Marksburg Castle: How to visit, history & photos

Marksburg Castle is a rare thing indeed, a medieval castle that is fully intact, just as it was during the Middle Ages. 

It’s the most dramatic of the 40 or so castles on the Rhine, its romantic silhouette rising high above the mighty river at the northern end of its stunning gorge.

In this Marksburg Castle guide I tell you everything you need to know, from getting there to what you see on the tour and places to see nearby. I also give you tips on Rhine river cruises which take you past the Castle. Enjoy.  

Marksburg Castle is one of the best Rhine river castles to visit, a magnificent sight overlooking the river and the beautiful village of Braubach.

It’s one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe, having never been captured or destroyed.

Most of the castle interiors are unchanged in centuries, and from the worn-down entrance pathway to the medieval chapel frescoes, it’s one of the nearest things you’ll ever find to a castle from the Middle Ages in original condition.

The Marksburg Castle played a major part in the growth of the ‘romantic Rhine’ ideal in the 19^th century, partly because of its medieval mystique and spectacular setting, and also attracting artists including British painter JMW Turner, which further spread its fame.

Marksburg Castle is one of the best-known Castles in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, which covers the 65 km of the river from Rudesheim to Koblenz.

The original Marksburg is believed to have been built around 1100  by the powerful local Eppstein family, who later expanded it beyond the original keep tower, or bergfried.

The Eppsteins built Marksburg Castle to protect Braubach and also enforce river tolls – the function of many other castles along this stretch of the Rhine.  They were a wealthy local family with important connections – one of them became Siegfried III, Archbishop of Mainz.

Marksburg Castle was sold by the Eppstein family to the powerful Eberhard of Katzenelnbogen in 1283.  This influential clan also built two other castles in the Rhine gorge – Burg Rheinfels in St Goar and Burg Katz, across the river in St Goarshausen.

After the line of Counts of Katzenelnbogen ended, the Castle was taken over by the Counts of Hesse, who expanded it further.

Marksburg Castle was taken over by Napoleon’s forces in 1806, and awarded to the Duke of Nassau, and later in the 19^th century was absorbed into Prussian ownership.

The only damage that Marksburg ever sustained was in 1945, when it came under fire from American forces.

When visiting Marksburg, the first thing I suggest you do is to seek out a view of the Castle from the river. The exterior is superb, and you get good views from the riverbank below the Castle, across the road from Braubach village.

I also mention a hilltop view of Marksburg Castle near the end of this article – the view from there is best in evening light.

After buying your ticket and joining the guided tour, you enter the Marksburg through the Fox Gate and ascend the stone path towards the inner ward.

The surface is very uneven  – the guide suggested it is a result of centuries of horses walking along it – and here you also see the series of coats of arms of the various owners of the Castle over the last 900 years.

Marksburg Castle is located on a forested hilltop above the small town of Braubach and the river Rhine.

Braubach is 11 km (7 miles) south-east of Koblenz, one of the main cities on the river Rhine.

Braubach is very easy to reach by public transport, especially train. It’s on the line between Koblenz and Rudesheim (and eventually Frankfurt), and the RB10 service stops by every 30 minutes. Check the Deutsche Bahn website for current train times.

You can also reach Braubach on the KD ferry in either direction.

If you’re driving, you may be pleased to know that the Marksburg car park is around 5 minutes’ walk down the hill from the Castle entrance.

If you’re travelling by public transport (as I was) you have a 15-20 minute uphill walk to Marksburg Castle from the old part of Braubach village, around 5 minutes from the train station.

If you’re physically fit it’s a nice short workout. On the other hand, if you struggle with mobility, I suggest you look at other options.

One possible option in summer is the Marksburg Bahn (Marksburg Railway), a road train which runs from Braubach village to the Castle. Services don’t run to timetable, rather to demand, so they won’t depart unless they have enough customers. Unfortunately there website is down at the moment summer 2023 but I will keep checking and update accordingly.

Adult fares are 5.50 euros for a return, and kids are 4.50 euros.  You can book a trip up via the website if there are enough of you.

Alternatively, you could book a taxi up the hill through Funktaxi-Braubach.

Marksburg Castle Opening Times And Tickets

The Marksburg Castle is open between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm daily throughout the year.

