Kaub, Germany: Gutenfels Castle

Sometimes it can get a little lonely sitting on top of a hill for hundreds of years. Therefore, it's good to have a little wine nearby.

Gutenfels Castle has been looking down on the Rhine River for centuries. It was built in 1220 and connected to a toll house below. The idea was to make sure no one else besides the Holy Roman Empire could charge for water passage. The idea remained in place until 1866, when Prussia obtained the land and ended the policy a year later.

The evidence is a little sketchy, but it has been a hotel in the recent past and still may be accepting visitors. In the meantime, the vineyards in Kaub add some class to the photo of the place.

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