The castle of Gutenfels is a typical German thirteenth to fourteenthcentury
mountain castle with a tall tower, a fortified and crenellated
dwelling, and a walled courtyard. According to legend it was named for
the Lady Guta, the sister of the Count of Kaub who married Richard of
Cornwall after he won her by fighting in a tournament in Cologne. After
surviving centuries of sieges and rebuilding, the castle was nearly lost in
1805–7 when Napoleon ordered its destruction. The castle was dismantled
and everything of value was taken and sold. The castle became one
of the many romantic ruins on the Rhine. Then, Gutenfels came into
the possession of the Cologne architect Gustav Walter, who rebuilt it as
his own home in 1889–92. He created his own romantic vision of a medieval
castle complete with knights’ hall and fighting galleries, but he
also added bathrooms with hot and cold running water. Today, the castle
is a restaurant and hotel.