Rheingrafenstein Castle


Rheingrafenstein Castle is a castle on a porphyry rock formation, the Rheingrafenstein, known as Huhinstein a thousand years, on the river Nahe, opposite Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg in the district Bad Kreuznach.

History

The rock castle was probably built in the 11th or 12th century by the Counts of Nahegau of the Emichones family. It was definitely the ancestral castle of the Lords of Stein, the later Wild- and Rhinegraves, and it remained in their possession until the French Revolution. The Lords of Stein were first mentioned in the 12th century. Their relationship to the Counts of Nahegau is unclear. Rheingrafenstein Castle itself is first unambiguously mentioned in the 13th century. The Lords of Stein acquired the Rheingau in the second half of the 12th century through marriage. In 1196, Lord Wolfram of Stein began styling himself Rhinegrave. This title was later attached to his castle.
During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was captured by French and Spanish troops. In 1688, it was destroyed by general Mélac. In 1721, a salt works was built on top of the castle's ruins. The castle's last owner, the Prince of Grumbach, moved his residence to nearby Gaugrehweiler.
The information sign at the castle reads:

Ruins

Parts of the enceinte, a vaulted cellar, a few steps of the former tower house, and the foundations of the former tower staircase are still standing. Another staircase leads through the rocks to a viewing platform.
On the southern slope of the rock, the ruins of the bailey Affenstein can be seen.