Castles Along the Rhine River: From Bingen to Koblenz | Germany's Upper Middle Rhine Valley by Drone

The Rhine is one of Europe's primary transport arteries, as well as a tourist destination. In 2002, UNESCO added the unparalleled cultural landscape of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley to its World Heritage List. This section of the river valley stretches around 65 kilometers from Bingen to Koblenz. It is home to some 40 castles, palaces and fortresses. We start our journey in Bingen. The town's landmark is the 13th-century Klopp Castle, built on the 130-meter-high Kloppberg. It was destroyed many times. It offers a magnificent view of the valley that has inspired countless artists and writers. The 25-meter-tall Maus Tower stands on an island in the Rhine. In the Middle Ages, it served as a customs post. The unusual name comes from a legend about the cruel Bishop Hato II, who is said to have been eaten alive by mice for his massacre of local peasants. In the 17th century, Dutch artists discovered the Maus Tower, and it has become one of the oldest Rhine motifs in landscape painting. Perched high above Rudesheim stands the 38-meter-high Niederwald Monument, crowned with the statue of Germania. It was built after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and 71, to mark the founding of the German Empire. The monument was dedicated in 1883 by Kaiser Wilhelm I. Our journey continues northward, past Trechtingshausen and Rheinstein Castle. It, too, has been shaped by the constant waves of destruction and reconstruction. In 1823, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia had the castle renovated as a summer residence in the Rhine Romanticist style. Today, it houses a hotel, museum and restaurant. Our next stop is Bacharach, which once served as the center of the County Palatine of the Rhine. Stahle Castle rises majestically above the town. Today, it houses one of Germany's most picturesque youth hostels. Pfalz Grafenstein Castle near Kaub was another toll station on the river, one of twelve between Mainz and Cologne. Its location follows its former function. It stands on a rock in the Rhine River. Prussian rule put an end to the toll station's activities. Later in the 19th century, the romantics and tourists discovered the castle. Such authors as Victor Hugo and Heinrich Heine succumbed to its charms. The crown jewel of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley is St. Gorshausen. Here, at a narrow stretch of the Rhine, the Loreley Rock can be seen. In 1824, Heinrich Heine wrote the poem The Loreley, one of his most famous works. It is about the siren Loreley, whose beauty and song lured boatsmen to their deaths on the rocky cliffs. Katz Castle offers a breathtaking view of the rock. The fortress was built in the 14th century by Count William of Katzenellenbogen, a member of one of the most powerful noble houses of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. Its purpose was to defend the family's holdings along the Rhine. Count William intended Katz Castle to outclass Maus Castle, just to the north. The local people were quick to make fun of the competition between Katz and Maus castles. The biggest castle on the Middle Rhine is Rheinfels Castle, now partly a ruin, perched on a rocky outcropping 115 meters above St. Goa. It was built in the Middle Ages as a fortress and long considered impregnable. In the 18th century, it was heavily damaged by the French Revolutionary Army and used as a quarry. Prince Wilhelm of Prussia kept it from falling into further ruin. Today, it's a landmark of St. Goa and a favorite tourist destination. Many of the castles along the Rhine were destroyed in the 19th century, only to be rebuilt true to the original. Maxburg Castle escaped this fate. It's the only hilltop castle along the Middle Rhine never to have been destroyed. It stands 90 meters above the town of Braubach. The completely preserved fortress gives an insight into medieval life. Our journey ends in Koblenz. Towering above the west bank of the Rhine is Stolzenfels Castle. It dates back to the 13th century. King Frederick William IV acquired the ruin and, in 1823, had it rebuilt to suit his ideal of a knight's castle. It served as a summer residence for the Prussian monarch. Today, it stands as an important symbol of Rhine Romanticism.