Reichenstein Castle

Reichenstein likely began in the early 1200s, built to command a rocky spur above the Rhine—an ideal perch for control, and, notoriously, for intimidation. By the 13th century it was branded a robber-baron “nest,” linked to the Hohenfels family and their raids and toll extortion. Imperial forces came down hard: the castle was destroyed more than once, and after the 1282 campaign Dietrich von Hohenfels was captured and executed, with Rudolf of Habsburg ordering the stronghold razed and its rebuilding forbidden. The ban didn’t end its story; it returned, then slowly slipped into ruin. Rhine Romanticism revived it in the 19th century, culminating in Nikolaus and Olga Kirsch-Puricelli’s grand neo-Gothic reconstruction—today a museum, hotel, and event setting with memorable ironwork displays and a legendary “walking head” ghost tale.