Alken (Germany Rhineland-Palatinate)

Alken is a Moselle River cruise port, town and municipality in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state (Mayen-Koblenz district) with population of around 1000. Alken features a number of old houses and remains of medieval walls.

Major sights of interest in the village include Laacher Yard, which is one of the oldest buildings (it dates back from 1093), the Fallertor (City Gate) from 1256, the military tower (also from 1256) and Malteserhaus, one of the village's oldest houses. From here travelers can also explore Ahr Valley, one of the most picturesque of Rhine's tributary valleys. 

On a hill spur above the village stand Thurant Castle's ruins. The castle is situated within Mayen-Koblenz county in Rhineland-Palatinate state and belongs to spur castle type. Next to Thurant Castle which stands on the valley's steep shoulder, on the sunny side are spread vast vine gardens.

From the mid-13th-century, the archbishops of Trier and Cologne were joint owners of the castle's site and had their property managed by burgraves. Each half of the castle, as a result, had its own bergfried, domestic and living buildings, as well as a separate entrance.

From the beginning of the 16th century, this unique double castle slowly fell into disrepair and was turned into a complete ruin during destruction wrought by War of the Palatine Succession.

In 1911, Robert Allmers (1872–1951) from Varel, co-founder of Hansa Automobil company and Director of Bremen's Hansa Lloyd factories from 1914, purchased the site and had part of it rebuilt.

Today the castle is still in private hands but maybe visited from March until mid-November for a fee. It is a protected monument incorporated into the state monument list according to the Heritage Monument Conservation Act of Rhineland-Palatinate. The entire site was declared a protected zone. Thurant Castle is also a protected cultural object under the Hague Convention and displays blue and white protection signs.