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Reichenstein Castle today

Germany · Restored

Reichenstein Castle

Burg Reichenstein

Reichenstein Castle (Burg Reichenstein), also called Falkenburg, is a historic hilltop castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO site above Trechtingshausen, Germany. It occupies a wooded mountain spur on the eastern slope of the Bingen Forest and comprises a compact medieval-looking keep, curtain walls and an adjacent long residential/service range.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1100

Its prime

1100

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1100

What Reichenstein Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a wooded mountain spur on the eastern slope of the Bingen Forest, the castle presents a compact, rectangular main block with crenellated parapets and small round and square towers, plus a taller cylindrical tower flying a flag. Dark grey local sandstone walls are pierced by narrow window openings; a small annex with a distinctive orange-tiled roof adjoins the west end. A curtain wall follows the spur with an arched gate into a paved inner ward; a separate ruined square watchtower stands higher on the slope behind the main enceinte.

Its story

The story of Reichenstein Castle.

Reichenstein Castle, also known as the Falkenburg, stands on a mountain spur on the eastern slope of the Bingen Forest, above the Rhineland-Palatinate municipality of Trechtingshausen in the Mainz-Bingen district. It lies within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

The complex comprises a compact medieval-looking keep, curtain walls and an adjacent long residential and service range arranged along its wooded spur. Restored from ruin, it survives today as one of the fortified sites of the Middle Rhine's World Heritage landscape.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1100.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Reichenstein Castle, including 1 interior: southwest chapel annex. 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 and gatehouseInner ward / courtyardMain keep battlementsSouthwest chapel annexEast residential/service wingCurtain wall walkUpper hill watchtower

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Recreate Reichenstein Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1100, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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From the archive

Reichenstein Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Reichenstein, Reichenstein Castle

Reichenstein

· OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH (via Europeana)

CC BY-SA

Reichenstein, Reichenstein Castle

Reichenstein

· OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH (via Europeana)

CC BY-SA

Reichenstein Schulhaus, Reichenstein Castle

Reichenstein Schulhaus

· OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH (via Europeana)

CC BY-SA

Questions about Reichenstein Castle

What is the history of Reichenstein Castle?

Reichenstein Castle was first raised in the 12th century as a fortified hilltop castle. It was captured and destroyed by King Rudolph of Habsburg in 1282, then rebuilt after 1344. From the 16th century it fell into decay, and its remains were blasted in 1689. Baron Nikolaus von Kirsch-Puricelli rebuilt it as a neo-Gothic Tudor-style residence between 1899 and 1902.

What is inside Reichenstein Castle?

Inside Reichenstein Castle are preserved rooms containing a museum with historical weapons, armour and cast-iron stove plates. The documented interior also includes the south-west chapel annex, where weddings take place. The buildings of the outer ward contain a restaurant and a hotel has operated there since the end of 2015.

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

Reichenstein Castle was raised as a fortified hilltop castle, with defensive walls, a residential tower and an inner courtyard. Its purpose later changed: after its rebuilding between 1899 and 1902, it became a neo-Gothic Tudor-style residence. It now also contains a museum, while the outer-ward buildings house a restaurant and hotel.

Where is Reichenstein Castle?

Reichenstein Castle is above Trechtingshausen on a mountain spur on the eastern slope of the Bingen Forest. It lies in the Mainz-Bingen district of Rhineland-Palatinate, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Bingen is about 5 km south-east as the crow flies.

When was Reichenstein Castle built?

Reichenstein Castle was first raised in 1100, placing its initial construction in the 12th century. The castle was later rebuilt in several phases, including a rapid reconstruction after 1344 and a major rebuilding between 1899 and 1902.

Was Reichenstein Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Reichenstein Castle was attacked and fell in 1282, when King Rudolph of Habsburg besieged, captured and destroyed it. A possible earlier conquest in 1253 is disputed by specialists. In 1397, Gottfried of Leiningen took refuge there during a dispute over the archbishopric of Mainz, but negotiations prevented another assault.

What did Reichenstein Castle look like in its prime?

At its restored medieval-looking prime, Reichenstein Castle had a compact rectangular main block with crenellated parapets, small round and square towers, and a taller cylindrical tower with a flag. Its dark grey local sandstone walls have narrow window openings, while a curtain wall follows the wooded spur to an arched gate. A separate ruined square watchtower stands higher on the slope.

Is Reichenstein Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Reichenstein Castle is still standing and restored rather than an unmanaged ruin. Much of its present appearance comes from the rebuilding carried out between 1899 and 1902, when Baron Nikolaus von Kirsch-Puricelli commissioned a neo-Gothic Tudor-style residential castle. Earlier remains had decayed and were blasted in 1689.

Does anyone live at Reichenstein Castle now?

Reichenstein Castle serves as a weekend residence for media entrepreneur Lambert Lensing-Wolff. It also operates as a museum and hotel, with a restaurant in the outer-ward buildings. This establishes occasional private residential use alongside its public and hospitality functions.

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