Pfalzgrafenstein Castle
Germany · Europe
About
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (German: Burg Pfalzgrafenstein), also known as the Pfalz, is a toll castle situated on Falkenau island in the Rhine River, adjacent to Kaub, Germany.
First established in 1326/27 by King Ludwig IV of Bavaria, the castle served to collect river tolls from passing traffic. Also seeing military activity, it withstood a 39 day siege in 1504 in the War of the Succession of Landshut and was occupied by Spanish forces for 11 years from 1620 in the Thirty Year's War. The castle has undergone various modifications since its original construction, most notably modernising fortifications in 1607 and the addition of a baroque tower cap in 1714. Pfalzgrafenstein Castle was used as a key point for the crossing of the Rhine in 1814 by Russo-Prussian forces during the campaign against Napoleon. Toll collection ceased in 1867, but the castle has remained in good condition and is now preserved as a public museum.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.