The picturesque village of Monreal in the district of Mayen-Koblenz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Vordereifel.
In the background are the ruins of the 13th century Löwenburg castle.
(May 2008)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Dorfansichten, #village_views, #Architektur, #architecture, #Fachwerkhäuser, #half_Timbered_houses, #Burgen, #Burgruinen, #castles, #Löwenburg, #Monreal, #Vordereifel, #Rheinland_Pfalz

Ruins of Blankenberg Castle near the village of Stadt Blankenberg (part of Hennef municipality/ Rhine-Sieg district). The castle was probably built between 1150 and 1180.
(February 2025)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Burg_Blankenberg, #Architektur, #architecture, #Stadt_Blankenberg, #Hennef, #Sieg

Castle ruins in the mountains of the Great Fatra (near Ružomberok/ Northern Slovakia) (September 2008) (Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus) #Landschaften, #landscapes, #Berge, #mountains, #Große_Fatra, #Great_Fatra, #Burgruinen, #ruins, #Ružomberok, #Slovakia, #Slowakei

The ruins of the Kaiserswerth Imperial Palace are located on the banks of the Rhine in the Kaiserswerth district of Düsseldorf. It dates back to a monastery founded by the monk Suitbert(us) around 700, but was then expanded into a mighty fortress under Emperor Frederick Barbarossa at the end of the 12th century and later served as a customs fortress.
(November 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Paläste, #palaces, #Festungen, #fortifications, #Burgruinen, #Kaiserpfalz, #Düsseldorf_Kaiserswerth

Klopp Castle, a high castle in Bingen (Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate), was probably built between 1240 and 1277, but was destroyed and rebuilt several times.
(July 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Höhenburgen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Burg_Klopp, #Bingen, #Rheinland_Pfalz

The ruins of Ehrenfels Castle, a hillside castle between Rüdesheim am Rhein (Rheingau-Taunus district/Hesse) and Assmannshausen - photographed from Bingen (Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate) on the other side of the Rhine.
The toll castle may have been built around 1211.
Peregrine falcons breed in the ruins today.
(July 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Hangburgen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Burg_Ehrenfels, #Rüdesheim_am_Rhein, #Hessen

The ruins of Affenstein Castle on the porphyry rock of Rheingrafenstein near Bad Münster am Stein (Bad Kreuznach municipality/Rhineland-Palatinate).
(July 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Felsen, #rocks, #Rheingrafenstein, #Burgruinen, #castles, #ruins, #Bad_Münster_am_Stein_Ebernburg, #Rheinland_Pfalz

The ruins of Affenstein Castle on the porphyry rock of Rheingrafenstein near Bad Münster am Stein (Bad Kreuznach municipality/Rhineland-Palatinate) were probably the outer bailey of Rheingrafenstein Castle.
(July 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Felsen, #rocks, #Rheingrafenstein, #Burgruinen, #castles, #ruins, #Bad_Münster_am_Stein_Ebernburg, #Rheinland_Pfalz

The Rheingrafenstein (rock) on the Nahe river in Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg (district of Bad Kreuznach/Rhineland-Palatinate) with the ruins of Rheingrafenstein Castle on top.
(July 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Flüsse, #rivers, #Nahe, #Felsen, #rocks, #Burgruinen, #Burg Rheingrafenstein, #Bad_Münster_am_Stein, #Bad_Kreuznach, #Rheinland_Pfalz

Wertheim Castle in Wertheim (Main-Tauber district) is one of the oldest castle ruins in Baden-Württemberg and was first mentioned in documents in 1183.
(August 2016)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Paläste, #palaces, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Wertheim, #Baden_Württemberg

Wied Castle above the village of Altwied (Neuwied municipality, Rhineland-Palatinate).
(January 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Altwied, #Neuwied, #Rheinland_Pfalz

The ruins of Wied Castle, the ancestral castle of the Counts of Wied, tower above the village of Altwied (Neuwied municipality, Rhineland-Palatinate). The oldest part of the castle was the keep built around 1125 as a residential tower. At that time, the village below did not yet exist.
The main building materials were greywacke and slate.
(January 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Altwied, #Neuwied, #Rheinland_Pfalz

Drachenfels Castle on the 321 metre high mountain of the same name near Königswinter (Rhine-Sieg district) was completed in 1149, but was razed in 1634 and then never rebuilt.
The castle ruins are a well-known tourist destination. From the top, you have a sweeping view of the countryside.
(January 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Drachenfels, #Königswinter, #Rhein_Sieg_Kreis

Former gatekeeper's house and stables of the outer bailey of Reifferscheid Castle/ Eifel, (municipality of Hellenthal, district of Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia) - from the front and back.
(January 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Reifferscheid, #Hellenthal, #Eifel, #Kreis_Euskirchen

Reifferscheid Castle in the Eifel, (part of the municipality of Hellenthal, district of Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia) at an altitude of 450 metres, was owned by the noble family of the Lords of Reifferscheid, who were first mentioned in a document in 1195 and were at times quite influential in the Rhineland.
The castle, which was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, probably dates back to the time before 1106. Today it lies in ruins and was donated to the municipality of Hellenthal by Princess Cecilie von Salm-Reifferscheid in 1965.
(January 2024)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Reifferscheid, #Hellenthal, #Eifel, #Kreis_Euskirchen

Rheinbach Castle is the ruins of a moated castle belonging to the lords of Rheinbach from the 12th century in the town of Rheinbach (near Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia). The original moat, which is now dry, has been made visible. The keep is also known as the witches' tower, as around 130 people were imprisoned here in the 1630s during the witch hunts and later killed as witches and sorcerers.
(December 2023)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Wasserburgen, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Hexenverfolgung, #witch_hunts, #Rheinbach, #Voreifel, #Rhein_Sieg_Kreis

The former Lechenich castle of the archbishops and electors of Cologne in Erftstadt-Lechenich (Rhine-Erft district, North Rhine-Westphalia) lies partly in ruins. The castle, which was surrounded by moats, was one of the mightiest castle complexes in the Rhineland, as can still be seen from the existing donjons. Its origins date back to the beginning of the 14th century. After 1689, the castle lost its importance and fell into disrepair.
(November 2023)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Landesburg_Lechenich, #Lechenich, #Erftstadt

The ruins of Windeck Castle, a hilltop castle above Altwindeck (Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia), first mentioned in a document in 1174, but probably older.
(October 2023)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Burg_Windeck, #Windeck, #Rhein_Sieg_Kreis

In the Stein castle ruin near Nassau/ Lahn, Rhineland-Palatinate), the ancestral seat of the Lords vom und zum Stein. The castle was largely destroyed in 1639.
(September 2023)
(Foto: © Rüdiger Benninghaus)
#Burgen, #castles, #Burgruinen, #Architektur, #architecture, #Burgruine_Stein, #Nassau, #Lahn, #Rheinland_Pfalz