Can you visit the Sporkenburg freely?

Yes, the ruin is unmanaged and open at all times, with no opening hours or admission fee.

How do you get to the Sporkenburg?

Walk from the eastern edge of Eitelborn, near the cemetery, following the Burgweg into the forest, or climb up from the L 329 road.

What remains of the Sporkenburg today?

The main surviving features are the tall, bartizan-reinforced shield wall on the north side and the outer walls of the great hall, while much of the rest of the enclosure has disappeared.

Since when has the Sporkenburg been a ruin?

It was destroyed by French troops in 1635 during the Thirty Years' War, having already been described as dilapidated back in 1515.

Sporkenburg

Eitelborn

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Where: Eitelborn

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Sporkenburg stands in Eitelborn (Westerwaldkreis), in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Recorded dating: 14th century. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

The Sporkenburg is a ruined spur castle standing on a wooded rocky ridge south of Eitelborn, in the Westerwald hills. Its most striking feature is a tall 14th century shield wall reinforced with bartizans, which once guarded the castle's northern side. With no keep and no visitor facilities, the site retains the rough character of a medieval ruin left within the forest.

Written from Sporkenburg

What to know

The ruins are unmanaged and freely accessible at any time.
Access is on foot along a forest track from the eastern edge of Eitelborn, near the cemetery, so sturdy footwear is advisable.
There are no opening hours or admission fees, as this is an unsupervised open-air ruin.
Being deep in the woods, the site can be tricky to find, so it helps to follow the Burgweg signage.
An alternative approach starts from the L 329 road, from where the castle can already be seen above the valley.

Where this château is

Eitelborn · Westerwaldkreis · Rheinland-Pfalz

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

56337 Eitelborn

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

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Heritage status: Kulturdenkmal in Deutschland
Period of construction: 14th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the Sporkenburg freely?: Yes, the ruin is unmanaged and open at all times, with no opening hours or admission fee.
How do you get to the Sporkenburg?: Walk from the eastern edge of Eitelborn, near the cemetery, following the Burgweg into the forest, or climb up from the L 329 road.
What remains of the Sporkenburg today?: The main surviving features are the tall, bartizan-reinforced shield wall on the north side and the outer walls of the great hall, while much of the rest of the enclosure has disappeared.
Since when has the Sporkenburg been a ruin?: It was destroyed by French troops in 1635 during the Thirty Years' War, having already been described as dilapidated back in 1515.