Kaub

At Kaub, the Rhine has two very specific and distinctive characteristics that are of great importance both historically and for the contemporary economy and shipping:

1. Pegel Kaub (The crucial water level measuring tower)

• Bottleneck for Rhine navigation: One of the narrowest and shallowest parts of the Rhine is located at Kaub.

• Benchmark for cargo ships: The water level at the Pegel Kaub measuring station serves as the most important reference for all inland navigation on the Rhine.

• Loading depth: Skippers determine how much cargo their ships can carry based on the water level in Kaub. At low water levels in Kaub, ships can only be partially loaded or shipping may even come to a standstill, which has major consequences for European goods transport.

2. Burg Pfalzgravenstein (Island castle in the middle of the Rhine)

• Unique location: Burg Pfalzgravenstein (also called Die Pfalz bei Kaub) is located in the middle of the river on the small rocky island of Falkenau.

• Toll Castle: The castle was built in the 14th century by Louis the Bavarian and served exclusively as a toll station. Passing ships were forced to pay a toll using a chain across the river and cannons.

3. Historic Rhine Crossing

• Kaub is also famous for the historic crossing of the Prussian army led by Field Marshal Blücher on the night of 1813–1814, in which thousands of soldiers crossed the Rhine to pursue Napoleon's troops.

Kaub is also located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley , one of the most picturesque sections of the Rhine with steep vineyards and countless castles.

Pascal Brackman