Can you still visit the Ruine Wielandstein?

You can reach the site via a forest path, but only ground traces remain, as no building survived.

Who built the Ruine Wielandstein?

The stronghold was founded in the Middle Ages, likely by the Counts of Lechsgemünd-Graisbach or their ministerial family, the von Wieland, first recorded in 1180 with Ulrich Wieland.

Why is so little left of the Ruine Wielandstein today?

The still-substantial remains were dismantled in 1811 and again in 1853 so the stone could be reused elsewhere.

What legends surround the Ruine Wielandstein?

Local lore describes it as a robber knights' lair destroyed by cannon fire, said to be haunted by nightly sounds of battle and by a cursed maiden wandering among the rocks.

Where exactly is the Ruine Wielandstein located?

It lies west of Wellheim in the Landkreis Eichstätt, Bavaria, just behind the hamlet of Wielandshöfe.

Ruine Wielandstein (Wellheim)

Wellheim

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Where: Wellheim

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Ruine Wielandstein (Wellheim) stands in Wellheim (Landkreis Eichstätt), in Bavaria, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

The Ruine Wielandstein sits on a wooded dolomite outcrop west of Wellheim, in the Landkreis Eichstätt in Bavaria, just behind the small hamlet of Wielandshöfe. This former rock castle was founded in the Middle Ages, likely by the Counts of Lechsgemünd-Graisbach or by their ministerial family, the von Wieland, who took their name from it, and once rose some thirty metres above the dry valley known as the Wellheimer Trockental. What remained of the walls was dismantled in 1811 and again in 1853 for reuse as building material, so the rocky plateau today is overgrown and shows little beyond the outline of the old moat.

What to know

Only ground traces and the outline of a moat remain, since no built structure survived the dismantling carried out in the 19th century.
The site is reached via a forest path from the hamlet of Wielandshöfe, as the rock is steep and inaccessible on three sides.
It is listed as a Bodendenkmal, meaning a buried archaeological remnant, rather than a restored standing monument.
Nearby to the south lies a second site called Altes Haus, with a moat, two cisterns and wall foundations, possibly an earlier stronghold of the same family.
The visit takes place outdoors on uneven, wooded ground with no visitor facilities.

Where this château is

Wellheim · Landkreis Eichstätt · Bayern

Map of the area around Ruine Wielandstein (Wellheim)

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Burgstraße 4, 91809 Wellheim

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

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Château phone number

+49 8427 1513

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Heritage status: Kulturdenkmal in Deutschland

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Frequently asked

Can you still visit the Ruine Wielandstein?: You can reach the site via a forest path, but only ground traces remain, as no building survived.
Who built the Ruine Wielandstein?: The stronghold was founded in the Middle Ages, likely by the Counts of Lechsgemünd-Graisbach or their ministerial family, the von Wieland, first recorded in 1180 with Ulrich Wieland.
Why is so little left of the Ruine Wielandstein today?: The still-substantial remains were dismantled in 1811 and again in 1853 so the stone could be reused elsewhere.
What legends surround the Ruine Wielandstein?: Local lore describes it as a robber knights' lair destroyed by cannon fire, said to be haunted by nightly sounds of battle and by a cursed maiden wandering among the rocks.
Where exactly is the Ruine Wielandstein located?: It lies west of Wellheim in the Landkreis Eichstätt, Bavaria, just behind the hamlet of Wielandshöfe.