6 euros gets you admittance to the castle ruins which are quite extensive. The views from the…read morecastle looking down on the valley below are breathtaking. There are areas above and below to explore. The spaces involved are larger than imagined but also smaller underground. The castle dates back to 1245. Across the Rhine and all up and down the valley there are many more castles crowning the hilltops. Many are within visual distance of each other. There is a castle tour that takes you to at least 7 of them.

We looked for a place to eat and we really enjoyed the restaurant Altkolnischer Hof…read more The food was excellent and service was great. I ordered an original Schnitzel and it sure tasted like I used to eat in my younger days. And Tina who served us went the extra mile to make us comfortable.

They started erecting this unique structure in 1326. Thus castle was a tool booth for the Rhine…read moreRiver. It was never conquered or destroyed. It served its purpose until 1867. We unfortunately did not tour it but passed by on a Rhine River cruise. The history here makes us want to return someday.

We decided to take the short hike up to this castle from the middle of town and stop for a beer…read morebreak and an awesome view! Best views for a beer break, and this almost seemed like an "accidental surprise" to us, as we didn't know exactly what was located at the top of the hill. We sure are glad that we stumbled upon it, and the views of the Rhine River were impeccable! Kinda cool too to find out that this place serves as a youth hostel as well.

I now understand when people say, "you're on the road to Stahleck" as you literally begin the…read moreascent hiking up the mountain (literally) to get to Stahleck Castle. We happened to be in Bacharach for the Game of Thrones Tourney, so we decided to make the journey to see the castle for ourselves. The castle is truly the focal point of the whole town; even upon arrival from the train station, Stahleck is standing proudly to greet you. Looking at the signs pointing to the stairs, I thought, how hard could this really be? We're two average fit Americans; we'll be fine! Well! We were! Make to bring some good hiking shoes with some good traction, and a good camera to take in some of the amazing scenery! The first initial steps up the mountain have a sturdy railing and sturdy wooden steps - nice and easy. But, as you go higher, the steps go away, and you're walking on a dirt path that I wouldn't dare walk on if it was covered in snow. Making it to the top is definitely worth it, and the view is really impressive of all of Bacharach. We should've gotten a beer or something to celebrate making it to the top, but it was getting dark rather quickly, so we had to make our way back down again. Go inside and get a coffee or hot chocolate before heading back to town!