What remains of Burg Beilstein today?

Only a U-shaped fragment of the original rectangular curtain wall, once about twelve metres to a side, survives on the steep edge of the Beilstein hill.

Can the Burgruine Beilstein be visited freely?

Yes, the site is outdoors with no opening hours or fees, and is reached via hiking paths from Villbach or Lettgenbrunn.

What is the history behind this ruin?

First recorded in 1343 under Mainz authority, the small fortification was held by several joint lords before losing its purpose once the Counts of Hanau took over the region, and it was already ruined by 1427.

Is the area around the Beilstein protected?

Yes, the Beilstein and its surroundings form a protected nature area in Hesse, notably important as a winter habitat for bat species.

Burgruine Beilstein

Jossgrund

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Where: Jossgrund

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Imperial Palace Gelnhausenfrom €415 km

Sleep nearby

Burgruine Beilstein (Spessart) stands in Jossgrund (Main-Kinzig-Kreis), in Hesse, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Set on a basalt cone in the Hessian Spessart, the Burgruine Beilstein preserves the sparse remains of a small medieval fortification, now surrounded by protected mixed woodland. First recorded in a 1343 document issued by the Archbishop of Mainz, it belonged to several joint lords and is thought to have guarded an old road as well as glassworks in the northern Spessart. Once authority in the region passed to the Counts of Hanau, the castle lost its purpose and was already described as ruined by 1427. Today only a U-shaped stretch of the former rectangular curtain wall, roughly twelve metres to a side, survives on the steep edge of the hill.

What to know

The ruin stands on a wooded hilltop, reachable on foot from the nearby hamlets of Villbach or Lettgenbrunn.
What remains is only a fragment of the former curtain wall, with no interior structures preserved.
The Beilstein hill and its surroundings form a protected nature area, notably a winter refuge for bat species.
The regional Perlen der Jossa cultural cycling trail passes beneath the ruin, with information panels along the way.
There are no set opening hours, fees, or visitor facilities, as the site is visited freely outdoors.

Where this château is

Jossgrund · Main-Kinzig-Kreis · Hessen

Map of the area around Burgruine Beilstein (Spessart)

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

63637 Jossgrund

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

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Heritage status: Kulturdenkmal in Hessen

In pictures

Frequently asked

What remains of Burg Beilstein today?: Only a U-shaped fragment of the original rectangular curtain wall, once about twelve metres to a side, survives on the steep edge of the Beilstein hill.
Can the Burgruine Beilstein be visited freely?: Yes, the site is outdoors with no opening hours or fees, and is reached via hiking paths from Villbach or Lettgenbrunn.
What is the history behind this ruin?: First recorded in 1343 under Mainz authority, the small fortification was held by several joint lords before losing its purpose once the Counts of Hanau took over the region, and it was already ruined by 1427.
Is the area around the Beilstein protected?: Yes, the Beilstein and its surroundings form a protected nature area in Hesse, notably important as a winter habitat for bat species.