The original Stolzenfels castle in Koblenz in Germany was built in the 13th century but it was destroyed by the French in 1689. The ruins of the castle were gifted to the future Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1823 and he had it rebuilt in the current gothic style. Inauguration of the Gothic chapel occurred in 1845 during a visit by Queen Victoria and it was used as a summer residence by Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Frederick William’s wife, after his death.
To visit there is quite a challenge. The castle is on the very top of a hill, or mountain if you will, it takes at least 20 minutes to walk to the top from the car park. The entrance fee is only €5 and for that you get a guided tour through the castle (albeit in German!) and afterwards you can wander the grounds on your own. It has no gift shop or any facilities to speak of. The castle is in desperate need of some love and it has suffered greatly from damp. It’s gorgeous on the inside, but we weren’t allowed to take pictures, unfortunately!
Thank you for this video.
I wrote a book about Elisabeth Ludovika (fictional action/romance) featuring this castle, but I was unable to get much detail on the layout (inside or outside) at the time.
Question: Is there a story behind the head peeking out of the ceiling apex in the chapel?
I have no idea, sorry!