Sankt Goarshausen
Encyclopedia
Sankt Goarshausen is a tourist town located on the eastern shore of the Rhine, in the section known as the Rhine Gorge
, directly across the river from Sankt Goar
, in the State
Rhineland-Palatinate
, in Germany
. It lies approximately 30 km south of Koblenz
, and it is above all famous for the Lorelei rock
nearby.
The town has 1,585 inhabitants December 31, 2002, and is the site of the township association (Verbandsgemeinde
) Loreley
. With the villages Ehrental, Wellmich and Heide, the number of inhabitants is over 2,000.
The most important economic areas for St. Goarshausen are tourism
and wine making. In earlier times was the town an important place along the Rhein for fishing and as an embarcation area. Today, the formerly very busy town is losing its importance and relies more and more on tourism. Especially problematic for St. Goarshausen is the short distance to the larger city Nastätten
, that has replaced St. Goarshausen as the regional centre.
In tourism, the biggest competitor is the twin city St. Goar on the other shore of the Rhine. St. Goar is only reachable by ferry, as the closest bridge is 30 km away. While there is an established need for a bridge across the Rhine, plans for connecting the towns have not yet been realised.
To help tourism, a visitors centre has been established in connection to the Lorelei rock.
rock.
In St. Goarshausen there are two castles, Burg Katz
(English: Castle Cat, formerly Burg Neu-Katzenelnbogen) and Burg Maus
(English: Castle Mouse). Burg Katz is not open for visitors. There is a good view over the town from Burg Maus, and also visible are the ruins of Burg Rheinfels
on the other side of Rhine.
Rhine Gorge
The Rhine Gorge is a popular name for the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65 km section of the River Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen in Germany...
, directly across the river from Sankt Goar
Sankt Goar
Sankt Goar is a town on the left bank of the Middle Rhine in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Sankt Goar-Oberwesel, whose seat is in the town of Oberwesel....
, in the State
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It lies approximately 30 km south of Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
, and it is above all famous for the Lorelei rock
Lorelei
The Lorelei is a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 metres above the waterline. It marks the narrowest part of the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. A very strong current and rocks below the waterline have caused many boat...
nearby.
History
In 1885, St. Goarshausen had almost 1,456 inhabitants that were members of the evangelical Protestant church. Close to the town in the hillside just above it, lie the ruins of Castle Katz from 1806.Economy
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
) Loreley
Loreley (municipality)
Loreley is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, approx. 25 km southeast of Koblenz. It seat is in Sankt Goarshausen...
. With the villages Ehrental, Wellmich and Heide, the number of inhabitants is over 2,000.
The most important economic areas for St. Goarshausen are tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and wine making. In earlier times was the town an important place along the Rhein for fishing and as an embarcation area. Today, the formerly very busy town is losing its importance and relies more and more on tourism. Especially problematic for St. Goarshausen is the short distance to the larger city Nastätten
Nastätten
Nastätten is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Taunus, approx. 25 km southeast of Koblenz, and 35 km northwest of Wiesbaden....
, that has replaced St. Goarshausen as the regional centre.
In tourism, the biggest competitor is the twin city St. Goar on the other shore of the Rhine. St. Goar is only reachable by ferry, as the closest bridge is 30 km away. While there is an established need for a bridge across the Rhine, plans for connecting the towns have not yet been realised.
To help tourism, a visitors centre has been established in connection to the Lorelei rock.
Sights
The most famous point in town, that also brings the most tourists is the site of the LoreleiLorelei
The Lorelei is a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 metres above the waterline. It marks the narrowest part of the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. A very strong current and rocks below the waterline have caused many boat...
rock.
In St. Goarshausen there are two castles, Burg Katz
Burg Katz
Katz Castle is a castle above the German town of St. Goarshausen in Rhineland-Palatinate. This magnificent castle stands on a ledge looking downstream from the riverside at St. Goarthe. It was first built around 1371 by Count Wilhelm II of Katzenelnbogen. The castle was bombarded in 1806 by...
(English: Castle Cat, formerly Burg Neu-Katzenelnbogen) and Burg Maus
Burg Maus
Maus Castle is a castle above the village of Wellmich in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies on the east side of the Rhine, north of Katz Castle in Sankt Goarshausen and opposite Rheinfels Castle at Sankt Goar across the river.-History:Construction of the castle was begun in 1356 by...
(English: Castle Mouse). Burg Katz is not open for visitors. There is a good view over the town from Burg Maus, and also visible are the ruins of Burg Rheinfels
Burg Rheinfels
Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located in Sankt Goar, Germany overlooking the Rhine. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen and was partially destroyed by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797...
on the other side of Rhine.
Recurring events
- The third weekend of September: Rhein in FlammenRhein in FlammenRhein in Flammen is the name of five different firework displays along the river Rhine in Germany. The displays take place annually, at various locations along the river. On the five different dates, brightly illuminated ships sail the river in an evening convoy for their passengers to see the...
, large fireworks from Burg Katz in St. Goarshausen, Burg Rheinfels in St. Goar and from the middle of the Rhine.
External links
About Verbandsgemeinde Loreley, with map- St. Goarshausen Loreley City