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Gutenfels Castle today

Germany · Restored

Gutenfels Castle

Burg Gutenfels

Gutenfels Castle (Burg Gutenfels) is a medieval hilltop castle built in 1220, located about 110 m above the town of Kaub on the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Historically it worked with the downstream Pfalzgrafenstein to control river traffic; the site is part of the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage area and today exists as a restored private property.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1220

Its prime

1892

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1892

What Gutenfels Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a steep, terraced vineyard slope above the Rhine, the castle presents a compact medieval silhouette: a tall rectangular, flat-topped keep rising behind a three-storey rectangular residential block with a row of three arched windows on its façade. A crenellated curtain wall runs along the terrace edge and includes a projecting small round watch-tower with a low conical roof at the left. Masonry is grey-brown stone; terraces of dry-stone vineyard walls descend the slope.

Its story

The story of Gutenfels Castle.

Gutenfels Castle stands 110 metres above the town of Kaub on the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate, and was historically known as Caub or Kaub Castle. Built in 1220, it first appears in the documentary record in 1257, owned by the Falkenstein family. Its business was the river: Gutenfels worked in tandem with Pfalzgrafenstein downstream to control traffic passing through the gorge.

In 1803 the castle passed to the Duchy of Nassau with the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, and in late 1807 it was stripped, weapons and artefacts distributed to nearby castles, the moat filled in, the walls sold for stone. It survived the dismantling, and today stands restored as a private property within the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage area.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1892.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Gutenfels Castle, including 1 interior: inner courtyard beside the palas façade. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the lower vineyard terracesRiver-facing battlements and curtain wallSummit of the tall square keepWalk along the curtain wall and battlementsProjecting round watch-tower (southwest corner)Inner courtyard beside the palas façade

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Whose castle

Clans who held Gutenfels Castle.

The families that held Gutenfels Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Falkenstein

    First recorded in 1257 in the ownership of the Falkenstein family.

Questions about Gutenfels Castle

What is the history of Gutenfels Castle?

Gutenfels Castle was built in the 13th century to control traffic on the Rhine. It first appears in documents in 1257, became part of the Electorate of the Palatinate in 1277, and was unsuccessfully besieged in 1504. After partial demolition in the early 19th century, it was rebuilt between 1889 and 1892.

What is inside Gutenfels Castle?

Inside Gutenfels Castle is an inner courtyard beside the palas façade. The residential building is a three-storey structure measuring about 22 by 8 metres, while the core castle measures about 21.60 by 21.10 metres. The supplied description does not identify individual rooms.

Why was Gutenfels Castle built, and what was it used for?

Gutenfels Castle was built to control river traffic and collect tolls on the Rhine. It worked alongside Pfalzgrafenstein Castle and Kaub on the opposite bank to control the waterway for the Holy Roman Emperor. Later, its use changed: it was partially demolished in the 19th century and rebuilt in the late 19th century.

Where is Gutenfels Castle?

Gutenfels Castle is above the town of Kaub in Rhineland-Palatinate, on the Rhine. It stands about 110 metres above Kaub and lies within the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage area. The castle is located on a steep, terraced vineyard slope.

When was Gutenfels Castle built?

Gutenfels Castle was built in 1220, in the 13th century. It was first raised as Castle Kaub, and later building phases added the ring wall, a zwinger and the western outer bailey. The castle was rebuilt between 1889 and 1892 after its 19th-century partial demolition.

Was Gutenfels Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Gutenfels Castle was besieged unsuccessfully in 1504 by Landgrave William II of Hesse. It had also been unsuccessfully besieged by William of Holland in 1252. In 1793 it surrendered relatively intact to French revolutionary forces, while in 1647 it was captured by Hessian-Kassel troops.

Which family or clan held Gutenfels Castle?

The Falkenstein family held Gutenfels Castle first among the documented family owners. The castle first appears in documentary records in 1257 in the ownership of the Falkenstein family.

What did Gutenfels Castle look like in its prime?

Gutenfels Castle has a compact medieval silhouette on a steep vineyard slope above the Rhine. A tall, rectangular, flat-topped keep rises behind a three-storey residential block with three arched façade windows. Grey-brown stone walls, a crenellated curtain wall and a small round watch-tower with a low conical roof complete the appearance.

Is Gutenfels Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Gutenfels Castle is still standing and has been restored. It was partially demolished between 1805 and 1807, but the later rebuilding retained much of the original fabric and the character of the ruins. The castle was rebuilt between 1889 and 1892 and is now a restored private property.

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