St. Goar - Burg Rheinfels

St. Goar (Sankt Goar) was inhabited in Roman times, a pilgrimage town in the Middle Ages (named for the monk Goar), but grew in importance and wealth from customs tolls the dukes of Katzenelnbogen collected from ships sailing up and down the Rhine River. In 1245, Rheinfels Castle was constructed on the high cliff above St. Goar; ten years later the fortress was besieged for two years, but did not surrender. For years Rheinfels was the invincible stronghold, attacked multiple times, but finally blown up by the French in the 18th century.

Rheinfels Castle (Burg Rheinfels) -
Step through the entrance gate under the clock tower, follow along the battlements overlooking at the Rhine. Be sure to stop into the museum to see exhibits with armor, tin soldiers, and model of Rheinfels. Go inside the Stair Tower, and explore the inner courtyard. End up on the ramparts, and top of the clock tower, with panoramic views of the Rhine. (This is the route shown in our video.)
For more details about the castle, read our blog post " Day Trip on the Rhine ."
Tip: Allow plenty of time to explore Rheinfels with kids, there are plenty of rooms, tunnels, arrow slits, crenelated ramparts, watch towers to investigate.
Mini-golf and playground - On the Rhine River promenade, next to Hansen-Platz, take in 18 holes of miniature golf, April to October. Adjacent is a small playground ( spielplatz ).
Puppen und Baren Museum - Perfect for younger kids, step into this doll and teddy bear museum, with miniature doll house, and a toy shop too. Open daily April to December, January to April, weekend afternoons only.
Ferry to St. Goarhausen - It's fun to take the short car ferry ride across the river to St. Goarhausen and back. Kids can watch all the boats going up and down the river. Ferry runs about every 20 min.
River cruises - Pick up daily river cruises going up the Rhine (direction Bingen, Rudesheim), or down the river (direction Koblenz).