limited due to the elevated location and historical stone structures, so comfortable walking shoes are helpful.

The courtyard is called the Burgundy Garden after the Burgundy vine growing there, roughly 500 years old and still bearing grapes. Steps from it lead down to the neo-Gothic chapel, whose altar centrepiece is a woodcarving of Jesus at the Last Supper; further steps between rock and chapel reach the royal crypt of Prince Frederick's family.