Marksburg

High above Braubach are the dramatic towers, turrets and crenellations of the 700-year-old Marksburg, which is unique among the Rhine fortresses as it was never destroyed. The compulsory tour takes in the citadel, the Gothic hall and the large kitchen, plus a grisly torture chamber, with its hair-raising assortment of pain-inflicting nasties. English tours take place at 3pm and 4pm from mid-March to October.