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Translated from German. In case of discrepancies, the German version applies.
Brömserburg
The Brömserburg on the bank of the Rhine is around a thousand years old: alder-wood piles in its foundations have been dated by dendrochronology to the period between 1044 and 1185.1 Today the museum inside is closed; the castle garden opens for events.2,
Current status (checked on 18 October 2026)
- Rheingau Wine Museum in the Brömserburg closed (since 2017); until it reopens, events in the castle garden (as of 17 October 2026).3,
1, 2
Seasonal times change. For up-to-date times, the operator’s website applies.
Location
The castle stands on the Rheinstraße, only a few hundred metres from the Drosselgasse lane.3 The castle itself gives the house number 2, the tourist information office number 3.3,
Building history
- Expansion: by the early 13th century the castle had been extended into a four-winged complex; the outer walls were reinforced and raised. According to the heritage authorities, it was not a moated castle.1
- Walls: the walls are more than two metres thick.2 According to KuLaDig, French troops badly damaged the castle in the Thirty Years’ War between 1640 and 1642; the upper part of the keep and the residential tower were destroyed, and in the 18th century the castle was a ruin.1 The tourist information office describes the damage as less severe: the walls withstood attacks, and only the south-eastern part was destroyed, in 1640, by the Duke of Longueville.2
- Tolls: for a time, tolls were levied here on goods, above all on wine – until Burg Ehrenfels (Ehrenfels Castle) was built around 1210/1220.1 Ehrenfels, together with the Mäuseturm (Mouse Tower), then controlled shipping at the Binger Loch (rocky narrows).5
Lords of the castle
The castle belonged to the Church of Mainz and was at times the residence of the Archbishop of Mainz; later the archbishops granted it as a fief.1 The holders of the fief were the lords of Rüdesheim and the Brömser family, and from 1679 Baron Emmerich von Metternich. In 1806 Imperial Count von Ingelheim took over the complex and turned it into a romantic residence; from 1813 it was open to the public.1
The castle was lived in until 1937; in 1941 the town of Rüdesheim bought it.2,
The Rheingau wine museum
In 1948 an association was founded, and in 1949 it set up the Rheingauer Weinmuseum (Rheingau wine museum) in the castle – with more than 2000 exhibits on the subject of wine. It was closed in 2017.1 In 2018 a consortium of citizens took over the castle on a long-term hereditary lease in order to reopen the museum.1
The support association “Rheingauer Weinmuseum & Kulturdenkmal Brömserburg e.V.” keeps and looks after the exhibits; on its website the castle announces that it will tell its history in a new way in future, but gives no date.3 As the operating company’s address, the tourist information office gives “Brömserburg – Die Burg am Rhein GmbH & Co. KG”.2
Visiting today
The castle is closed for renovation and redesign. The castle garden is open Friday to Sunday for events; opening times depend on the programme in each case.2 Dates are published on broemserburg.de (in German).3
Other museums in the town: Museums in Rüdesheim.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit the Brömserburg? The castle is currently closed for renovation; the castle garden opens Friday to Sunday for events.2
How old is the Brömserburg? Around a thousand years; the foundation piles date from the period between 1044 and 1185.1
Does the wine museum still exist?
It has been closed since 2017; a reopening is planned, but the castle gives no date.1,
Next: Names and places · History of Rüdesheim · Museums