The beautiful #castle of #Mespelbrunn was built from 1427 on by #knight Peter Echter of Mespelbrunn close to the unexploited forest around #Aschaffenburg in #Bavaria. Back then the forest was often used by bandits as a #hideout from their raids, and over the following generations the presence of the knight’s castle made the area safe again – with the castle ultimately turning into a dreamy location for tourists.
Burg #Rheinstein is another beautiful #castle along the #Rhein #River in #Germany that was constructed in 1316. Known for its strategic location along merchant routes it went into decline during wars of #succession in the late 14th century and was rebuilt by #Prince #Frederick in 1825.
Cochem #Castle is open to visitors these days and is a hotspot for #tourism along the #Mosel River. Inside you can see the painting on the main tower closeup: It was added to the tower in 1870 and shows #Saint #Christopher as the #patron saint of travelers, which makes sense considering most castles were used to collect tolls from passing merchants for safe passage.
The Imperial #Castle of #Cochem was built in the 11th #century and towers over part of the #Mosel #River valley, with large #wineyards and beautiful quaint towns along the river. It is one of the largest castles along the Mosel and was the center point of decades of war of succession while in the hands of the #princes of #Trier in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is well maintained these days and a highlight for many tourists.
Next one on the list is the #beautiful #Burg #Reichenstein (“rich stone”), overseeing the #Rhine #River valley with its lavish #wineyards. This #castle is part of the #UNESCO World Heritage effort – it was built around 1100 AD, though it’s still unclear by whom. All that is known about its history is that throughout the centuries it was housed and used to collect tolls from travelers and merchants passing through by various high ranking families until it was finally given to the #archbishop of Mainz.
Andreas Steffelmaier Photography 