Runkel
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| Runkel | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
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| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Hesse |
| Admin. region | Gießen |
| District | Limburg-Weilburg |
| Mayor | Hans-Jürgen Heil (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 43.69 km² (16.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 180 m (591 ft) |
| Population | 9,739 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 223 /km² (577 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | LM |
| Postal code | 65594 |
| Area code | 06482 |
| Website | www.runkel-lahn.de/gross/index1.html |
| Location of the town of Runkel within Limburg-Weilburg district | |
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Runkel is a town in the Limburg-Weilburg district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Lahn, 7 km northeast of Limburg an der Lahn.
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[edit] Geography
[edit] Geographical location
The city is located at the Lahn river, between the mountains of the Westerwald and the Taunus.
[edit] Neighbour communities
The surrounding municipalities and towns are Beselich and Weilburg in the North, Weinbach and Villmar in the East and Limburg in the South and West.
[edit] Structure of the town
Runkel has eight districts: Arfurt, Dehrn, Ennerich, Eschenau, Hofen, Schadeck, Steeden und Wirbelau.
[edit] History
The first time Runkel was mentioned was in 1159. In 1191 Siegfried of Runkel married a countess of Katzenelnbogen. This high noble family forced Dietrich of Runkel to open his castles Runkel and Dehrn and in 1447 Count Philipp of Katzenelnbogen was the liege lord[1]. In 1568 the Reformation was introduced. In 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, the town was almost completely destroyed.
[edit] Main sights
- The ruin of the Runkel castle from the 12th century, expanded in the 14th century and destroyed in 1634. Today it is the property of the Earls "zu Wied".
- The half timbered houses from the 17th and 18th century.
- The stone Lahn bridge from the 15th century.
- The castle of Schadeck from the 13th century.
[edit] Transportation
Runkel is about 7 km from the motorway A 3.
The town has a train station at the Lahntalbahn; Koblenz—Limburg—Runkel—Wetzlar—Gießen. Only regional trains stop in Runkel. The town is part of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ http://www.graf-von-katzenelnbogen.de/ The History of the County of Katzenelnbogen and the First Riesling of the World
[edit] External links
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