It wasn’t until 1969 that this town in the Rhineland-Palatinate state, officially became Lahnstein when Niederlahnstein and Oberlanstein were merged. The area itself though dates back to the Late Stone Age, approximately 3000 B.C., and sits at the foothills of the Taunus Mountains and the Westerwald.
The town of Lahnstein is one of historical significance and has many medieval sights for you to visit. It was once occupied by American and French Forces from 1945-1956. It’s now a spa city with some thermal baths for some relaxation after a day of business.
Since Lahnstein was also of strategic importance along the Rhine, that even when the Romans came, they knew to build a stone watch tower for defense. There are many other towers, including the Hexenturm (Witches Tower) and gates scattered throughout the city.
The St. John’s Church and Abbey dates back to the 9th century when it was just a small church. Now there stands a Romanesque basilica from the year 1130. It had been destroyed several times though the centuries and was rebuilt in the mid 1800s.
There’s also a cemetery at the church that dates back hundreds of years. The Parish Church of St. Barbara dates back to 1358, having had to be rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Wirsthaus an der Lahn, a tavern, was built with a stone ground floor and is half-timbered on the upper floors, having been built in 1697. There are other taverns along the Lahn River with long histories as well.
The Lahneck Castle was built in 1226 by the Archbishop of Mainz, sitting high above the Lahn River. This medieval fortress, built to protect the Archbishop’s silver mine, had the castle chapel completed in 1245 and dedicated to St. Ulrich.
Legend tells that when the Knights Templar were forced to disband by Pope Clement V in the early 14th century, 12 Templar Knights holed themselves up in the castle and fought to the death against the Archbishop of Mainz, Peter of Aspelt.
