Sooneck Castle

Thanks to careful reconstruction work, Sooneck Castle today offers a relatively authentic idea of what a medieval castle was like. Walls and original plaster remains have survived and alterations have been kept to a minimum.

Together with Reichenstein Castle, located further up river, Sooneck was part of the defensive fortifications to protect the Trechtingshausen estates of the Kornelimunster Abbey near Aachen. The knights of Bolanden, and the lords of Hohenfels (after 1241) became stewards of Sooneck and Reichenstein during the 12th and 13th centuries.

Their less-than-scrupulous behaviour, incursions and illegal collection of Rhine tolls brought the robber knights to the attention of the Rheinische Städtebund (alliance of Rhenish towns), who in 1254 sent an army to lay siege to the two castles. In 1282, King Rudolf of Habsburg conquered and destroyed all the castles of the robber barons on the Rhine.

The rebuilding of Sooneck was not permitted until after 1344 when the Electorate of Mainz seized both the estate and the stewardship. In 1689, during the Palatinate War of Succession, the castle was blown up by French troops. In 1834, the ruin was purchased by the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and his brothers Carl and Albrecht and converted to a hunting lodge for the Soonwald forest between 1842 and 1861. So Sooneck, after Rheinstein and Stolzenfels, became the third and last of the Rhine castles to be rebuilt by the Hohenzollern family.

The rebuilding retained the core of the 14th century castle. The square main castle is situated to the northwest, at the highest point of the site. On the eastern side is the residential building, while on the defensive western side there is a small courtyard as well as the massive square keep, which still retains some of its original merlons and bartizans.

Although only sparsely furnished during the 19th century, the castle today houses a fine collection of Empire and Biedermeier furniture from the castles of Stolzenfels and Coblence.

Information in brief

55413 Niederheimbach

Owner:

Land of Rheinland-Pfalz

Phone: +49 (0) 6743 6064

Opening times:

Castle interior only with guided tour.

April 1 until September 30: 9:00-18:00.

October 1 until November 30 and January 1 until March 31:

9:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00, last admission 30 min. before closing. December and on 1st working day of every week - Closed.

How to get there:

Access from the B9, approx. 2½ km after leaving Trechtingshausen turn left (before reaching Niederheimbach). Drive through the vineyard for about 1 km to reach the car park (10 to 15 parking spaces). A footpath leads through the woods to the castle.

From the train station at Niederheimbach, it is about 2 km to the castle. From the pier in Niederheimbach about 1½ km along the B9 towards Trechtingshausen. A few metres after leaving Niederheimbach, there is a signposted turning for the castle.

More photos

Holger Klaes

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