The visit is by guided tour only. English language tours usually run at 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm during the summer season only . You can also call the visitor centre +49-2627-206 or email marksburg@deutsche-burgen.org as you might be able to join a pre-booked English-speaking group.

Otherwise, you can join a guided tour in German, and follow a text (supplied) in English. You can also download the text in English (download).

Tickets for adults are €11, and for children over the age of 6 cost €8.

Marksburg Castle is an imposing sight from wherever you view it, but the best Marksburg Castle view is well worth the steep uphill trudge and aching thighs and calf muscles that you may well incur.

There is a viewpoint marked on Google Maps called Kerkertser Platte, just to the north of the town.  However you don’t need to climb quite as far as the marked viewpoint – you get a better view ¾ of the way up than you do at the very top.

From the tourist office in Braubach, cross the square and walk up steep Kerkertserstrasse, with a church on your right-hand side. The road eventually narrows before a left then right turn.

After another 100 metres or so, there is a signpost on the right-hand side of the road pointing to a footpath on the left-hand side.

Follow the footpath for 200-250 metres and the famous Marksburg Castle view will open up before you.

The village below Marksburg, Braubach, is exceptionally pretty. It’s full of gorgeous half-timbered medieval houses and its beauty is enhanced in the warmer months by the many flowers around the town.

Braubach is also very quiet. Along with Bacharach and Rudesheim it’s one of the most beautiful Rhine river towns but when I visited, on a warm summer’s day, a few people were walking around exploring the back streets and a couple were enjoying a drink on the main square. That was pretty much it. If you want somewhere stunning to yourself, Braubach is one place to go.

Several Rhine castles are closer to Braubach and Marksburg. Lahneck Castle is a few miles up the track in Lahnstein (on the confluence of the River Lahn), and across the river from Lahnstein you can clearly see the ornate white exterior of Stolzenfels Castle.

Koblenz, the regional hub, is a few miles further downriver. It has several places to visit, including the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, Kurfurstliches Schloss Koblenz and the superb Romanesque Basilica of St Kastor.

Koblenz is better as a base than a destination. It’s a short train ride from there to the heart of the Moselle, with the likes of Cochem and Beilstein barely an hour away.

The train from Koblenz Hbf to Trier takes an hour and a half, and there you can discover some of the finest Roman monuments in Germany, including the Porta Nigra city gate, as well as the wondrous Trier Cathedral.

See Also: 26 Wonderful Things To Do In Trier – the oldest city in Germany

The Lahn river meets the Rhine at Lahnstein, and its valley makes for one of the most enjoyable diversions in the region. Bad Ems is a gorgeous historic spa town, and part of the newly-created Great Spa Towns of Europe World Heritage Site.

Further upriver, Limburg an der Lahn is one of the most beautiful towns in Germany, with a wealth of half-timbered buildings and a magnificent Cathedral.  

If you’re heading up the Rhine, the first major town you’ll reach – on the opposite side of the river – is Boppard.

One of the best way to enjoy the Rhine river castles is on a boat cruise.

Most Rhine river cruises tend to last no more than two hours, and cover a selection of castles around the departure point.

The best Rhine cruise for seeing Marksburg Castle is this one from Koblenz, the city a few miles to the north.   This takes you to the famous Deutsches Eck, the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, and you also get to see several Koblenz castles, including the Ehrenbreitstein fortress, Stolzenfels Castle and Lahneck Castle in Lahnstein before reaching Braubach and Marksburg.  

I visited Marksburg Castle on my first visit to the Rhineland in the 1980s, and for me it’s still the most impressive of the Rhine river castles.

Its location is spectacular, and it’s a fully intact medieval castle, quite a rarity even in a country with countless castles to visit.

Many of you will have limited time to visit castles along the river Rhine, so I’d suggest making Marksburg one of the top three on your wish list, along with the ruined Rheinfels Castle near St Goar and Rheinstein Castle near Trechtingshausen. And don’t miss picturesque Burg Katz, above St Goarshausen, either.

Also try to fit in a Rhine castles cruise if possible, and there is even the option of staying in a Rhine valley castle if you want the full medieval romantic experience. Have a great visit.