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Burgruine Ehrenfels
Burgruine Ehrenfels
Can only be viewed from the outside
Castle ruins: currently closed for nature conservation reasons
The ruins of Ehrenfels Castle near Rüdesheim am Rhein mark the entrance to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1208 and 1220 by Philip III of Bolanden on the site of a previous structure, it was more of a palace than a castle: a trapezoidal inner castle, an elongated three-story palace, a colossal shield wall, two round towers, and a neck ditch. In the 14th century, it was expanded several times, with upper floors, battlements, a curtain wall, and a gatehouse added. On the banks of the Rhine, it served as a customs station for merchant ships, complemented by the Mäuseturm (Mouse Tower) on an offshore island. Ehrenfels survived the Thirty Years' War largely unscathed, but in 1689 French troops destroyed the castle during the War of the Palatinate Succession. Today, only the ruins remain, which visitors can view from the outside. It offers impressive views and is considered a historical landmark, while a pair of falcons populate the battlements.