burg sooneck

As previous reviewers have pointed out, this castle is not in Mainz, but just down the road from Bacharach & Neiderheimbach. The castle is signposted from the main Rhein-side road; car park is about 10 minutes easy uphill walk from the castle. Nice gardens & exterior with small cafe terrace overlooking the Rhein. The interior can only be viewed by guided tour, which is in German with a much abbreviated English printed sheet. Only a few rooms on show, with some furniture and paintings.My main concern was the felt overshoes that we had to put on at the entrance to the rooms (understandably to protect the lovely wooden floors) which made walking very difficult and the floors VERY slippery, I nearly fell a few times so I am not sure how older visitors would fare.Also note that as a state-owned castle, seniors over-60 get reduced entrance price (they don't offer, you need to ask).

Burg Sooneck, located above Niederheimbach, is one of the many Castles or Ruins on the middle Rhein. This Castle and grounds belongs to the State of RheinlandPfalz, who has lovingly restored it as much as possible to it's original condition. It's not the largest on the Rhein, but historically belonging to the Prussian Royal Family gave it an interesting history. The guides give great history lessons.

Sooneck is a smaller castle that Rheinstein, but worth the visit. But note that it is certainly not in Mainz!! It is half way between Bingen and Bacharach at kilometer 538, so I don't know why it is listed as Mainz. There is a short drive up from the main highway to a parking lot overlooking the Rhine. Then there is a 5 minute walk to the castle. You cannot tour the castle with a guide which is included in the entrance fee. They are very particular about the castle, so you have to wear huge "slippers" over your shoes to protect the parquet flooring! Be careful! The "slippers" are very slippery! The tour was not particularly good... the guide only spoke German and we were given special cards in English which barely covered the detail the guide provided verbally.

We had such a great afternoon at the castle! My kids just ate it up. We arrived and paid our admission fee (4 Euro for adults) and were told to go join the tour group just inside. The tour was completely in German but they do have a laminated card in English for you to read about the rooms. The best part was just being able to explore outside the castle. And the views of the Rhine River were superb! There is a little snack bar there where you can enjoy a coffee, beer or glass of wine and a snack and sit outdoors enjoying the view. There are also decent toilets. The tour guide was very friendly to us and would occasionally address us in his broken English. Let it be known that you must park down at the bottom of a hill and hike up to the castle which is about 0.3 km from where you park.

First things first, this castle isn't really in Mainz, in fact, it's quite far from Mainz. About 27 miles (35 minutes, driving) west of Mainz. The closest town is Niederheimbach, from which you can also access the castle. Long story short, if you're looking for things to do within walking distance of Mainz, skip this one. However, if you have means to travel and are looking for a day trip, I'd recommend this (combined with some other nearby castles) as an option.That being said, I had seen this castle from the Rhein River and wanted to go tour it. I was glad I did. The price was €8 for a family, which included the tour. The downside to that was that the tour was in German. We were provided a sheet in English that told a little about the rooms, but judging by the length the guide was talking, we got about half of what was actually being said. I was a tad disappointed that you only got to see the first two stories, but then again, the top floors were used for weddings, so there probably wasn't anything much to see up there unless you were planning an event. Regardless, the tour was worth it. Not too much to see, but the group was small (seven, including the guide), and there were some interesting things. There is a painting where not only do the eyes seem to be looking at you wherever you stand in the room, but the gentleman's boot is always pointing right at you as well. Try it! Be aware there is a short (300m) walk from the parking lot to the castle. No steps, and all paved, although not the smoothest of ground, a stroller or wheel chair shouldn't be a problem. (However, neither would be recommended AT the castle, as there were a LOT of stairs, and I didn't notice an elevator.)The castle itself is gorgeous and the grounds were well-kept. It was very clean, and there were SEVERAL rose bushes in bloom! It added to the experience. The castle was well-preserved and provided great views of the Rhein and surrounding areas. All in all, not my favorite castle, but for the size, location, views, and friendly staff, it was just right. The only thing that would have made it better is if the biergarten was open.

A trip to Germany is not complete unless one visits at least one of the many castles which dot the countryside. Just outside the beautiful small town of Bacharach lies the beautiful castle known as Burg Sooneck. It's just a short distance off the main road to Bacharach, and it would be an absolute shame if you missed this beauty.There is a parking lot just a few hundred feet from the castle,and it is a beautiful short walkthrough the forest to get to the property.We purchased an interior tour, which was quite inexpensive since there were three of us,two of us falling into the category of seniors, the total fare was just under €10. The interior tour was interesting because we got to see some of the authentic furnishings, which may have adorned the castle. It was some great artwork but, in my opinion, I would have liked to of seen more than the two floors to which we were restricted.The outside of the grounds are amazing. The detail and construction design of this masterpiece is a photographers paradise! Although this was our first experience at seeing a castle first hand, it was most rewarding and certainly worth the small entrance fee. I would recommend this castle tour to anyone who is visiting the area.

Nice hotel. Good view of the city. 20 min walk to main town. Good parking space. Nice garden. Very clean. Good for 2-3 day max.

Friendly tour guide and beautiful views of the Rhein. The castle is furnished and you really get an idea of what life must have been like.

Zamek znajduje sie w rękach prywatnych i zwiedzanie jest płatne, można wynająć przewodnika, na terenie zamku jest kapliczka a z wieży zamku mozna podziwiać rzeke Rhein.

Dort werden Kindheitsträume war. Man kann sich richtig in die Ritterzeit hinein versetzen. Sehr für Familie zu empfehlen

Fica bem perto da cidade de Bacharach e do alto do castelo temos uma vista linda da cidade. Para visitar esta forteleza, pagamos 2,60 euros por adulto e 1,50 euros para adolescentes. Recomendo!

Wir haben am 26.07.2014 auf Burg Sooneck geheiratet. Wir können nur eins sagen wunderschön. Die eigentliche Hochzeit fand im Turmzimmer statt. Dieses wurde von den sehr netten "Burgherren" für eine Trauung mit 30 Gästen plus Sängerin hergerichtet. Der anschließende Sektempfang mit Fingerfood fand auf der Barterrasse statt. Das Essen und der Service war ausgezeichnet. Alles in allem eine sehr schöne Burg um ein solches fest zu feiern. Ganz Toll!!!! Danke

Еще один красивейший замок на Рейне. Как правильно написали до меня, конечно находится не в Майнце. По моему мнению, замок гораздо интересней снаружи, чем внутри. Рекомендую.

Frédéric Guillaume de Prusse a aménagé les ruines du château à partir de 1842 en relais de chasse. Meublé en style néogothique et Biedermeier

Осматривали замок после Rheinstein и Reichenstein. Поэтому уже были немного пресыщены замками. Но благодаря гиду Леониду, проведшему нам экскурсию на русском языке, замок остался одним из самых ярких впечатлений. Из плюсов, помимо оказавшейся персональной экскурсии, надо отметить наличие подъезда и парковки рядом с замком. Также это чуть ли не единственный замок, где дали seniour дисконт. Из минусов - замок, естественно, новодел, очень мало помещений для посещения. Также замок нельзя посетить без гида. Но для нас это оказалось внезапно плюсом.