Maus Castle

Maus Castle (Burg Maus) above the Rhine village of Wellmich, part of Sankt Goarshausen, is one of the best-known castles of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The medieval hilltop castle with its round keep was begun in the mid-14th century and rebuilt around 1900. It is privately owned and currently open to the public for exterior viewing only, but it looks great from the riverbank and from the village.

"Cat and mouse" on the Rhine

Archbishop Boemund II of Trier had the castle built from about 1353 to 1357, and it was finished between 1362 and 1388 under his successor Kuno von Falkenstein. It was first called Peterseck and later also Deuernburg. It protected Trier's interests on the river and was aimed from the start at the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, whose toll station at St. Goar stood across the valley. The counts responded by building their own castle, Neukatzenelnbogen. Locals nicknamed the two castles "Katz" (cat) and "Maus" (mouse), and the names stuck.

The castle was never destroyed but fell into decay from the 18th century. In 1806 it was sold for demolition, though the buyer meant to preserve it. Between 1900 and 1906 the architect Wilhelm Gärtner rebuilt it and kept its outer appearance largely intact. Until the end of 2010 it housed a bird of prey station with eagles and falcons.

What you see from outside

The core is nearly square, with a round keep about 33 meters tall, a residential tower to the west and a palace with a chapel to the south, all surrounded by a curtain wall and a deep ditch cut into the rock. Compared with Katz Castle, the rebuilt Maus gives a more complete picture of a medieval castle.

Visiting: exterior only for now

The World Heritage association and the Wellmich village website agree that the castle is private and can currently only be viewed from outside. Past tours and event offerings, last documented for 2015 to 2017, are not confirmed as current. If you want to ask about visits, contact the castle administration (phone +49 6771 2303, email verwaltung@burg-maus.de). We could not confirm any opening hours or admission prices, so none are listed here.

How to get there

Maus Castle is on the right bank of the Rhine above Wellmich. By train, go to Sankt Goarshausen and continue along the river, a little over 2 km as the crow flies. By car it is about 94 km (around 1.5 hours) from Frankfurt and about 140 km from Cologne. According to a castle guide, there is free parking below the castle, and the walk up takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on the source. There is no road access to the castle itself.

Combine your visit with Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen, the Gothic church of St. Martin in Wellmich and the Loreley rock.