Marksburg

Marksburg occupies a hilltop above the town of Braubach on the Middle Rhine, within the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley, and is distinguished among the region's many castles for having survived intact since its construction, beginning in the 12th century and expanded through the 15th century, without ever being destroyed by war or later rebuilt in a romanticized style. This continuity means its fortifications, defensive gates, and internal layout reflect genuine medieval military architecture rather than 19th-century reconstruction, unlike many neighboring Rhine castles restored during the Romantic era. Guided tours proceed through the castle's defensive gateways, the knights' hall, a preserved medieval kitchen with its original hearth and cooking equipment, and a herb garden cultivated with plants used in medieval medicine and cooking. The castle also displays a notable collection of historical arms and armor spanning several centuries, housed in rooms that retain their original medieval proportions and stonework rather than purpose-built museum galleries. Since 1900 the castle has served as the headquarters of the German Castles Association (Deutsche Burgenvereinigung), which has overseen its conservation and use as a reference model for restoring other German castles. The presentation emphasizes lived medieval domestic and military life through the sequence of functional rooms, rather than an object-by-object exhibition, with guides describing daily routines of the castle's medieval garrison and household. Structural conservation has focused on maintaining original masonry and timber elements rather than replacing them, and the castle remains in active use for tours, events, and as the Castles Association's administrative seat.