Maus Castle - 1356 -1386 & St. Martins Church, Wellmich, Germany

Knights, kings, romance and wine — the Upper Middle Rhine Valley has more castles than anywhere else in Germany. Maus Castle (German: Burg Maus, meaning Mouse Castle) is a castle above the village of Wellmich (part of Sankt Goarshausen) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies on the east side of the Rhine, north of Katz Castle (Cat Castle) in Sankt Goarshausen and opposite Rheinfels Castle at Sankt Goar across the river. Wellmich is below Maus Castle and the church is St. Martin Catholic Church.

Maus Castle (Wellmich) - 1356 -1386

Maus Castle (German: Burg Maus, meaning Mouse Castle) is a castle above the village of Wellmich (part of Sankt Goarshausen) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies on the east side of the Rhine, north of Katz Castle (Cat Castle) in Sankt Goarshausen and opposite Rheinfels Castle at Sankt Goar across the river. Construction of the castle was begun in 1356 by Archbishop-Elector of Trier Bohemond II and was continued for the next 30 years by successive Electors of Trier. The construction of Burg Maus was to enforce Trier's recently acquired Rhine River toll rights and to secure Trier's borders against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (who had built Burg Katz and Burg Rheinfels). In the latter half of the 14th century Burg Maus was one of the residences of the Elector of Trier.

St. Martins Church, Wellmich, Germany

Wellmich is below Maus Castle and the church is St. Martin Catholic Church. St. Martin Catholic Church in Wellmich, Germany, a tiny village on the Rhine.

Sankt Goarshausen, Germany

Maus Castle (Wellmich) - 1356 -1386

Maus Castle (German: Burg Maus, meaning Mouse Castle) is a castle above the village of Wellmich (part of Sankt Goarshausen) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies on the east side of the Rhine, north of Katz Castle (Cat Castle) in Sankt Goarshausen and opposite Rheinfels Castle at Sankt Goar across the river. They became commonly known as cat (Katz) and mouse (Maus) castles. Construction of the castle was begun in 1356 by Archbishop-Elector of Trier Bohemond II and was continued for the next 30 years by successive Electors of Trier. The construction of Burg Maus was to enforce Trier's recently acquired Rhine River toll rights and to secure Trier's borders against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (who had built Burg Katz and Burg Rheinfels). In the latter half of the 14th century Burg Maus was one of the residences of the Elector of Trier.

Rheinfels Castle (Sankt Goar) - 1245

Rheinfels Fortress is the largest castle overlooking this section of the Rhine located high on its west bank, though much of the castle is ruins (destroyed by the French in 1749.) Originally built to protect the tax collectors beginning in 1245 by Count Diether V von Katzenelnbogen, it was expanded to a fortress with an area almost five times as large as its current footprint and served as the residence of the counts. This area and slightly north along the Rhine seemed an area to target for future visits exploring on land with beautiful towns such as Boppard just before the big bend of the Rhine. Near Boppard is a chairlift that provides accessibility to some of the most beautiful views of the Rhine, including a vantage point where the twists in the Rhine cause the appearance of four individual lakes. Credit: Catherine Sweeney https://www.travelingwithsweeney.com/rhine-river-castle-cruising-rudesheim-to-koblenz/

Rheinfels Castle (Sankt Goar) - 1245

Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located above the left bank of the Rhine in Sankt Goar, Germany. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. After expansions, it was the largest fortress in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz. It was slighted by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine, and historically covered five times its current area. In 1245 the castle was built by Count Diether V von Katzenelnbogen to protect the St. Goar tax collectors and soon developed into one of the mightiest fortresses in the Middle Rhine region. In 1692 “Rheinfels” Castle was the only fortress on the left bank of the Rhine that was able to defend itself against the attacks by the French troops sent by Louis XIV. The turbulent history of the castle came to an end in 1794, when it was handed over – without a struggle- to the French revolutionary army. In 1796/97 the exterior walls and the castle were blown up.

Sankt Goar, Germany

Sankt Goar, Germany

Rheinfels Castle (Sankt Goar) - 1245

Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located above the left bank of the Rhine in Sankt Goar, Germany. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. After expansions, it was the largest fortress in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz. It was slighted by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine, and historically covered five times its current area. Burg Rheinfels is still considered the “granddaddy of castle ruins”. At one time it functioned as a complete town when the area was under siege.

Rheinfels Castle (Sankt Goar) - 1245

Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located above the left bank of the Rhine in Sankt Goar, Germany. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. After expansions, it was the largest fortress in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz. It was slighted by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797. It is the largest castle overlooking the Rhine, and historically covered five times its current area.

