Kaub, Germany: Pfalzgrafenstein Castle

Most of the castles in this region are up in the hills overlooking the river. This one is different. Pfalzgrafenstein Castle is practically in the river, at least at certain times of the year. Perhaps that's why you see it so often when photos of this region are show.

This one was constructed between 1326 and 1327 by King Ludwig the Bavarian. It collected tolls. That's to a cataract on the other side of the river, most boats had to swing by the castle - making it relatively easy to force someone to pay the toll to pass. What if they didn't? There was a dungeon in Pfalzgrafenstein. 

Eventually, the toll function of the building faded away. The local government took it over in 1946, and it is now a museum. Visitors will find no modern conveniences in the Pfalz, such as electricity or bathrooms. In other words, it's easy to imagine what it was like in the 13th century.

The number of castles on this part of the Rhine has led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took this path once before in 2018, and I wrote up some descriptions of castles back then. If you are still curious about the other structures on the Rhine, do a search for "castles" and the others will come up. Here are some of the highlights, courtesy of the ubiquitous Rick Steves.