Castle · Sankt Goarshausen · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen

Katz Castle is a castle in Sankt Goarshausen, Rhineland-Palatinate. This place has a story in the app. 3 of the 42 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 470 m you'll find a bench, a bike pump, a public toilet and a water point.

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Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen, photo 2

Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen, photo 3

The story

Wikipedia ↗Official website ↗

Story · Katz Castle

You're standing at Katz Castle, perched on a rocky ledge above Sankt Goarshausen on the right bank of the Rhine. Look up at that compact castle, with its great hall and the heavy tower on the uphill side. Its official name is Neukatzenelnbogen, but hardly anyone calls it that. Everyone just says the Katz, the cat. And where there's a cat, there's a mouse.

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Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Johannes Robalotoff · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 deView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen: a castle above the Rhine

Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen sits on a rocky ridge above the Rhine. Its official name is Burg Neukatzenelnbogen, but almost everyone simply calls it "the Katz". The name belongs with a nearby castle, Burg Maus, because a cat goes with a mouse. The counts of Katzenelnbogen built the castle from 1360. Together with their fortress of Rheinfels on the opposite bank, they kept an eye on the Rhine, as boatmen had to pay toll here. You will find the castle in Sankt Goarshausen, on the right bank of the Rhine. It lies in the Midden-Rijndal, a werelderfgoed since 2002. Burg Maus and Rheinfels are close by. You cannot visit the castle's interior, but viewing it from outside costs nothing.

What you can see at Katz Castle

From a distance you see a compact castle with a large hall and a heavy tower on the mountain side. Most of what you see is not medieval. Later, district commissioner Ferdinand Berg had the ruin converted into a residence, without much respect for the old work. So pay particular attention to the mountain side. There you find genuinely medieval remains: part of the tower, which was once 40 metres high, sections of wall and the dwinger. Afterwards, take a look around too. From the river you can see Burg Maus and, on the opposite bank, Rheinfels, and you immediately notice how these castles could keep an eye on each other.

Katz Castle's history

Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen was begun in 1360 and completed by 1371, a few years after the Trier electorate started building Maus Castle a short distance away in 1356. The counts of Katzenelnbogen built it in response. When their line died out in 1479, the castle passed to the landgraves of Hessen. Its later history was turbulent. It was besieged and partly destroyed in 1626 and again in 1647, damaged in 1692 when the troops of Lodewijk XIV besieged Rheinfels, and taken in 1758 before being returned in 1763. In 1806 Napoleon had the whole complex blown up, and only a ruin remained. Much of what you see today is new, as it was rebuilt as a house at the end of the nineteenth century. The original medieval remains are mainly the tower, parts of the wall and the outer courtyard wall, found on the mountain side. The castle has been in Japanse handen since 1987 and cannot be visited, though you can view it from the outside.

Toilets, drinking water and benches at Katz Castle

The nearest bench is 165 metres from the castle, on the Rheinstraße. There are 34 benches within 500 metres, so you will easily find a place to sit down near Katz Castle. On the same street is a free bike pump, 174 metres away, and there are 2 bike pumps within 500 metres. The nearest public toilet is on the Heerstraße, 445 metres off. In total there are 2 public toilets within 500 metres, so you do not have to walk far for a toilet near Katz Castle. Drinking water is available at the water point 466 metres away, next to the Öffentliche Toilete. It is the only water point within 500 metres, and it is wheelchair accessible. So fill up your bottle before you continue on foot or by bike.

Walking and more to see nearby

If you want to explore further after your visit to Katz Castle, there are places close by. Rheinfels Castle is 1,398 metres away, and the Loreley, an attraction, is 1,463 metres away. At the Loreley you can listen to an audio story, so you hear straight away what is told about this spot. Both places are almost equally far away, so you can easily choose which to visit first. You can also include them both in the same walk or cycle tour. In this way, a short stop at the castle becomes a trip with several sights to see.

Facilities near Katz Castle

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

42 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 3 of the 42 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Lorelei · 1.5 km

Photo: Jörg Braukmann · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

CastleAudio story · 2 min

Burg Stahleck · 10.8 km

CastleStory

Rheinfels Castle · 1.4 km

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionStory

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle · 8.2 km

Photo: Jörg Braukmann · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumStory

Marksburg · 14.4 km

Photo: Holger Weinandt · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Lorelei on the spot with the app

All 1,192 points of interest in Rhineland-Palatinate →

Walks within 2 km

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Cycle routes within 5 km

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Frequently asked questions

Can you visit Katz Castle?

No, Katz Castle is not open to visitors, as the castle has been under new ownership since 1987. You can still view it from the outside for free.

When was Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen built?

Katz Castle was built between 1360 and 1371 by the Katzenelnbogen. They built it in response to Maus Castle, which Trier had begun in 1356.

Where is a bench near Katz Castle?

The nearest bench is 165 metres from Katz Castle, on Rheinstraße. Within 500 metres you will find 34 benches.

Where is a toilet near Katz Castle?

The nearest public toilet is 445 metres from Katz Castle, on Heerstraße. There are 2 public toilets within 500 metres.

Where can you find drinking water near Katz Castle?

The nearest water point is 466 metres from Katz Castle, at the Öffentliche Toilete, and is wheelchair accessible. There is 1 water point within 500 metres.

Why is Katz Castle also called Burg Neukatzenelnbogen?

Neukatzenelnbogen is the castle's official name, after the Katzenelnbogen who built it. In practice, almost everyone simply calls it the Katz.