We spent our first afternoon in Germany making a visit to the Kaiserpfalz Ruins, and the town of Kaiserwerth. Kaiserwerth is more or less a suburb of Düsseldorf, and it is one of those places that locals love to go for a day trip, and often take their visitors. Kaiserwerth has an amazing history and a variety of places to explore, but it all started when a Holy Roman Emperor decided to build a palace at the bend on the Rhine River. The ruins of this palace, the Kaiserpfalz, still stand today, and they can be explored for free, without a line. In my book, that makes visiting the Kaiserpfalz a must!
The name Kaiserpfalz actually means Imperial Palace, and thus, the palace of the Kaiser, which means Emperor. There were actually a number of Kaiserpfalz throughout central Europe, as they were also the centers of the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire was largely based around military power, and Emperors were actually elected officials. As power shifted over the centuries and leadership changed, the base of the Empire moved to the new rulers territory. There was no actual capital. Over the centuries, more than 200 Imperial Palaces were constructed in Germany, but today only two that remain to be visited: the Kaiserpfalz in Goslar, which is still in remarkably good condition, and in use, and the Kaiserpfalz ruins in Kaiserwerth.
History of the Kaiserpfalz
Being the history nerd that I am, I have to give you some backstory. But I will try not to bore you to tears!
You may recall Roman Emperor Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, and this changed the course of Rome, and Catholicism, probably forever. Constantine would build a glorious residence in Byzantine, and move the capitol city there. This would stand as the capitol of the empire for centuries, and the Byzantine Empire, sometimes called the Eastern Roman Empire, would remain the political and religious power of eastern Europe for a thousand years. In the meantime, the western portion of what had been the Roman Empire would fall to territorial disputes, with no reigning leader.
Some 400 years later, Charlemagne the great would change that. Through politics and military, Charlemagne would unite large portions of western Europe. He also held the Christian faith. With sanctioning from the Pope, Charlemagne became the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the empire of Western Europe, which was primarily based on maintaining the unity and power of the Catholic church. While Charlemagne was French, subsequent emperors of the Holy Roman Empire would come from different portions of the empire, including Austria, Italy, and Germany.
It was Emperor Heinrich III who originally built a palace along the Rhine River where Kaiserpfalz stands, but it was Emperor Barbarossa who would begin construction on the massive fortress that now remains. Barbarossa decided to move the Rheintoll, a gate collecting tolls from transport ships on the Rhine River, from a location in the southern Netherlands, to a location easier to secure. The Empire used river tolls to control trade from non-empire territories, charging a fee and backing it up with military force. So, Emperor Barbarossa needed a military fortress to enforce and protect the Rheintoll, and the land of the Empire.
Because of the Rheintoll, and the strategic location in northwest Germany, the Kaiserpfalz was a stronghold of military power. Over the years, several Emperors would visit the Kaiserpfalz, but none ever used the palace as a residence, not even Emperor Barbarossa, who had it built. None the less, there were members of the court and clergy constantly in residence, and the palace was the site of some drama and intrigue over the centuries, including a notorious kidnapping, which visitors can learn about from the information signs on the grounds.
After the eventual dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in the early 19th century, individual Church parishes took control of the lands once owned by the Empire. The Kaiserpfalz became the property of the Catholic Diocese at Cologne, and went into disuse, and disrepair. Locals began to gather the stones for constructing their own homes and outbuildings, and it became more of a quarry than a palace.
Eventually the diocese would give the Kaiserpfalz to the city of Kaiserwerth, which had built up around the palace, and the quarrying was stopped. The remains became an intriguing part of the city heritage. Over the decades the area has been used for a number of purposes, even as a training ground for Hitler Youth by the Third Reich during World War II. It has been used for a number of purposes over the years, even as a shrine for the Hitler Youth preceding and during World War II. A simple memorial to the soldiers lost in both World Wars stands on the outskirts of the grounds now.
The Kaiserpfalz Today
The area surrounding the Kaiserpfalz are now part of a open river front park along the Rhine. There is a small playground, and walking paths on both sides of the palace, along the river and the bed of the dry creek which once segregated the palace land into an island. The grounds are also used as an events venue and outdoor summer concerts are held in the courtyard.
The palace itself is open for free entry and visitors can enter and explore as they wish. Railing has been installed along the sheer edges of the top portions for safety, as visitors do tend to make their way to the very top. Exploring the nooks and crannies of the ruins is an fascinating experience, and knowing that these stones have stood together for over 1,500 years, and that the supreme rulers of the land once walked the grounds, gives it an air of mystery.
Local children enjoy climbing aroung and exploring the Kaiserpfalz, and although adults would seldom admit it, some of them do as well. There is even a Geocache hidden in the ruins. It was raining during our visit and the stones were slick, so we could not climb around to the degree we would have liked. Still, it is a beautifu structure, and we enjoyed the visit despite the rain.
We highly recommend a visit to the Kaiserpfalz to anyone in the area! Give it plenty of time, but be sure to leave a couple hours to explore the surrounding town of Kiaserwerth and learn about its diverse history. In fact, it is so fascinating we did a whole story on the small town of Kaiserwerth. You will also want to spend a couple days in Düsseldorf,
And, if you want to learn more about Kaiserpfalz, try these links: Kaiserwerth Tourism. Duesseldorf Tourism.
Don’t forget about the fabulous Kaiserpfalz.. Pin This!
no need to apologize for the history footnotes, that is actually pretty cool to read… the snapshots look nice and it is safe to assume you got them yourself ? did it cost anything to get into this ?
You know, this was only my third post. I realize now that the history is a lot of what makes the story, and not so much “my tales.” Yet, I so enjoy writing my tales, and trying to let others live through the experience with me. Ten posts later, I am trying to do a little of both now, and hopefully I will get better at that. Kaiserpfalz is actually completely free to walk up and explore. Even though there are no climbing signs, people were climbing all around. As for the pictures, I am proud to say that almost every picture on the site was taken by us. So far, two articles have some commons pictures, because at the time, I wasn’t planning to write about my travels, or taking them didn’t seem appropriate, such as at Remembrance Day. So, in those cases, I noted at the bottom of the page that I took some pictures from Wikepedia commons.