Burg Lauenstein, Medieval castle and museum in Ludwigsstadt, Germany

Burg Lauenstein is a castle with four corner towers and multiple wings standing on a hilltop above the town of Ludwigsstadt in northern Bavaria. The structure combines its oldest sections from the 12th century with a Renaissance expansion built between 1551 and 1554, and now serves as a museum.

The original fortification was built in the 12th century and later expanded multiple times, particularly through Renaissance restructuring in the mid-16th century. This building phase gave the castle its current form and defines its appearance today.

The castle's name comes from the village of Lauenstein below it, first recorded in 1138 as "Adelbert von Lewenstein". From 1506 the lordship belonged to the von Thüna family, and Christoph von Thüna had the Renaissance main wing built between 1551 and 1554. Today the castle houses a museum.

The location is best reached by walking paths that lead uphill from Ludwigsstadt and offer views of the surrounding landscape. Allow enough time for the climb, especially if you plan to explore the museum displays inside.

The castle's gate once bore a Brandenburg eagle, the same motif that often decorated the covers of the Jungbrunnen fairy-tale series. Owner Ehrhard Messmer, who restored the ruin from 1896, collected and published local legends in that series.