Hornberg Castle
Castle Hornberg is a stronghold 228m above the Neckar valley in Germany’s southern state of Baden Württemberg. Originally, it consisted of two independent structures, which were eventually incorporated by a wall. The famous German knight Götz von Berlichingen lived here for 45 years. According to documents, the castle also includes a second oldest maintained vineyard…
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Castle Alt-Windeck
Castle Windeck, which is also called Alt-Windeck, is a ruin in the Black forest region of Baden Württemberg in the south of Germany. It was build around 1200 at an elevation of 378m by the counts of Windeck, a noble family likely originating from Franconia in Bavaria, holding numerous lands in that region.
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Castle Rodenstein
Castle Rodenstein is situated in the Odenwald region of Hesse on a hill at around 322m hight. As the name suggested, parts of the forest had to be cleared to build the stronghold (‘roden’ – to clear woodland). It was built around 1240 by the lards of Crumback and Rodenstein as protection against Reichenberg, supported…
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Castle Jagsthausen
Castle Jagsthausen, also known as ‘Götzenburg’, is situated in the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg and is the traditional home of the lords of Berlichingen, including their most famous member, Götz von Berlichingen.
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Castle Stolzenfels
Castle Stolzenfest is a Rhineland palace near Koblenz, situated on the site that was once a medieval stronghold, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Originally built in the 13th century, like many other castles in the area it ruined remains were turned into a pleasure palace during the…
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Caste Rheinstein
Castle Rheinstein, which is also known as Voitsberg, Fautsburg or Vaitzburg, is part of the Unesco World Heritage Middle Rhine. The name Rheinstein goes back to the 19th century when the castle was rebuilt. There is a famous story involving the castle and two lovers.
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Castle Ehrenfels
Castle Ehrenfels is a ruin of a 13th century stronghold on the eastern Rhine slope. The region is famous for its wine production, making the castle a popular attraction. Since 2002, Castle Ehrenfels is part of the Unesco World Heritage Middle Rhine.
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Castle Reichenstein
Castle Reichenstein, which is also known as ‘Falkenburg’, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage region of the Middle Rhine Valley. It is situated in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, close to the town of Trechtingshausen.
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Iburg Castle, Bad Driburg
The Iburg is a ruined hill castle in Westphalia. It was build around the 8th century, dating back to the time of Charlemagne and his war with the Saxons. Today it is a popular day-trip destination and the tower, named after Charlemagne (Kaiser Karl Turm), can be climbed for beautiful views.
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Castle Rheineck
Castle Rheineck is situated on a hill close to a stream called Vinxtbach, which separated regions during Roman times. Artefacts dating back to that time suggest that there was a Roman fort on the hill a long time, before the medieval castle was build in the 12th century. It is unclear if it was erected…
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Castle Arenfels
Castle Arenfels was built between 1258 and 1259 by Henrich II of Isenburg or his son Gerlach. The original stronghold was significantly smaller than the palace that can be visited today. The materials for the castle were take directly from the surrounding area and a deep well reached all the way to the water level…
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Castle Rolandseck
Castle Rolandseck was build in 1122 by Archbishop Friedrich I of Cologne, however, there may have been fortifications on this 155m high hill overlooking the Rhine river since 1040. The castle was build simultaneously to the close by abbey of Nonnenwerth. Its founding legend includes the knight Roland, who returned from his fight with the…
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Castle Gutenfels
Castle Gutenfels in the German province of Rhineland-Palatinate towers at 110m over the small town of Kaub, which originally lend its name to the stronghold: Castle Kaub. It was build around 1220 and after an unsuccessful siege by Wilhelm of Holland in 1252 was handed over to the Lords of Falkenberg in 1277. The castle…
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Castle Drachenfels
The Drachenfels is at 321m high hill in the Siebengebierge close to Bad Honnef and marks an important tourist attraction of the area. Between 1138 and 1167, a castle was build on top of the hill and called Castle Drachenfels by Archbishop Arnold of Cologne. The original purpose was to protect the region around Cologne.…
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Steckelberg Castle
The ruins of Steckelberg Castle are situated close to Ramholz, in Hesse, central Germany. The name can be derived from Middle High German for ‘steep hill’, referring to the steep inclines that lead up to it. It was build to control the routes through this mountainous area and overlooked the wine route from Fulda to…
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Castle Nanstein
Castle Nanstein was build in the 12th century on orders of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I. It is most well known for it’s 16th century owner and famous knight, Franz von Sickingen, who died here after the the siege of 1523. Today, Burg Nanstein is a ruin on top of a 330m hill and…
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Castle Stargard
This imposing castle, which shares its name with the adjacent town, was build between 1236 and 1260 from local red brick. At an altitude of 50m, it is the largest existing medieval hill castle in Northern Germany and the oldest secular building in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommen. Today, the castle grounds include a museum, a…
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Sparrenburg Castle
The Sparrenburg is the symbol of the city of Bielefeld, a German town in the Teutoburger Wald (Teutoburg Forest) region. The modern layout of the castle is largely based on changes in the 16th and 19th century. It also forms a spectacular backdrop of the Sparrenburgfest – the annual medieval fair. The castle was build…
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Knights and Castles 