Castles and fortifications in Germany
Hirschberg Castle
The first reference to Hirschberg castle dates from 1180. Since 1305 it was owned by the bishops of Eichstätt. They expanded and strengthened the castle around two Romanesque towers flanking the gatehouse. In 1760-1764 the castle was converted ino the bishop's hunting lodge. The imperial hall and knight's hall are decorated with paintings and have Rococo stucco work.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Hirschberg, Germany
Neudahn Castle Ruins
The rock castle of Neudahn is situated on one of the sandstone rock outcrops that are typical of the Dahner Felsenland region. The name Neudahn ('New Dahn') is rather confusing, because the castle is older than Grafendahn Castle in the nearby group of three castles of Dahn, albeit more recent than Altdahn ('Old Dahn'). Its location enabled it to protect and block the old road running through the Wieslauter valley, the cou ...
Founded: 1230-1240 |
Location:
Dahn, Germany
Sulzbach Castle
The earliest traces of human settlement on the Sulzbach castle hill have been dated to the Late Hallstatt or Early La Tène culture. The medieval settlement was built first in the 8th century or early 9th century. The partially stone-made castle was built there in the 9th or 10th century. In 1003 the castle was moved to the Nordgaugrafen family by Henry II. The medieval castle was rebuilt from 1618 to the Renaissance styl ...
Founded: 10th century |
Location:
Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany
Frankenstein Castle
Frankenstein Castle is a medieval fortification on a spur above the village of Frankenstein. The name first appeared in a document of 1146 mentioning the free nobleman Helenger of Frankenstein. But the beginning of the castle is assumed to be at an earlier date because the erection of a defensive tower around 1100 is reported in various documents. The tower belonged to nearby Limburg Abbey in charge of security on the ro ...
Founded: c. 1100 |
Location:
Frankenstein, Germany
Vorderburg Castle
Vorderburg is one of the four local castles built early 13th century by Ulrich I of Steinach. It consists essentially of a residential building, a dungeon and a farm building. Parts of ancient ramparts are also obtained. Today the castle is privately owned by the barons of Warsberg-Dorth.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Neckarsteinach, Germany
Wildenstein Castle
Wildenstein castle was built in the 13th century above the Danube. Today it functions as a hostel of the German Youth Hostel Association.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Leibertingen, Germany
Neuwerk Tower
The Great Tower Neuwerk is the most significant building of the Neuwerk island, belonging to Hamburg. This former beacon, watchtower and lighthouse is also the oldest building in Hamburg and oldest secular building on the German coast. The construction was started in 1300. It was completed after ten years in 1310. The style matches the common norman tower type of the time. Contrary to some literature, the tower was built ...
Founded: 1300-1310 |
Location:
Insel Neuwerk, Germany
Gimborn Castle
Gimborn Castle is a former water castle located in the upper Leppe valley. It was pledged in 1273 from the county of Berg to the county of Mark, and became the Residenz in the county of Gimborn Neustadt of the House of Schwarzenberg in 1631. Since 1874 the castle has belonged to the Barons von Fürstenberg zu Gimborn. Since 1969 the Castle has served as a conference site and meeting place for the International ...
Founded: 1273 |
Location:
Marienheide, Germany
Wiesentfels Castle
Wiesentfels castle belonged from 1333 to 1938 to the Counts of Giech, who received it from the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg. After the Hussite Wars the castle was rebuilt (from 1476 to 1481). In 1525, it was burnt down by rebellious peasants and rebuilt in the old style by Count Achaz von Giech.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Hollfeld, Germany
Klusenstein Castle
Klusenstein castle was built in 1353 by Gerhard of Plettenberg, a vassal of earl Engelbrecht III of the Mark. The castle formed the boundary fortification of the earldom Mark to the bishopric state of Cologne and the earldom Arnsberg. All three territories met at the Hönne river valley, the castle was also overlooking an old road crossing the valley. During the feud between earl Engelbert and Gottfried IV of Arnsberg, ...
