Johannisberg Castle

The origins of Johannisberg date back to 772, when lands in Geisenheim were donated to the Abbey of Fulda. Around 1100, the Archbishop Ruthard of Mainz transferred the property to the Benedictine monastery of St. Alban, which established a new monastic community there. The monastery was dedicated to St. John, and by the mid-12th century, the name “Sankt Johannisberg” became established. After a period of prosperity, the monastery declined in the 15th century but experienced a brief revival after joining the Bursfelde Congregation. The German Peasants' War in 1524/25 and the destruction during the Margrave War in 1552 led to its final demise. In 1563, the monastery was dissolved, and its assets came under secular administration. In 1716, Prince-Abbot Konstantin von Buttlar of Fulda acquired Johannisberg and had it expanded into his summer residence. During this time, the Baroque castle building was constructed, and its Romanesque church was rebuilt and given a Baroque interior. A central vaulted cellar was completed in 1721. In 1775, a delayed harvest led to the discovery of noble rot, which established the systematic production of late-harvest wines.

Schloss Johannisberg is located in Geisenheim-Johannisberg in the Rheingau-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. It stands at an elevation of approximately 183 m above sea level.

Today, Schloss Johannisberg houses a hotel. Parts of the complex also serve as venues for the Rheingau Music Festival.

• Schloss Schwarzenstein (castle), approx. 1.0 km away
• Schloss Hansenberg (castle), approx. 1.2 km away
• Schloss Vollrads (castle), approx. 1.7 km away
• Schloss Kosackenberg (castle), approx. 1.9 km away