vergrößern
Castle Romantik-Schloss Burg Rheinstein
Familie Hecher
55413 Trechtingshausen
Telefon: +49 (0)6721 / 6348
Fax: +49 (0)6721 / 6659
Internet: burg-rheinstein.de
Seasonal Schedule for Castle Visitation
15th March - 15th November, daily 09.30 a.m. - 06.00 p.m. (last admission at 05.30 pm)
16th November - 14th March, Monday-Friday after arrangement by telephone (+49 (0)6721 / 6348)
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 a.m. - 05.00 p.m. (last admission at 05.30 pm)
In the time from 20th December up to 31th January the castle is closed.
Location and History: Castle Rheinstein stands on a spur of rock at the beginning of the Middle Rhine Valley, on the left side of the river, between Bingerbrück and Trechtingshausen. The history of the castle originates in the 13th century. It was built as a customs post by the Archbishop of Mainz and was served to protect the Mainz territory against the unruly knights of the Rhine River.The castle was never destroyed by attack, but from the 17th century on it gradually decayed. In 1823 it was bought by Prince Friedrich of Prussia, a cousin of the later King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, and he rebuilt the castle, generally in the sense of the Rhine Romantic of the 19th century. In 1975 Barbara, Duchess of Mecklenburg, the last owner of the House of Prussia, sold the castle to the former opera singer Hermann Hecher, who preserved it from misuse and imminent decay. And so it is due to the Hecher family - with the support of the society "Freunde der Burg Rheinstein e.V." (Friends of Castle Rheinstein) and the Rhineland-Palatinate office for the preservation of monuments - that the castle after about 30 years of hard work has become again a lively cultural monument at the Middle Rhine.
Directions:
By car: Take Autobahn A60 or A61, exit Bingen - Ost, then B9 direction St. Goar. Castle Rheinstein is located between Bingen and Trechtingshausen (about 5 km after Bingerbrück) across the river from Assmannshausen. Car parking is provided on the parking place beside B9, at the bottom of the footpath to the castle.
By train: Trechtingshausen train station and then about a 30 minute walk along the Rhein to the castle. It is not safe to walk along the road from the station to reach the castle. It is better to turn left outside the station gate. Turn left again over the level crossing. Follow the road to the right, and then follow the promenade path, upstream (the railway will be on your right) after about 0,5 km you will see Castle Reichenstein on your right. A little further on the path takes you past St. Clemens church, on the same level as the path. After a total of about 2 km you will see Castle Rheinstein. You will soon come to an underpass marked "To Castle Rheinstein". This takes you under the railway, to the main road. Cross the road and follow the zigzag path up to the castle. This is about 260 ft. above the road, but the path is not very steep.
By ship: Right below Castle Rheinstein there is a ship landing stage so that you can reach the castle from Bingen, Rüdesheim or Assmannshausen also by boat. There are two companies who offer special Castle-Tours: "Fahrgastschiffahrt Rössler Linie"(roesslerlinie.de) and "Bingen-Rüdesheimer Fahrgastschiffahrt"(bingen-ruedesheimer.com). From the landing stage you go under the railway to the main road. Then cross the road and follow the zigzag path up to the castle.
Text: with friendly permission of castle Rheinstein and family Hecher.
Photos: Jens Niemeyer, Stromberg
