Best Castle to see-Middle Rhine
 

Which do you recommend for the most worthwhile viewing? I have heard that Marksburg was the only one left alone by Napolen but I think Rick Steve recommends Rheinfels at/near St. Goar. My wife and I will be taking a day cruise down the Rhine from Rudesheim on Sept. 8th.

If you want to see a castle in ruins, Rheinfels will do fine. You can be inside the castle, look up, and watch the clouds. There are many other ruined castles on the Rhine as well, but Rheinfels is probably the most interesting. Nice museum on the grounds.

Very different and more compelling is the completely intact Marksburg. Nice furnishings, interesting 1-hour tour. It's a must-see IMO if you want a glimpse at life in ancient times. Tours in English are normally at 12 and 4 pm. Rick Steves actually has an online guide to Marksburg - handy should you end up on a German tour in the event that your arrival by cruise boat does not coincide with an English tour:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti.../marksburg.htm

Many thanks. We do have his (Rick Steve's) guidebook so if I can convince my better half to hang in there, we will probably hold out for Marksburg. I would much rather see an intact structure than ruins, I guess. Have you been to Burg Eltz near the Mosel? We are going to try to drive there if time permits. RS says it is his favorite castle in Europe.

Burg Eltz is great too. Its interior is more elaborate and more subject to the interests of the family that owns it. Marksburg is part of the German Castle Association and serves as its headquarters. The association attempts an accurate historical presentation at Marksburg.

For the castle of your dreams base yourself for the Mosel in Cochem whose fairy-tale medieval-looking castle regally crowns a vineyard-carpeted hill right in the town center. But the reason it looks so nice is that it is Ersatz - a fake medieval castle built practically from scratch in the 1800s (a time when Mad Ludwig was also building Ersatz medieval castles.

Cocehm is a cutesy wine town with a plethora of cozy down comforter-equipped family-run guesthouses - Burg Eltz is just a short drive from there - Cochem is at one of the most gorgeous stretches of a sinuous Mosel River that runs in a deep deep gorge - much of it clad with vineyards.

https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...w=1449&bih=964

Trier is about an hour by road from Cochem - one of the oldest cities in Europe it has some stellar Roman relics like a Roman temple that was converted to a Christian basilica in this city called the Capital of the Eastern part of the Holy Roman Empire - its Porta Negra - big black gate is of Roman origin and is intact - it was the Gateway to the Western Holy Roman Empire - so if going up the Mosel that gem waits!

Agree that Trier is fascinating if you like seeing roman ruins north of the alps. a great museum - as well as a cute german town.

I like both the Marksburg and Burg Rhinefels, but for different reasons. Rhinefels is just so massive and I enjoy exploring all the tunnels and entering the Great Hall is a bit breath taking as it is so huge. The bathrooms are a hoot too.

With the Marksburg, it is hit or miss with the tour guide, and it is a rather rushed, 40 min. tour through the place. You can't explore on your own. Interesting, but have had friends who were fairly disappointed with their tour. Have never had anyone be sad to visit Rhinefels though.

The plus in St. Goar are also the 2 churches located here.