ヴェルゲスハイムの洞窟・トップ15

短い急なランプで、石畳を越えて遺跡と礼拝堂へ

Kauzenburg Castle was built around 1200 for the Counts of Sponheim. The small town of Bad Kreuznach, with its ring of walls, grew up around the castle. Over the centuries, the castle expanded into a veritable fortress with a palace. It reached its greatest extent around 1650. Powerful outworks were built around the palace. The great era of Kauzenburg came to an abrupt end when French troops, during the War of Conquest, blew it up in 1689 and burned it to the ground, leaving only the cellar standing. It wasn't until the 19th century that a kind of "manor house"—a grand bourgeois country estate—was built on the site of the ruins. This had to make way in the early 1970s when the architect Gottfried Böhm combined the remaining ruins with a new architectural design reminiscent of castle battlements—a style also used elsewhere. For a long time, the surviving vaulted cellar served as the venue for popular medieval banquets. The restaurant closed a few years ago; today, a catering service leases the premises and offers it for events. Anyone walking around the grounds and the castle can still get a sense of its former grandeur.

​👑 Rheingrafenstein Castle Ruins – The Rock Boss on the Cycle Path ​Tip: Stop here! The Rheingrafenstein ruins sit dramatically perched on a 136-meter-high porphyry cliff above the Nahe River – one of the most impressive sights of the entire tour. The castle was the ancestral seat of the famous Wildgraves and Rhinegraves (until it was blown up in 1689). ​The view from the cycle path is phenomenal! If you really want to go up (and have enough energy), you can take the small hand-pulled ferry across and take the steep hiking trail to the ruins. It's worth it for the view over the Nahe Valley, but honestly: My legs were already tired enough from cycling. The panoramic view from below is worth its weight in gold! A must-have for your photo collection!

Rheingrafenstein Castle sits enthroned on a steep porphyry cliff (245 meters high) directly above the Nahe River near Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg. Legend has it that the devil himself built the castle—a reference to its dramatic location and mystical aura. In fact, it likely dates back to the 11th century and was the ancestral seat of the Lords of Stein, later the Wildgraves and Rhinegraves. In 1689, it was blown up by French troops under Louis XIV, and since then it has been a ruin—but an extremely impressive one.

Part of the former city fortifications

This hilltop castle was built around 1250 and destroyed in 1668

A beautiful hike with a steady uphill and downhill section in the first half. Consistently beautiful views of the Selz Valley. Not recommended in warm weather and sunshine, as there's no shade anywhere and you'll mostly be walking through the vineyards.

This castle is located above Bad Kreuznach. Restaurant with vaulted cellar available