Meersburg Castle, Medieval castle in Meersburg, Germany

Meersburg Castle is a hilltop complex on a south-facing slope 440 metres above sea level, its pale stone wings and reddish-brown tiled roofs rising above the lower town. The Dagobert Tower, the central keep, has a stepped gable added under Prince-Bishop Hugo von Hohenlandenberg (1496–1532). A battlemented wall runs along the base, and a separate clock tower with a pointed roof stands to the right.

The first documented mention of Merdesburch dates to 1113, when Luitpolt de Merdesburch appears as a witness. The keep's large squared stones could date from the 7th century or the 12th; a 1548 source credits King Dagobert I with building it around 630. From 1268 the castle belonged to the Prince-Bishops of Constance, and in 1334 a siege saw cannons used for the first time on German soil.

The castle is still lived in by the descendants of Joseph von Laßberg, who bought it in 1838 for 10,000 guilders and saved it from demolition. His purchase made the building a meeting place for scholars and poets, among them the Brothers Grimm, Ludwig Uhland and Justinus Kerner. Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, sister of Laßberg's wife Jenny, moved in in 1841 and wrote much of her poetry here.

The castle stands at 440 m above sea level on a south-facing slope, level with the upper town but above the lower town, so the approach from the lakefront involves a climb. The tour crosses several storeys linked by stairs, including the keep; sturdy shoes help. The 35 furnished rooms are shown as a museum, and the wall walk gives a view over Lake Constance.

Joseph von Laßberg bought the castle in 1838 for 10,000 guilders, saving it from decay and demolition. His purchase turned it into a meeting place for scholars and poets, including the Brothers Grimm, Ludwig Uhland and Justinus Kerner. His sister-in-law Annette von Droste-Hülshoff moved in in 1841 and wrote much of her poetry here.