Katzenelnbogen

Katzenelnbogen is a town of 2,200 people (2019) in North-East Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is known for the castle of the same name. Its name can be considered somewhat humorous for German-speakers as it sounds identical to the phrase "cat's elbow" in German.

Katzenelnbogen castle

In the history of wine, Katzenelnbogen is famous for the first documentation of Riesling grapes in the world: this was in 1435, when the storage inventory of Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen, a member of the Holy Roman high nobility, lists the purchase of vines of "Rieslingen".

The name may have been derived from Cattimelibocus, a combination of two words: the ancient Germanic tribal name of the Chatti and Melibokus, a generic Roman name for "mountains".

The place is connected via the B 274 to St. Goarshausen and to the B 54 at Zollhaus im Aartal. The state road 318 leads via Diez to the B 54 to Limburg.

Bus lines of the Rheingau-Taunus-Verkehrsgesellschaft or the Nassauische Verkehrs-GmbH connect Katzenelnbogen several times a day with Wiesbaden, St. Goarshausen and Limburg.

There is no train service.

• 🌍 Burg Katzenelnbogen (Katzenelnbogen Castle). The castle was built on a promontory over the river Lahn around 1095. The lords of the castle became important local magnates, acquiring during the centuries some key and highly lucrative customs rights on the Rhine. The wall, a gate tower and the main house built in the 16th century have been preserved. It is now a hotel. (updated Mar 2021)
• The Catholic Church of St. Peter was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1874/75. The high altar made in 1906 is striking.

• The Bartholomäusmarkt takes place on the penultimate weekend in August. It goes back to a market introduced after the city was founded in 1312, which over the years changed from a weekly market to a fair.
• The Katzenelnbogen Ritterspiele have been taking place on the first weekend in June since 2007, inspired by the historical ring prick that can be seen on an old view of Katzenelnbogen.

As a market town, the town of Katzenelnbogen is the central shopping option for the surrounding towns in the Einrich.

• Schloß Katzenelnbogen, Römerberg 10. A hotel in the castle, with a restaurant. (updated May 2021)