Rolandseck Castle was founded near Remagen in the first half of the 12th century as a princely castle of the Palatinate of Cologne. In conjunction with Drachenfels Castle and Wolkenburg Castle, which is no longer in existence today, on the right bank of the Rhine, it secured the southwestern borderline of the territory belonging to the Palatinate of Cologne. After an earthquake, the window arch was the only thing that remained of Rolandseck Castle and from then on became a trademark of Rhine romanticism. The “Rolandsbogen” (Roland’s Arch) had already become a tourist destination early in the 19th century, offering a view on the Rhine Valley, Siebengebirge (the Seven Hills) and the Rhine Islands, Grafenwerth and Nonnenwerth. According to Alexander von Humboldt, you have “one of the seven most beautiful views in the world” from here. The “arch” is still extremely popular today as a motif for photographs, because of the restaurant of the same name, but also because of its direct connection to the RheinBurgenWeg trail. The tragic love story of the knight, Ritter Roland and his beloved Hildegund is famous.