Whether taking a Viking Cruise on the Rhine or a bullet train to Frankfurt, most likely you will be seeing some castles. The Rhine River stretches from the Netherlands before making its way into Switzerland. However, the castles are most likely to be found in Germany on a 70 mile stretch. Many of the castles have either never lost their glory or have been restored. Ruins of castles can be found as much as house museums. Here are just some of the brilliant castles found along the Rhine.

Castle Lahneck sits opposite of Castle Stolzenfels. The castle is widely known for its pentagonal shape for castle towers, which is considered rare. The castle was built in the 13^th century, housing many men of the clergy and many kings in its history. According the legend, the Knights of Templar took refuge in the castle. Inside the castle, to this day, a life size portrait of Queen Victoria still stands. The castle is owned by a private family.

Castle Stolzenfels was originally built in the 13^th century and was eventually gifted to a Prussian prince in 1823. During its initial run, it extended several times and was damaged during the Nine Years’ War.  Because of the changeover, the castle turned into a palace in Gothic Revival style. Queen Victoria also came to visit the castle, which sits opposite of the castle with her portrait in it. After the World War 1, the castle became state-owned.

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress dates back to the 19^th century, which makes it quite young. Most castles in this area date back to the 11^th century. It is a strategic stronghold of a castle with the hilltop rising to 390 feet. It is no longer a military fortress, but it is now the State Museum of Koblenz. If that isn’t enough fun to peak your interest, then be interested in the fact that it is the second largest preserved castle in Europe.

Klopp Castle is a castle that was built, destroyed, built, destroyed and so forth. It apparently sits on Roman fortifications. The castle name dates back to 1282. The castle was greatly damaged after a World War II bombing. Klopp Castle is the town Bingen’s historical landmark and museums with artifacts dating back to Roman times.

Marksburg Castle was never destroyed—fun fact for you! It is the only castle on the Rhine to hold this distinction. The fortress holds large wooden doors and a cobblestone ramp. Even in the Middle Ages, the Marksburg Castle was considered odd. Built in the 11^th century, it changed over the years as it changed hands. The 1429 sale led the castle to add artillery windows and rounded towers. The castle was also used as a prison during Napoleon’s seize. In 1900, it was sold to the German Castle Association for 1000 Goldmarks.

Reichenstein Castle offers up a unique style of history and of architecture. This comes from the fact that the castle was destroyed and rebuilt at least three times. The construction the original castle started in the 11^th century and restorations went into the 19^th century. It has the Rhine Romanticism as well as the English New Gothic style. The castle is now used to as a museum to store artwork and artifacts.

Rheinfels Castle historically is the largest castle to ever overlook the Rhine. However, that was many years ago, when it was five times the size it is in now. Much of the castle is in ruins, but here are other buildings, such as a luxury hotel, wellness center and restaurant. On the property itself is a museum inside of the still-standing structures. The castle went through many phases through its life, such as the Hesse-Darmstadt phase and Tudor phase. Each phase has left a distinct mark on the castle.

Sterrenberg Castle and Leibenstein Castle sit close to each other, and nowadays, they act are restaurants. However, their history is long fraught because they were known as the “Hostile Brothers.” The name comes from the castles’ owners in the late 1500s over a dispute about some land.

Out of 27 castles on the Rhine River that are still withstanding, these are just nine castles that are marvelous. Along the Rhine, whether it be Viking Cruise or bullet train, it is easy to see castle after castle after castle. These castles offers Disney possibilities and historical landmarks. The next time you are looking for castles, the Rhine is the perfect place to be.