St. Goar, Germany

Katz Castle near St. Goarshausen - 1371

Katz Castle, now in private Japanese ownership, is one of the best-known Rhine castles. It has a view of the Lorelei, where legend says a siren lured boatmen to their deaths on the cliffs with her singing. The count of Katzenelnbogen had the fortress built in the 14th century as a counterpart to nearby Peterseck Castle. They became commonly known as cat (Katz) and mouse (Maus) castles. Katz Castle (German: Burg Katz) is a castle above the German town of St. Goarshausen (right bank) in Rhineland-Palatinate. The castle stands on a ledge looking downstream from the riverside at St. Goar. It was first built around 1371 by Count William II of Katzenelnbogen. The castle was bombarded in 1806 by Napoleon and rebuilt in the late 19th century, in 1896–98. It is now privately owned, and not open for visitors.

Loreley

The name Loreley ( Lorelei ) appears in a romantic ballad written by the poet Clemens Brentano in 1801. In this ballad, Loreley ( Lorelei ) is a beauty from Bacharach who wants to take her own life because her truelove is unfaithful. The bishop, fascinated by her loveliness and humility, takes her to a convent. En route to the convent, she stops at the cliff to look back on the palace of her truelove. When she sees him riding away, she throws herself in despair into the turbulent waters below. In the Rhine fairytale of 1810, Brentano varied the theme so that Loreley ( Lorelei ) appears as the distraught woman Lurley, sitting on a rock combing her long golden hair and luring the bargees into their destruction. First traces of human settlement have been apparent from the time the Loreley ( Lorelei ) Plateau was level with the Rhine (600.000 years ago). During the Middle Ages the Loreley ( Lorelei ) was well known, along with the Binger Loch, as the most dangerous section of the Rhine. Many mariners in their wooden dinghies came to tragedy here. In St. Goar, directly opposite the Loreley ( Lorelei ), the Saint Goar settled to save shipwrecked mariners and nurse them back to health.

The Lorelei

The Loreley ( Lorelei ) is a 433 feet high slate cliff in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage near the town of St. Goarshausen. The view of St. Goarshausen, from the Loreley ( Lorelei ) outlook point, with Castle Katz and the view of the town St. Goar and its Fortress Rheinfels, leaves a wonderful impression on all Loreley ( Lorelei ) tourists. The Rhine, at the Loreley ( Lorelei ), is up to 82 feet deep and only 371 feet wide. Because this area is so deep and narrow, it is one of the most dangerous places in the World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Ships, crossing each other here and all along the section between Oberwesel and St. Goarshausen, are directed by light signals, called “Wahrschau”. The Loreley is a legendary rock rising above the most treacherous section of the Upper Middle Rhine. Though many songs, poems and myths have been devoted to this very special place, it only became known worldwide through the Loreley song by Heinrich Heine.

Wahrschau - Light signals

The Loreley ( Lorelei ) is a 433 feet high slate cliff in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage near the town of St. Goarshausen. The view of St. Goarshausen, from the Loreley ( Lorelei ) outlook point, with Castle Katz and the view of the town St. Goar and its Fortress Rheinfels, leaves a wonderful impression on all Loreley ( Lorelei ) tourists. The Rhine, at the Loreley ( Lorelei ), is up to 82 feet deep and only 371 feet wide. Because this area is so deep and narrow, it is one of the most dangerous places in the World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Ships, crossing each other here and all along the section between Oberwesel and St. Goarshausen, are directed by light signals, called “Wahrschau”.

Katz Castle near St. Goarshausen - 1371

Katz Castle (picture), now in private Japanese ownership, is one of the best-known Rhine castles. It has a view of the Lorelei, where legend says a siren lured boatmen to their deaths on the cliffs with her singing. The count of Katzenelnbogen had the fortress built in the 14th century as a counterpart to nearby Peterseck Castle. They became commonly known as cat (Katz) and mouse (Maus) castles.

The Lorelei

The Loreley ( Lorelei ) is a 433 feet high slate cliff in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage near the town of St. Goarshausen. The view of St. Goarshausen, from the Loreley ( Lorelei ) outlook point, with Castle Katz and the view of the town St. Goar and its Fortress Rheinfels, leaves a wonderful impression on all Loreley ( Lorelei ) tourists. The Rhine, at the Loreley ( Lorelei ), is up to 82 feet deep and only 371 feet wide. Because this area is so deep and narrow, it is one of the most dangerous places in the World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Ships, crossing each other here and all along the section between Oberwesel and St. Goarshausen, are directed by light signals, called “Wahrschau”.

Loreley

The Loreley ( Lorelei ) is a 433 feet high slate cliff in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage near the town of St. Goarshausen. The view of St. Goarshausen, from the Loreley ( Lorelei ) outlook point, with Castle Katz and the view of the town St. Goar and its Fortress Rheinfels, leaves a wonderful impression on all Loreley ( Lorelei ) tourists. The Rhine, at the Loreley ( Lorelei ), is up to 82 feet deep and only 371 feet wide. Because this area is so deep and narrow, it is one of the most dangerous places in the World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Ships, crossing each other here and all along the section between Oberwesel and St. Goarshausen, are directed by light signals, called “Wahrschau”.

St. Goar, Germany

Railway Tunnel

Railway Tunnel