Founded: 1353 |
Location:
Hemer, Germany
Bederkesa Castle
Bederkesa is a medieval castle built originally in the 12th century. Its original owners, the counts of Bederkesa, lost their fief in 1381. For more than two centuries, the City of Bremen became owner of this castle and its surrounding subjects. As a symbol of sovereignty, they have constructed a Roland statue which is still standing in front of castle. Until 1859, this castle served as administrative centre of its surrou ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Bederkesa, Germany
Bilstein Castle
Bilstein castle is located on a spur which falls away steeply on three sides so that the castle's defences only needed to be oriented towards the hill to the northeast. The appearance of the castle is thus dominated by its two round towers, each with a diameter of about eight metres: the Chapel Tower in the northwest and the Hohnekamp Tower in the southeast. The towers are connected by a tunnel under the castle courtyard ...
Founded: 1202-1225 |
Location:
Lennestadt, Germany
Rauenstein Castle
Rauenstein Castle guarded the crossing over the River Flöha along the road from Freiberg to Annaberg. The castle is first mentioned in 1323, although from archaeological investigations it is postulated that it had been built by around 1200. The first lords of Rauenstein were the Schellenbergers. After several changes of ruler, the castle went into the possession of the Electorate of Saxony in 1567. The Amt of Ra ...
Founded: c. 1200 |
Location:
Pockau-Lengefeld, Germany
Liebieg Castle
Liebieg Castle was built by knight Marsilius Gondorf around 1255-1272. Between 1493-1762 it was owned by Eifel family. The current appearance dates mainly from the restoration made in 1859-1960.
Founded: 1859-1960 |
Location:
Kobern-Gondorf, Germany
Liebenzell Castle
Liebenzell Castle is a hill castle above the town of Bad Liebenzell. The fortification was once the most important castle in the Württemberg part of the Black Forest. The castle was built in the 12th century by the counts of Calw. In 1196 the counts of Eberstein were recorded as the castle's owners. From 1220 to 1230 the castle was extended. It was destroyed in the 16th century and in 1692 and rebuilt in 1954. Today the ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Bad Liebenzell, Germany
Kipfenberg Castle
Kipfenberg Castle was built in the 12th century and was owned by the counts of Grögling-Hirschberg. In 1803 it was moved to the possession of state. Bodo Ebhardt restored and rebuilt the castle in the early 1900s. Today Kipfenberg is privately owned, but there is a Romans and Bavarians Museum in the outer bailey.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Kipfenberg, Germany
Schillingsfürst Castle
The Baroque castle of Schillingsfürst was first mentioned in the year 1000. It was owned by Hohenlohe family since 1300s. However, the castle was destroyed by Ludwig of Bayern in 1316. The next castle was destroyed in 1525 and third one again in 1632 in Thirty Years" War. The current castle was built by Prince Karl Albrecht Schillingsfürst in 1753-1793. Today there is a museum.
Founded: 1753-1793 |
Location:
Schillingsfürst, Germany
Odenhausen Castle
Odenhausen Castle was first built in the 11th century on the hill. In the Middle Ages, the fortification was expanded into a moated water castle. The castle was first mentioned in 1316. In 1560 Ludwig von Blankart converted it into a Renaissance residence. A bridge leads across the outer moat through a Baroque gate into the farmhouse and an another bridge leads over the moat to the two-winged mansion. The porta ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Wachtberg, Germany
Battenberg Castle Ruins
It is presumed that the Battenberg castle was constructed by Count Frederick III of Leiningen (d. 1287), and it remained a possession of the House of Leiningen - until 1689, when it was destroyed during the War of the Palatine Succession by French troops. Together with Neuleiningen Castle, on the opposite hillside 1,400 metres to the north, it controlled access to the Eckbach valley. On three sides the outer walls of the ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Battenberg, Germany
Ortenburg Castle
The first hill fort overlooking the valley of Wolfach was built by Count Rapoto I von Ortenburg around 1120. Due to the power of Ortenburg house there were many conflicts with neihgbor states in the late 12th century and early 13th century. The castle was destroyed in one of these wars in 1192 and subsequently rebuilt. The medieval castle was sacked and almost completely destroyed in Landshut War of Succession in 1504. T ...
Founded: 1562 |
Location:
Ortenburg, Germany