page_title: Lahnstein
section_title: Niederlahnstein
hierarchical_section_title: Lahnstein / Historic places and visitor attractions / Niederlahnstein
caption_attribution_description: English: Wirtshaus an der Lahn in Lahnstein Deutsch: Das Wirtshaus an der Lahn in Lahnstein
context_page_description: Lahnstein is a verband-free town of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine, approximately 6 kilometres south of Koblenz. Lahnstein was created in 1969 by the merger of the previously independent towns of Oberlahnstein on the south side of the Lahn and Niederlahnstein on the north side.
  Situated on the heights of the foothills of the Westerwald and the Taunus, Lahnstein is considered a fresh-air spa city with spa facilities and thermal baths. It is also the seat of a district court. In religious affairs, it is assigned to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg and to the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau.
  Because of its strategic importance on the Rhine, Lahnstein was heavily fortified. Many old gates and towers still demonstrate its importance in the Middle Ages. Lahneck Castle, situated high above Oberlahnstein, was built between 1240 and 1245 and served as a residence of the Archbishop-Electors of Mainz. Other sights in Lahnstein include Martinsburg Castle on the bank of the Rhine in Oberlahnstein, the Allerheiligenbergkapelle, St. John's Abbey, and the Rheinsteig hiking trail.
context_section_description: St. John’s Church and Abbey - A small church had already existed at the mouth of Lahn since the 9th century. It was the mid-10th century by a slightly larger Ottonian one-nave church. The present church, a flat-roofed Romanesque five-bay pillar basilica was built ca. 1130. It is regarded as the oldest galleried church on the Rhine and was the model for the churches of the so-called Lahn Group, which included the parish churches of Moselweiß and Güls (both villages are now boroughs of Koblenz), Ems, Dietkirchen, and Morsbach in the Siegerland.
  By the end of the 18th century, the church had become the parish church of the town of Niederlahnstein, and still belongs to the parish. About being destroyed several times, it remained a ruin after its destruction during the turmoil of the French Revolution until 1856. It was rebuilt between 1856 and 1866. In the meantime, Niederlahnstein’s second church, St. Barbara, became the parish church and remains so today. A centuries old cemetery surrounds the church.
  St. John’s Abbey (Johanniskloster) is overseen by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Arnstein Fathers). Colocated with the Abbey is the private St. John's Gymnasium, a state-grant funded high school.
  Parish Church of St. Barbara – The parish of Saint Barbara dates to as early in 1358. It was later rebuilt in 1712 and 1889. The current Neo-Gothic structure near the Lahnbrücke, designed by the architect Martin Weber of Frankfurt, was built between 1937 and 1939.
  Wirtshaus an der Lahn (Tavern on the Lahn) - This inn on the banks of the Lahn, built in 1697, is allegedly the infamous setting of the legendary Wirtinnenverse (literally “landlady verses”, which are bawdy poems similar to limericks). There are actually numerous taverns along the Lahn with long histories of operation and many claim to be the "genuine" Wirtshaus an der Lahn from the song. The most likely is this one in Niederlahnstein, located on the Lahnstraße directly above the bridge.
  The estate, rather large for its time, was based on a customs tower of the Archbishopric of Trier from 1348, called the "Land Stronghold" (Landfeste). On the shore in front of the customs tower was a jetty serving shipping along the Lahn. It was popularly known as the "port", although there was never a proper harbor there. The road to Nassau, which followed the banks of the Lahn, also passed by the location.
  In this visible location, the innkeeper Balthasar Kalkofen built his original inn, popular with boatmen and wagon drivers, in 1697. This part of the building, then situated parallel to the Lahn, still exists. The ground floor of the three-floor building is constructed of masonry with massive quarried stone, while the upper stories are of half-timbered construction (Fachwerkbau). The round half-timbered customs tower with a curved roof and the distinctive roof lantern dates from 1741. After the death of Balthasar Kalkofen, his widow Catherine operated the inn alone until 1727. She could have been the "woman hostess" from the song.
  A historically interesting episode occurred here on July 18, 1774. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, accompanied by Johann Kaspar Lavater and Johann Bernhard Basedow, came to Lahnstein while on a boat trip on the Lahn and Rhine Rivers. He had lunch at the inn on the Lahn, after which, inspired by the sight of Lahneck Castle, he wrote the poem Geistesgruß. The Wirtshaus an der Lahn is still a restaurant today.
caption: Wirtshaus an der Lahn
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