Castles in the Pfalz (Palatinate)
Southern Palatinate Forest: Medieval Fortresses on Sandstone Cliffs
The Palatinate Forest with its bizarre rock formations is a hiker's paradise and has countless medieval castles. Altdahn and Berwartstein are among the most impressive.
In the Middle Ages hundreds of castles and fortresses were built in the Pfalz, Palatinate in English. Palatinate is derived from the Latin palatium = palace. Then the Pfalz was an important center of royal and imperial power. Frederick I Barbarossa (the red bearded one) fortified the region when he became Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany in 1152.
Many fortresses were destroyed during the 30 Years War and the preceding peasant uprising. The ones still standing were ruined by Napoleon's French troops. There was no way they could withstand modern artillery.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: Palatinate Forest and Northern Vosges
The Palatinate Forest covers over 180.000 hectares and is the largest continuous stretch of forestland in Europe. Together with the adjacent Vosges mountains in France it forms a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The Wasgau region in the Southern Palatinate Forest (Pfaelzer Wald) is known for its bizarre formations of red sandstone cliffs. Rock climbers compare the area to the Elbe Sandstone Range in Saxony. Thousands of miles of well-maintained trails promise a hiker's paradise. A network of huts offers refreshments and simple meals.
Castles Carved in Sandstone Cliffs
- Altdahn-Grafendahn-Tanstein. Castle Group. The three castles nearDahn stretch for 200 metres along five free-standing sandstone cliffs. The buildings are integrated into the rock by means of chambers, stairways and tunnels hewn out of and into the stone. The castle also has a number of underground cisterns. The time it takes for a small pebble to drop into the main well shaft is remarkably long. The panorama from the highest remaining tower- reached by climbing an iron ladder - is spectacular. It includes the town of Dahn in a valley framed by dark green pine- covered mountains dotted with rock formations. Several surrounding villages hidden in side valleys can be spotted from up here. Altdahn has a small museum with a model castle detailing Altdahn's history. Coins, pottery and jewelry are displayed. A pub offers ice cream and refreshments. Altdahn is first mentioned in 1127 as a fief of the Bishop of Speyer to the noble Tann/Dahn Family. Family feuds resulted in the building of two more castles on the same ledge: Grafendahn in 1287 and Tanstein in 1328. In the 1300s a branch of the Tann Family built Neudahn Castle a few kilometers west of Dahn. A steep 10 minute trail starts at Neudahn Lake Campsite.
- Berwartstein (Berwartstein Castle) is the only castle in the Wasgau region that was completely rebuild and is still inhabited. It sits on a cliff on a mountain-top above Erlenbach. Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa (the red-bearded one) gifted the Bishop of Speyer with the fortress in 1152. The bishop gave it as a fief to a noble family. The only access to the original castle was a rock tunnel climbed via rope or a wooden ladder. During an attack the rope was pulled in and the entrance could be defended with hot oil or sap. One of the castle's well shafts is 104 m deep. A guided tour accesses underground chambers and tunnels.The robber knight Hans vonTrodt (also known as Hans Trapp) lived on the Berwartstein in the 1400s. He is the dark black knight of many legends. Trapp dammed up the river Lauter and released a flood towards Wissembourg devastating the town.
Opening hours and tours:
Altdahn-Grafendahn-Tanstein and Neudahn are open and accessible throughout the year.
At the Berwartstein daily guided tours are offered between March and October. Weekends only from November to February.
- Castle Information Center Lemberg has directions and info in German/English/French.
- Medieval castles in the neighboring Vosges Mountains (France)
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