How do you get to Hohenfels Castle?

You reach it on foot via a steep trail from the Weiße Grube visitor mine in the Langental valley, passing the Iron Man monument along the way.

Can Hohenfels Castle be visited freely?

Yes, it is an open ruin with no known ticketing system or fixed opening hours.

Why is Hohenfels Castle a ruin?

It was destroyed in 1351 after a siege by the cities of Speyer and Worms allied with neighbouring lords, and a treaty afterwards forbade its reconstruction.

What remains to be seen at the site?

The remaining walls and traces of the medieval fortification, set within a protected natural area north of Imsbach.

Hohenfels Castle

Imsbach

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Imsbach

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Burg Hohenfels stands in Imsbach (Donnersbergkreis), in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Recorded dating: 12th century. No visits are on record for this building.

Hohenfels Castle stands in ruins at 545 metres above sea level, within the Beutelfels nature reserve north of Imsbach. Built by the Bolanden family in the 12th century, it was destroyed in 1351 after a lengthy siege led by the cities of Speyer and Worms in alliance with neighbouring lords. Excavations in the 1930s uncovered stone shot and evidence of a small cannon, among the earliest known uses of such a weapon in a siege in Germany. The site is reached by a steep footpath from the Weiße Grube visitor mine, passing the so called Iron Man monument.

Written from Hohenfels Castle (Palatinate)

What to know

The castle can only be reached on foot, via a steep path starting at the Weiße Grube visitor mine.
It is an open air ruin with no known opening hours or admission fees.
Sturdy footwear is advisable given the wooded, sloping terrain.
The site is listed as a Kulturdenkmal in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Because it lies within a nature reserve, visitors should keep to the marked trails.

Where this château is

Imsbach · Donnersbergkreis · Rheinland-Pfalz

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

67817 Imsbach

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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3.9 / 5from 18 Google reviews

Heritage status: Kulturdenkmal in Rheinland-Pfalz
Period of construction: 12th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

How do you get to Hohenfels Castle?: You reach it on foot via a steep trail from the Weiße Grube visitor mine in the Langental valley, passing the Iron Man monument along the way.
Can Hohenfels Castle be visited freely?: Yes, it is an open ruin with no known ticketing system or fixed opening hours.
Why is Hohenfels Castle a ruin?: It was destroyed in 1351 after a siege by the cities of Speyer and Worms allied with neighbouring lords, and a treaty afterwards forbade its reconstruction.
What remains to be seen at the site?: The remaining walls and traces of the medieval fortification, set within a protected natural area north of Imsbach.