Clan Rising
Runkel Castle today

Germany · Partial ruin

Runkel Castle

Burg Runkel

Runkel Castle is a medieval hill castle standing on a rocky promontory above the Lahn River in the town of Runkel, Hesse, Germany. The site comprises an Upper Castle, now partly ruined, and a Lower Castle of two- and three-storey buildings that were rebuilt and remain in use, with a medieval stone bridge at the river below.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1100

Its prime

1543

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1543

What Runkel Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a steep rocky spur above the Lahn, the castle presents a compact group of massive stone keeps and curtain walls built of grey-brown rubble masonry. Three large, roughly rectangular keeps form a shield-like frontage toward the river; lower domestic ranges with pitched slate roofs step down the rock to meet the town and an arched stone bridge. At its prime the Upper Castle and keeps stood complete, the Lower Castle composed of U-shaped two- and three-storey wings around an enclosed courtyard.

Its story

The story of Runkel Castle.

Runkel is a hill castle of the High Middle Ages standing on a rocky promontory above the Lahn in Hesse. Its lords are recorded from around 1159, when Siegfried I appears as Lord of Runkel; his descendants took the name Runkel-Westerburg, dividing the lordships of Runkel and Westerburg among sons and brothers through the 13th century.

In 1543 the Protestant reformer Philipp Melanchthon visited as the guest of Count Johann IV von Wied-Runkel, nephew of Hermann of Wied, Archbishop of Cologne. The Upper Castle was destroyed in the Thirty Years War and remains a walkable ruin; its keep, standing above the stone Lahn bridge built between 1440 and 1448, is one of three keeps, an arrangement so unusual that Runkel counts as a rarity among castles.

The Lower Castle was rebuilt and expanded after the destruction, in the 17th and 18th centuries, and its two- and three-storey buildings are still largely in use. Prince Karl of Wied, one of the last two surviving male members of the House of Wied-Runkel, served as administrator of the new District of Runkel for the Dukes of Nassau. Today the castle is owned by Maximillian, Prince of Wied.

Step inside

9 places to explore in 1543.

The record describes 9 distinct spots at Runkel Castle, including 3 interiors: castle chapel interior, former domestic room / museum space, archive / private wing corridor. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

View from the Lahn bridgeShield wall and riverside faceSummit of the main keep (observation deck)Upper castle courtyard among ruinsLower Castle enclosed courtyardCastle chapel interiorFormer domestic room / museum spaceArchive / private wing corridorView across the Lahn to Schadeck Castle

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Whose castle

Clans who held Runkel Castle.

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

  • Runkel

    Seat of the lords von Runkel from c.1159, when Siegfried I is recorded as Lord of Runkel; later the Runkel-Westerburg line.

  • Wied

    Held by the counts of Wied-Runkel, Count Johann IV hosted Melanchthon here in 1543, and owned today by Maximillian, Prince of Wied.

From the archive

Runkel 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.

Fig. 91, Runkel Castle

Fig. 91

1912 · Otto Piper, Burgenkunde (1912)

Public domain

Questions about Runkel Castle

What is the history of Runkel Castle?

Runkel Castle was first raised in the 12th century to protect the strategic pass between Weilburg and the southern region. Its lords are recorded from around 1159, and the Runkel-Westerburg line later held the lordship. Croats under Graf von Isolani burned the town and castle in 1634; the Upper Castle remained a ruin while the Lower Castle was rebuilt.

What is inside Runkel Castle?

Inside Runkel Castle are a museum, a chapel, an archive and offices of the Princes of Wied. The Lower Castle has two- and three-storey buildings arranged around an enclosed courtyard, while the Upper Castle contains walkable ruins and a main keep with an observation platform. Some other rooms and buildings are inhabited or used for storage.

Who owns Runkel Castle now?

Runkel Castle is owned by Maximillian, Prince of Wied. The castle also has cultural heritage monument status in Hesse. Its buildings include the private wing of the owner's great uncle Metfried, Prince of Wied.

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

Runkel Castle was built to protect a strategic pass between Weilburg and the southern side of the region. Its position above the Lahn and later bridge also gave it control of an important river crossing. After the Upper Castle was destroyed, the Lower Castle became a rebuilt and still-used residential and administrative complex.

Does anyone live in Runkel Castle now?

Yes, parts of Runkel Castle are still lived in. The castle has a private wing, and the family of Metfried, Prince of Wied, is sometimes in residence; other parts of the buildings are also inhabited or used. The Lower Castle additionally contains a museum, chapel, archive and offices.

Where is Runkel Castle?

Runkel Castle is in Hesse, in the town of Runkel, above the Lahn River. It stands in the Landkreis of Limburg-Weilburg, about six kilometres east of Limburg an der Lahn. Schadeck Castle is visible across the river from the castle’s observation platform.

When was Runkel Castle built?

Runkel Castle was first raised in 1100, placing its foundation in the 12th century. The castle was first mentioned in documents in 1159, when it was in the possession of Siegfried I von Runkel. The Lower Castle was rebuilt and expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries after the destruction of the Upper Castle.

Was Runkel Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Yes, Runkel Castle was attacked and fell in 1634 during the Thirty Years War. Croats under the command of the Imperial General Graf von Isolani burned the town and castle on 15 October. The Upper Castle was left in ruins, while the Lower Castle was rebuilt from 1642 and further expanded in the following centuries.

Which family or clan held Runkel Castle?

Runkel Castle was held first by the lords von Runkel, recorded from around 1159 when Siegfried I was Lord of Runkel. Their descendants became the Runkel-Westerburg line, which later divided the lordships of Runkel and Westerburg. The castle was subsequently held by the counts of Wied-Runkel and is now owned by Maximillian, Prince of Wied.

What did Runkel Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Runkel Castle formed a compact group of massive grey-brown rubble-masonry keeps and curtain walls on a steep rocky spur. Three large, roughly rectangular keeps created a shield-like frontage towards the river, while pitched slate-roofed domestic ranges stepped down towards the town and bridge. The architectural style is Renaissance.

Is Runkel Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Runkel Castle is partly ruined rather than wholly lost. The Upper Castle was destroyed in the Thirty Years War and remains a walkable ruin, although its main keep can still be entered and climbed. The Lower Castle was rebuilt and expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries and remains well preserved and largely in use.

Can you visit Runkel Castle?

Yes, Runkel Castle can be visited. The castle contains a museum and chapel, and visitors can explore the accessible parts of the Upper Castle and climb the main keep to its observation platform. The private wing and some inhabited or working areas are not presented as public spaces.

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