Welcome to Nassau Castle

Visible from afar, the silhouette of Nassau Castle rises on a conical rock above the eponymous town on the Lahn River. It is one of the most historically significant castles in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The main task of the fortress, which was built in the 12th century, was to secure the spa road from Wiesbaden to Koblenz that already existed in Franconian times. As a typical summit castle, it not only offered a fantastic view from afar, but was also difficult for attackers to conquer due to the steeply rising mountain flanks.

Lords of the castle were the Counts of Nassau, who were among the most powerful noble families of the Middle Ages. One of their most famous family members is the Roman-Germanic King Adolf von Nassau, who was born at the castle in 1250. To this day, there are still lines of the wide-spread family in the Dutch royal house and in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Nassau Castle was never destroyed, but abandoned. At the end of the Middle Ages, the counts gave up the castle as a residence. A copperplate engraving by Matthäus Merian from the 17th century still depicts an intact great hall and keep as well as a gatehouse, but by 1788 at the latest, the complex was in a state of decay.

Nassau Castle has been under state management since 1965 and is still being renovated in sections and reconstructed to create a harmonious overall ensemble. Most recently, the mighty curtain walls were repaired, and the inner courtyard is soon to be redesigned.

The striking keep was rebuilt in the 1970s to the specifications of the Merian engraving and fitted with a hipped roof, corner guards and battlements. It is freely accessible as an observation tower and houses a permanent exhibition on the castle history and its builders. Below ground, the old castle dungeon can be experienced supported by an artistic installation. The former hall structure, which has also been reconstructed, houses a pleasant restaurant that invites you to linger.