Marksburg Castle – A Medieval Botanical Garden

The Marksburg is the only medieval hill castle on the Middle Rhine which has never been destroyed. Its structures were erected between the 13th and the 18th centuries; the most important buildings date from the 15th century. The original site of the castle’s medieval herb garden is not known. Today’s garden was created in 1969 in the outer ward, which formed part of the castle’s original defences. It was designed as a demonstration garden to give visitors an idea of what medieval gardens looked like. There are four sections showing 150 different plants: witches’ and magical plants, a 15th century pleasure garden, medicinal and spice plants used by Hildegard of Bingen and plants from Charlemagne’s “Capitulare de villis”. 80 metres above the Rhine you’ll find medicinal herbs and spices such as valerian, verbena and artichoke as well as plants like mandrake, hollyhock and rapunzel which you may only know from old herbals or recipe books. There are also some trees that are not very common in this part of the world: mulberry, medlar and peach all thrive here.

150 herbs from the age of the medieval castle kitchen in a unique setting!