burg stahleck

256briana

Burg Stahleck was originally built in the 12th century but what you see today is largely a 20th century reconstruction. It can be reached from the town below by hiking about 20 minutes up a winding path, beginning behind St. Peter’s church and passing by the Wernerkapelle, which is fairly steep in a few places. You can also reach it by hiking the footpath along the old city wall, passing through a couple of scenic vineyards in the process. The castle itself has been converted into a youth hostel, so there is nothing to tour inside. The castle’s courtyard is accessible however and provides some spectacular views of both Bacharach and the surrounding Rhine Valley which make the hike well worth it. If your interest is in medieval castles, you can probably skip this one as there are much better examples along this stretch of the Rhine but if you are in Bacharach, I would definitely recommend taking in the views from Burg Stahleck.

OceanSoulNZ

The medieval castle of Burg Stahleck looms over the Rhine Valley town of Bacharach below. We climbed a fairly rough track to reach it, but were rewarded with some spectacular views of the river and valley along the way; the scenery and terraced vineyards reminded me of the Douro Valley near Porto in Portugal.My advice is to make Bacharach your base for exploring the southern Rhine Valley, and include Burg Stahleck in your sightseeing itinerary on a sunny day.

D1827OWjohnm

23rd October 2014. It's a longish walk up, with steps and road zigzagging upwards...but the wonderful views of the Rhine and the lovely town of Bacharach below justify it!

dianah706

As soon as we arrived in Bacharach we climbed to the castle. It was not an casual walk, but worth it. There we enjoyed dark beer, pretzels and a marvelous view of Bacharach. It is a hostel and lots of kids in the courtyard, but all of the tables overlooking Bacharach were filled with people enjoying the beer and view.

MushPanjwani

Take the stairs going up, just before the church. It's a 20-minute uphill hike, but an easy one, and definitely worthwhile. Stop along the way to enjoy different views of the River Rhine.You won't see the sunset from the top, but the changing colours of the river, sky and hills are spectacular. Nice terrace on top to enjoy a coffee from the cafe of the hostel built inside the castle.When coming down, take a different route towards the vineyards and enjoy different views. That path will end up in a small street with a little water stream flowing on the side.Not fit for an uphill hike? Then go as far as you can; u-turns are allowed any time.OK, stop reading now and start walking :)

alix1886

The way there is a bit strenous, and when you get there it isn´t actually much to see, as it has been turned into a Youth hostel.Nice view of Bacharach,

ardeasnest

We hiked up to the castle and got only glimpses of it on the way through the trees. When we got to it, we were impressed, but when we walked into the courtyard, we could imagine what it would have been like to live there.

RickH704

Hiking up the mountain is not for everyone. But if you do it you will love the experience. There is a café in the youth hostel and sitting out on the terrace, watching traffic on the Rhine, and savoring a cold beer is a must. Careful, the way down the mountain is as steep as the way up.

ian_dempster

Very pleasant uphill walk from the town, but quite slippy in parts due to earlier rain. Takes about 15 minutes to reach the Burg, but what a great view when you arrive at what is now a youth hostel. The Burg is very picturesque and I can imagine a great place to stay if backpacking. Lovely views over the village and the rhine. Well worth the hike.

510stevec

As everyone else says: windy route, can be steep in parts, just watch your footing as the views are great. What others don't say: When you get to the top, follow the walking path down through the vineyards to get a different perspective (looking North) back over Bacharach

Susi135

Hiked up to see this castle which is now a youth hostel. Nice, pleasant, uphill hike in the rain. When you get to the top you have great views of Bacharach and of the Rhine River. A great thing to do while visiting this region.

ILoveTexas

You can't really enjoy the castle itself as well as you might like when you reach the top, but the hike, though somewhat strenuous, is fun. Nice views all along the way.

howardm367

This "castle" is a longstanding youth hostel. When we hiked up from Bacharach we were surrounded by sixty ten-year olds dressed as knights and damsels. A group of twelve-year olds were repelling down the wall and a few tourists sipping coffee and taking in the fantastic view wishing they were young again.

TravelMakesMeHumble

It's the view along the way that captured our eyes. You can see Rhine valley and the town of Bacharach spread in front of you.

594carlv

It was a long and steep hike to Burg Stahleck on a winding path with stair steps in many places, but it was worth the view when we reached the top. There is also a road which you can take to drive up if you are not inclined to take the strenuous hike.