high medieval
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...
, aristocratic
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
in the
Franconia
Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
n region of Germany. Its ruins lie on a hill above the ''Pulvermühle'', a southern town quarter of
Waischenfeld
Waischenfeld is a town in the district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in Franconian Switzerland, 20 km southwest of Bayreuth.
It consists of the following districts: Aalkorb, Breitenlesau, Doos, Eichenbirkig, Gösseldorf, ...
in the
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...
n county of
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
in
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
.
The ''
burgstall
A ''burgstall'' is a German term referring to a castle of which so little is left that its appearance cannot effectively be reconstructed.
'' of the castle is freely accessible.
Location
The castle site is located within the
Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park
Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park () is a nature park in North Bavaria. The nature park was established in 1995 and it covers an area that is almost coextensive with the natural region major unit of Northern Franconian Jura, t ...
on the Schlüsselberg, a hill also called the ''Galgenberg'' ("gallows hill"), in the valley of the Wiesent. The rocky spur on which the castle stood had the shape of a key (''Schlüssel''), so perhaps the castle was named after the local landmark.
Immediately above the mill of ''Pulvermühle'' ("Powder Mill"), which used to be known as the ''Schlüsselmühle'' ("Schlüssel Mill"), can be seen the rocks and the site or ''
burgstall
A ''burgstall'' is a German term referring to a castle of which so little is left that its appearance cannot effectively be reconstructed.
'' of the former
spur castle
A spur castle is a type of medieval fortification that is sited on a spur (mountain), spur of a hill or mountain for defensive purposes. Ideally, it would be protected on three sides by steep hillsides; the only vulnerable side being that where t ...
at a height of .
The easiest way to reach the old castle is from the eastern side of the Galgenberg. There, near a monument on the edge of the wood, a path enters the trees. Visitors should follow the path until they reach a sharp curve. This is in the
neck ditch
A neck ditch (), sometimes called a throat ditch, at www.roadstoruins.com. Accessed on 3 Jan 2012. is a dry
Waischenfeld Castle
Waischenfeld Castle () is a ruined rock castle on a rocky plateau a few metres west of the town of Waischenfeld in the province of Upper Franconia in the German state of Bavaria.
History
The first clues to a castle in the village of Waischenf ...
with its tower, the Steinerner Beutel and the former Schloss Gutenbiegen near the eponymous village; to the southeast are Rabenstein Castle and the ''
burgställe
A ''burgstall'' is a German term referring to a castle of which so little is left that its appearance cannot effectively be reconstructed.
'' of ''Wal zum hohen Loch'' and
Alte Veste
The Battle of the Alte Veste was a significant battle of the Thirty Years' War in which Gustavus Adolphus' attacking forces were defeated by Albrecht von Wallenstein, Wallenstein's entrenched troops.
Background
In the late summer of 1632 t ...
. Further down the Wiesent valley stands
Rabeneck Castle
Rabeneck Castle () is a former high mediaeval aristocratic castle which stands high above the valley of the Wiesent (Regnitz), Wiesent in the Upper Franconian district of Landkreis Bayreuth, Bayreuth in the German state of Bavaria.
The castle is o ...
. Directly opposite the Galgenberg on the Kreuzberg was another, probably prehistorical, fortification.
Literature
* Rüdiger Bauriedel, Ruprecht Konrad-Röder: ''Mittelalterliche Befestigungen und niederadelige Ansitze im Landkreis Bayreuth.'' Ellwanger Druck und Verlag, Bayreuth, 2007, , p. 151.
* Gustav Voit u.a.: ''Vom Land im Gebirg zur Fränkischen Schweiz. Eine Landschaft wird entdeckt.'' Verlag Palm & Enke, Erlangen, 1992, (Die Fränkische Schweiz; 8).
* Hellmut Kunstmann: ''Die Burgen der östlichen Fränkischen Schweiz''. Kommissionsverlag Ferdinand Schöningh, Würzburg, 1965, pp. 83–89.