Rheinfels            

Rheinfels is one of the most awesome fortresses along the river and is well worth the visit.  Moreover, for a few Euros you can just wander the battlements and towers at will, or go on the tour if you like.  To the right, Rheinfels in 1978, and below in 2005.

Rheinfels rests above Sankt Goar, and is across from Burg Katz.  Started in 1245 by the same family that built Katz, it was attacked ten years after construction by the League of Rheinish Cities because of the increase in customs dues.  It later withstood sieges in the late 1600s, but was surrendered without a fight on two different occasions in the 1700s.  It was finally blown up by the French in 1798, and at one point stones were used from here to rebuild Ehrenbreitstein above Koblenz.  Saved from total decay by the Prince of Prussia in 1843, part of the structure has been restored.  At one point, Rheinfels covered the entire hill, stretching far behind it to the west.

The fortress dominates the landscape over Sankt Goar (right, from Sankt Goar in 1979).  There are several ways to reach the castle, either from below (park across the highway), or from behind in the hills.  If you park below, prepare for a reasonably steep climb, though no trouble if you are in relatively decent physical condition.  Parking behind is best if you are unable to make the walk.

Below, excellent "then and now" photos.  Sankt Goar in 1979 (left) and in 2005.  Parking is available in the area on the lower left, and I could see my rental car from the main tower.

Right, a view of Sankt Goar taken from near Rheinfels in 1945.  The U.S. Army had just built a small bridge (center) across the river.  Careful examination shows that some of the buildings from then are still extant today (see the yellow painted building in the upper photos).

Photo scanned from "As It Happened to Second Battalion 304th Infantry, 76th Division," PFC Charles Welshans, Editor in Chief, 1945.  This was a history "year book" for the unit compiled at the end of World War II.

(Many thanks to Tom Richardson for providing the source.  His father, Ltc. Don Richardson, commanded the battalion during the war.)