Stahleck Castle

The origins of Burg Stahleck likely date back to the late 11th or early 12th century, when it was established as a fief of the Electorate of Cologne. From the 13th century, it passed into the possession of the Wittelsbach family and served as an important customs castle for the flourishing wine trade in the region. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was besieged and conquered eight times, leading to significant damage. Its final destruction occurred in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession due to explosions. After the dissolution of the Electorate of Palatinate and a brief period under French rule, the ruin passed to Prussia in 1815. The Rhenish Association for Monument Preservation and Homeland Security acquired the complex in 1909 and began its reconstruction as a youth hostel in 1925, which was completed in 1967 with the finishing of the keep.

Burg Stahleck is situated on a mountain spur in Bacharach, in the district of Mainz-Bingen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, at an elevation of approximately 168 m above sea level.

Today, Burg Stahleck houses a youth hostel and is therefore not accessible for interior tours. However, visitors can use the large viewing terrace, which offers an impressive view of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The complex has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 2002 and has been protected under the Hague Convention since 1989.

• Stahlberg Castle Ruin (Castle), approx. 1.9 km away
• Fürstenberg Castle Ruin (Castle), approx. 2.4 km away
• Nollig Ruin (Lorch) (Ruin), approx. 2.7 km away
• Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (Castle), approx. 2.8 km away